Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh, AVSM, SM**, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army’s Western Command, visited the Tiger Division of Rising Star Corps for a comprehensive review of the formation’s operational preparedness and its ability to respond rapidly and decisively to emerging contingencies.
During the visit, the Army Commander assessed various aspects of the Tiger Division’s combat readiness, with particular emphasis on its agility, preparedness and ability to operate effectively across different operational scenarios.
Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh stressed the importance of maintaining sustained combat readiness and ensuring that formations remain prepared to respond to rapidly changing situations. He emphasised adaptability and mission effectiveness across the operational spectrum as essential requirements for units operating in a contemporary battlefield environment.
The review comes as the Indian Army continues to place increased emphasis on maintaining formations at a high level of operational preparedness while incorporating lessons from recent conflicts around the world. Modern warfare increasingly demands faster decision-making, technological adaptability, effective battlefield surveillance and the ability to operate in environments shaped by drones, electronic warfare and other emerging technologies.
Alongside the operational review, Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh witnessed an innovation display featuring indigenous solutions developed and optimised by troops for use under field conditions.
The display showcased solutions conceptualised by soldiers to address contemporary operational challenges and improve battlefield effectiveness. Such innovations are particularly significant because they originate from personnel who directly operate equipment and encounter practical challenges during training and operational deployments.
The initiatives demonstrated how soldiers are increasingly leveraging technology and in-house innovation to develop practical solutions suited to specific operational requirements. Field-level innovations can help formations improve existing equipment, address capability gaps and develop relatively simple but effective solutions without always depending on lengthy conventional procurement processes.
The innovation display also reflected the Indian Army’s growing emphasis on encouraging technological awareness and problem-solving among troops at different levels. Lessons emerging from contemporary conflicts have demonstrated that relatively inexpensive technologies, when effectively adapted and employed, can significantly influence battlefield outcomes.
Indigenous and locally developed solutions can also be modified rapidly according to changing operational requirements. This flexibility is particularly valuable in areas such as unmanned systems, surveillance, communications, electronic warfare, mobility, protection and logistics, where battlefield requirements can evolve quickly.
The Army Commander appreciated the ingenuity and resourcefulness demonstrated by the troops in developing field-oriented solutions. Their efforts also reinforced the broader objective of Atmanirbhar Bharat by promoting indigenous innovation and reducing dependence on externally sourced solutions wherever suitable alternatives can be developed within the country.
Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh’s visit combined the two increasingly interconnected aspects of modern military preparedness — conventional combat readiness and technological innovation. While formations must retain the ability to execute their fundamental operational tasks, their effectiveness is increasingly influenced by how rapidly they can understand, adopt and adapt new technologies.
The Tiger Division forms part of the Rising Star Corps under Western Command, one of the Indian Army’s strategically important operational commands. Maintaining a high degree of preparedness among formations under the Command remains essential given the dynamic security environment and the requirement for forces to respond effectively to a wide spectrum of contingencies.
The visit therefore served not only as an assessment of the Tiger Division’s current operational capabilities but also as an opportunity to reinforce the Army’s expectations regarding readiness, adaptability and innovation.
By combining sustained combat preparedness with indigenous, troop-driven technological solutions, the Indian Army is seeking to build formations capable of responding decisively to emerging threats while remaining flexible enough to adapt to the rapidly changing character of warfare.
