The inaugural Samanvaya Session of RakshaManthan 2025 commenced with an incisive exploration of India’s strategic aspirations under the unifying theme— “Strategic Pathways to Viksit Bharat @2047.” But more than just a backdrop, the very concept of “Samanvaya” was at the heart of the discourse. A Sanskrit word meaning coordination, synergy, and harmonious integration, Samanvaya embodies the spirit of collaborative nation-building. It is a call for cocreation rather than competition between the pillars of governance—civil administration, defence establishments, diplomacy, political leadership, and the citizenry.
As India aspires to become a fully developed nation by 2047, marking a century of its independence, the session explored how this ambition must be underpinned by inter-institutional alignment and whole-of-nation thinking. Samanvaya was not viewed as an abstract idea, but as a living principle that must animate policy, security, and society. It implies coherence between policy formulation and ground implementation, between national vision and regional realities, and between traditional wisdom and modern innovation.
The panel, composed of seasoned practitioners from various fields, delved into how true national development cannot happen in silos. Rather, it demands a synchronized approach where every stakeholder operates not in isolation, but in concert—much like the coordinated notes of a symphony. Through this lens, Samanvaya emerged not just as the theme of the session, but as a guiding philosophy for India’s onward journey.
Session Highlights:
Major General BK Sharma (Retd)
Major General BK Sharma (Retd), serving as the moderator, opened the session by framing Samanvaya not just as a theme, but as a strategic necessity for India’s journey toward Viksit Bharat @2047. With his extensive defence and policy experience, he emphasized that the challenges facing India today—be it national security, governance, economic equity, or global diplomacy—are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed in silos. “We are transitioning from compartmentalized planning to comprehensive national power,” he observed, advocating for a shift from vertical institutional hierarchies to horizontal coordination across sectors.
He further highlighted the role of civil-military fusion in strategic planning and called for institutional mechanisms that align defence, development, and diplomacy in real-time. His reflections resonated with clarity and urgency, particularly as he invoked the idea that national security now also includes economic resilience, social cohesion, and technological autonomy. “The future will be shaped not just by firepower, but by foresight and fusion,” he said. His moderating presence anchored the session with scholarly depth, sharp transitions, and a strategic foresight that encouraged panelists to reflect beyond conventional frameworks.
With the commanding presence of a seasoned military thinker and the analytical depth of a strategic scholar, Lt. Gen. B.K. Sharma (Retd.), Director General of the USI, delivered a comprehensive and clear-eyed assessment of India's national security imperatives at Rakshamanthan 2025. His intervention reflected not only battlefield experience but a rare intellectual clarity rooted in doctrine, shaped by geopolitics, and tempered by realpolitik. Opening his remarks with a sober invocation of India's two-and-a-half front threat scenario, Gen. Sharma wasted no time in establishing the stakes The eloquence of his words made the room realise that we are no longer in an era of predictable conflicts. Instead, India faces threats that are kinetic, cognitive, economic, and informational. This multiform paradigm was unpacked not just in military terms but in terms of strategic friction with threats emanating from state actors, proxies, grey zone warfare, and technological encroachments. His formulation of “multi-domain convergence” was especially instructive, urging Indian strategic planners to think beyond the binaries of war and peace, and prepare instead for constant competition across domains. Gen. Sharma’s remarks took on greater depth as he addressed the urgent need for jointness and integration within India’s defence architecture. With clinical precision, he made the audience understand that the time has come to move beyond rhetoric on theatre commands and institutionalize synergy doctrinally, structurally, and operationally. This was not merely a critique it was a strategic imperative. He pointed to the pace at which adversaries are evolving their warfighting capabilities, warning that India could not afford institutional inertia in the face of doctrinal asymmetry. India must define its role not only as a balancing power, but as a stabilizing force in an increasingly unpredictable region.” A particularly striking moment came when Gen. Sharma reflected on the narrative dimension of national security, The message was clear, If you do not tell your story, someone else will. And their version may not end well for you. This discourse echoed the central premise of Rakshamanthan itself that civilizational security is not merely about territory, but about narratives, memory, and intellectual sovereignty. His call for India to invest in information dominance, cyber deterrence, and cognitive infrastructure was urgent, timely, and unflinching. In many ways, his intervention represented the essence of Rakshamanthan: the convergence of security and statesmanship, of military clarity and civilizational consciousness."
Esteemed Panelists:
Session - 1
Special address by :
Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi
At Rakshamanthan 2025, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi delivered a deeply anchored articulation of India’s emerging strategic grammar, where civilizational confidence meets calibrated statecraft. Her address was not merely a presentation of policy themes; it was a coherent strategic doctrine, rooted in dharma, dignity, and democratic depth. With clarity, conviction, and characteristic candour, she situated India’s global posture within a civilizational continuum, refusing to view statehood as a post-1947 phenomenon but as the latest chapter in an ancient tradition of balance, dialogue, and assertion.
