News , articles and essays on Indian Defense
Modern India follows a similar strategic logic, though in a very different geopolitical setting. It is not pretending that self-reliance means isolation. Instead, India is building partnerships to fill capability gaps while steadily strengthening its own base.
The project began as CVRDE’s effort to convert BMP-II class tracked amphibious vehicles into tele-operated and autonomous platforms. According to DRDO’s Technology Focus account, CVRDE took up the “Conversion of BMP-II into Tele-operated and Autonomous Vehicle” project in 2007, later naming it MUNTRA. The programme developed technologies such as drive-by-wire control, tele-operation, perception systems, robotic manipulators, autonomous navigation, multi-sensor fusion, payload tele-operation, power management and software integration.
The most important part of the project is its ammunition manufacturing capability. Reports say the Shirdi facility includes an artillery shells plant with an annual production capacity of around five lakh shells. The unit is expected to produce 155 mm and 120 mm artillery shell hardware, tank ammunition and related systems. In a world where the Ukraine war and other modern conflicts have shown the centrality of high-volume ammunition production, such a facility has direct strategic relevance for India.
The original Mahabharata passages describe the formation as a firm, fierce, foremost and impenetrable circular array formed by Drona. Abhimanyu openly says he has been taught by Arjuna how to penetrate and strike such an array, but he also admits that if danger overtakes him, he does not know how to come out. This single admission gives the episode its entire military depth: Abhimanyu has entry knowledge, but lacks complete exit doctrine.
. The order, issued through the Land & Development Office under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, directs the club to hand over its 27.3-acre property at 2, Safdarjung Road by 5 June 2026. The official reason given is that the land is required for strengthening defence-related infrastructure and other vital public security purposes.
The epic describes the war as a clash of enormous scale, with eighteen Akshauhinis gathered at Samanta-panchaka and destroyed in the conflict. One Akshauhini itself was counted as 21,870 chariots, 21,870 elephants, 65,610 horses and 109,350 foot soldiers, giving the war a military scale that naturally invites comparison with modern corps-level and theatre-level planning.
The contract covers optical lens components identified as GE SF Lens 1 and GE SF Lens 2, with execution planned through sample approval, first-lot delivery within roughly 8–10 weeks after purchase-order receipt, and phased monthly deliveries up to December 2026. The order value is listed as ₹29,83,81,230 plus applicable GST, and the award has been disclosed under SEBI’s Regulation 30 framework.
The missile is generally assessed to have a range of around 700 km, with an estimated payload capacity of about 1,000 kg. Open-source technical assessments describe Agni-I as roughly 15 metres long, around 1 metre in diameter, and solid-fuelled, making it a compact and mobile member of the Agni family. Its shorter range gives India a focused strategic option within the regional theatre, while its solid-fuel configuration supports faster readiness compared to older liquid-fuel systems.
The new plant is expected to serve as a specialised centre for the manufacture, integration and testing of advanced radar systems. Its focus will include high-end radar technologies for airborne and ground-based applications, supporting both Indian defence requirements and potential international demand. Construction is expected to be completed by April 2027, with production planned to begin soon after.
The Mahabharata’s battlefield ethics arose from a kshatriya honour code rather than treaty law, yet the underlying concern is familiar: even in war, power requires limits.
