Personalities, organizations, and doctrine in the Indian military

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe article explains when, why, and how Indian Army doctrine has changed since 1947. It traces Indian Army doctrinal evolution from defensive defense from 1947 to the mid-1960s, toward maneuver warfare after 1971, greater mechanization in the 1980s, and an emphasis on rapid, limited offensive strikes after 2002. It argues that in the absence of civilian intervention, the Indian Army has followed patterns predicted by organizational theory. The Indian Army has tended to avoid major doctrinal evolution and when doctrinal change has taken place it has consistently moved away from defensive orientations in favor of doctrines that maximize the initiative available to future Indian Army leaders to undertake offensive action. Doctrinal innovation has also been hampered by high turnover and apolitical selection of Indian Army chiefs, which inhibits continuity in efforts at doctrinal reform and modernization.