Army Commanders Conference Begins; Land Warfare Doctrine Release

The Army Commanders' Conference, the top-level forum that the Indian Army holds twice a year, opened in New Delhi on 21 October 2026 and runs until 23 October 2026. The Chief of the Army Staff is in the chair, and the force's senior leadership has gathered to take stock of a changing security environment, operational readiness, capability building and the steps needed to make the Army ready for the future.

Who is addressing it

The Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, will address the gathering. Talks on current security questions will also be given by the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Secretary (Electronics and Information Technology) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which brings a technology view into a purely military forum.

Land Warfare Doctrine

The main event of the conference will be the release of the Land Warfare Doctrine by the Raksha Mantri. The document is meant to give the Army an overall framework for handling the challenges thrown up by the changing character of war and by the conflicts of the years ahead. A doctrine of this kind sets out how a force thinks about fighting, and it guides training, structures and equipment choices that follow from that thinking.

United Nations peacekeeping

The Raksha Mantri will also unveil the annual United Nations Journal and felicitate soldiers of the Indian Army who have done notable work while serving as United Nations peacekeepers. The honour recognises their service, professionalism and contribution to international peace and security under the United Nations flag.

Awards at the conference

The Chief of the Army Staff will present awards for Green Military Stations and for Aviation Flight Safety. The first set recognises excellence in environmental sustainability and in managing resources at military stations, while the second rewards units that build a strong culture of safety in flying.

What the forum does

With a wide agenda before it, the conference gives the Army's senior commanders a place to review initiatives already under way, mark out the areas that will need attention next and frame policy directions. The stated aim is an Indian Army that is progressive, adaptive, enabled by technology and ready for the future.