Her vision was expansive yet exacting. Maritime interoperability, she noted, is not a tactical imperative, it is a philosophical one. In an age defined by contested oceans and transactional diplomacy, India’s pursuit of free and open navigation is not just about safeguarding trade,it is about defending the principle of sovereign choice, unhindered movement, and shared prosperity. Maritime security, she emphasized, is inseparable from national security.
She stressed the importance of securing shipping lanes, particularly in the context of global chokepoints vulnerable to non-state actors. Citing the nexus between terrorism and supply chain disruption, evident in the recent Houthi-led attacks in the Red Sea, she underscored how India’s military doctrine must evolve to meet the demands of complex interdependences. The interplay between military readiness and economic resilience is no longer theoretical; it is strategic fact. India’s expanding strategic footprint, particularly across the Indo-Pacific, is not adventurism,it is anchorage. Joint military actions, growing naval bases, and active military operations across the region reflect both deterrence and direction. India–Philippines cooperation was highlighted as a model of military diplomacy, forged through shared values, strategic trust, and regional alignment against expansionist threats. In contrast, she warned against debt-trap diplomacy that compromises sovereignty under the guise of assistance, naming no one, yet signalling clearly. The doctrine she proposed is one of preparedness, militarily, diplomatically, and morally. From cyber warfare to climate change, she mapped the new battlefield, where the lines between kinetic conflict and cognitive warfare have blurred. Humanitarian operations, such as India’s rapid deployment of medically equipped ships during disasters in Turkey and Thailand, were cited not as soft power anecdotes, but as manifestations of a civilizational ethic: strength used for service. Equally compelling was her call for a redefined “Neighbourhood First” policy, where extended friendship is not limited to geographic proximity but expands through maritime, economic, and cultural corridors. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was framed as a strategic artery, not merely for trade, but for trust. Supply chain integrity emerged as a sovereign imperative. In an age where disruption is used as a tool of coercion, India must move from being a node in someone else’s grid to becoming a guarantor of continuity. She proposed zero tolerance toward terrorism, not merely in rhetoric but in legal, strategic, and economic terms. Diplomacy, in her vision, was not a ceremonial exercise but a strategic tool. Military diplomacy must rise alongside classical diplomacy, ensuring active engagements and sustained dialogues between nation-states. She advanced a powerful case for state-centre synergy, recognizing that strategic outcomes depend as much on federal coordination as on foreign collaboration. Finally, her call was civilizational, not nostalgic, but normative. India must lead not with mimicry, but with meaning. Freedom of navigation must flow from a deeper commitment to freedom and prosperity. The shift from “foes to friends” demands not idealism, but strategic trust-building. Trust, she declared, must replace trust deficits. Power must be used not to colonize, but to civilize through consensus and conviction. In a world increasingly defined by fragmentation, Smt. Lekhi’s address was an invocation, a reminder that India’s rise must be one of memory, responsibility, and strategic clarity. The churn is inevitable. What matters is whether the nation leads it or is led by it.
National Vision in Action
The deliberations in the Samanvaya Session laid out a multi-dimensional roadmap toward achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. A clear consensus emerged on the imperative for integrated institutional cooperation, where civil administration, military leadership, and diplomatic apparatus collaborate not in parallel, but in convergence. Moving forward, the emphasis must be on translating strategic intent into operational effectiveness. This includes accelerating defence modernization with indigenous innovation, strengthening governance through data-driven and transparent frameworks, and investing in human capital—especially the youth—as central stakeholders in national progress.
The session also underscored the importance of regional inclusion, particularly the integration of historically sensitive areas like Jammu & Kashmir, the Northeast, and tribal belts into the larger development discourse. On the global stage, India must craft a diplomacy that balances its ancient civilizational ethos with modern strategic agility, asserting its place as both a knowledge leader and an economic powerhouse. Finally, narrative-building and civic education must go hand-in-hand with policy execution to cultivate a well-informed, participatory citizenry. As the panelists collectively highlighted, the vision of a developed India can only be realized through “samanvaya”—coordination, commitment, and collective responsibility. It is not merely about building infrastructure, but about nurturing a nationhood rooted in harmony and resolve.
Session - 2
Anchoring the Vision
The Samanvaya Session of RakshaManthan 2025 was not merely a forum for discussion—it was a catalytic convergence of ideas, experience, and national will. Each speaker, in their own right, articulated a fragment of the greater whole that India aspires to become: a nation secures in its borders, efficient in its governance, inclusive in its development, and confident in its global identity. What emerged was a reaffirmation of India’s immense potential—but also a reminder that these potential demands vision with vigilance, and progress with purpose.
The pathway to Viksit Bharat is neither linear nor guaranteed—it requires deep reforms, cultural shifts, and a sustained alignment between the state, its institutions, and its citizens. But most importantly, it requires unwavering belief in the idea of India as a collective, harmonious civilizational project. The session closed not with complacency, but with conviction—a call for sustained action, meaningful dialogue, and national coordination. As echoed in the words of Major General BK Sharma, “We are not building a country for the next election—we are building a civilization for the next century.” It is in that spirit that this session shall be remembered—not for its speeches, but for the vision it dared to set in motion
Address by Shakti Singh
In a conference defined by intellectual gravitas and strategic statecraft, Shakti Singh’s address stood out as a cultural surge but an invocation of youthful resolve rooted in civilizational pride. Speaking in fluent and impassioned Hindi, his message was not adorned with jargon, but armed with conviction, a reminder that India’s future will not be shaped by policies alone, but by the awakening of its youth and the remembering of its roots.
With fiery cadence and unfiltered honesty, he opened his remarks with a piercing observation making all those before him realise that Until we attain freedom in our thinking, no other form of freedom holds true meaning.
He called for the youth to be enlisted not only in economics or politics, but in narrative warfare, cultural assertion, and strategic innovations creators of new paradigms, not just as participants in old ones. His was not a lamentation of what is lacking, but a rallying cry for what is possible. He boldly questioned the psychological dependence on external validation. One ought to think, When we need foreign literature to understand our own civilization, the problem is not of knowledge it is of self-worth. It was a direct challenge to intellectual colonization, and a call for the decolonization of the Indian mind. In one of the most arresting moments of his speech, He roared that India will not be awakened by others. It will be awakened by its youth. But first, we must awaken the India within ourselves. Unlike many youth leaders who mimic establishment tones, Shakti Singh’s voice carried the weight of lived reality not shaped by privilege, but by inner clarity and cultural immersion. He did not ask for space, he claimed it, with dignity, articulation, and fire. Shakti Singh’s presence at Rakshamanthan reminded everyone present that India’s rising voice will not be delivered in diplomatic pressers alone it will rise from debating halls, dharma memory, and youth whose minds are free and whose hearts are anchored.
Session - 3
Address by Dr. Adish C. Aggarwala
Dr. Adish C. Aggarwala brought to Rakshamanthan 2025 the voice of institutional memory and jurisprudential depth. As one of India’s most distinguished legal minds, his intervention transcended conventional legal analysis it was a call for strategic clarity rooted in constitutional morality and civilizational selfhood.
With clarity and precision, Dr. Aggarwala reminded the audience that no nation can chart its strategic future by borrowing another’s compass. This assertion struck at the heart of India’s foreign and defence policy discourse, arguing that true sovereignty lies not only in arms or alliances, but in a nation’s ability to think independently, historically, and ethically.
Cautioning against over-reliance on imported strategic paradigms, warning that “strategic autonomy is not achieved merely through capability it is achieved through clarity. That clarity, he emphasized, must be reflected in our institutions, doctrines, and legal systems requiring not only structural reform but also ideational coherence. Dr. Aggarwala’s remarks on the emerging multipolar disorder of global politics were particularly astute. He observed that “we are entering an era where power is no longer monopolized, but fragmented, dispersed, and networked.” In this context, he advocated for a multi-vector Indian strategy one that upholds independence while skilfully engaging diverse global poles, avoiding entanglements without abdicating engagement. Perhaps the most compelling segment of his address came when he reframed the very definition of national security: “Security today cannot be measured only in missiles and manpower it must be understood in bandwidth, in data sovereignty, in civil cohesion, and in public trust.” This expansive view reflected not just legal brilliance but strategic dharma an understanding that sovereignty must now be protected across cyberspace, courts, and cultural consciousness. He concluded with a profound reflection that encapsulated the Rakshamanthan spirit: “The world may not be interested in India’s history, but it will soon be affected by the choices we make anchored in it.” Dr. Aggarwala’s contribution was not simply a keynote it was a constitutional invocation. His words reminded the gathering that India’s global role must be shaped not just by power metrics, but by civilizational responsibility, strategic foresight, and legal fidelity.
Raksha Manthan 2025 - Session 1 : Samanvaya , Weaving the Threads of a Viksit Bharat @2047
Rakshamanthan 2025 - Session 4: Arthavyuha: India’s Strategy in a Fragmenting Global Trade Order
Raksha Manthan 2025 - Session 2 Rakshavyuha: Forging India's Defence Renaissance
Raksha Manthan 2025 - Session 5 Yuktiniti: India’s Strategic Dharma in a Divided World
Raksha Manthan 2025 – Session 3: Cyber Dharmachakra: Securing the Soul of Digital India
Session - 4
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