AI, Defence, And The Sovereignty Question: India At A Strategic Crossroads
April 26, 2026
AI in Defence
Security is first principle of any system—be it a home, an organisation, or a Nation. In age of artificial intelligence, this principle is being stress-tested at an unprecedented scale. AI is not a future disruptor – it is a present force reshaping warfare, economics & sovereignty itself. Central question is no longer whether AI will impact national defence—it already has—but whether nations like India are structurally prepared for a world where defence is fundamentally AI-driven.
Modern conflict is no longer confined to battlefield. A war thousands of kilometres away can ripple into everyday life in Chennai. AI-enabled precision targeting, autonomous systems & long-range strike capabilities mean that disruptions to oil infrastructure, shipping lanes or supply chains can directly affect fuel prices, livelihoods & economic stability. Iran example is instructive: a sanctioned nation with a fraction of defence budget of it's adversaries has leveraged asymmetric technologies—drones, precision strikes & operational ingenuity—to impose disproportionate costs. It is new logic of warfare: cost asymmetry, precision & persistence.
At core of this shift is expansion of battlespace. Cyber warfare is no longer about firewalls & antivirus software. AI systems can identify vulnerabilities, exploit them & adapt in real time—compressing what once took months into minutes. Response cannot be manual; it must be AI-driven defence. Similarly, perception warfare has become a primary domain. Social media, deepfakes & algorithmic amplification are shaping narratives, influencing population & altering strategic outcomes without single shot being fired. Sovereignty is no longer just territorial—it is cognitive.
Tech Diffusion versus Tech Infusion
This transformation aligns with a broader global pattern. In countries like United States, DARPA has long ensured that defence sits at frontier of technological innovation. China has institutionalised military-civil fusion, while Israel has built an ecosystem where battlefield requirements directly shape startup innovation. Even Russia continues to prioritise strategic technologies through state-driven defence R&D. In all these cases, defence is not a downstream user of technology—it is the primary driver. Technologies are born in military contexts & later scaled into civilian markets.
Bharat’s trajectory has been reverse. Our strengths, in whatever form, in AI & IT/Tech lie in the civil domain. Defence has remained relatively isolated & we are now attempting to “infuse” civilian technologies into military systems, often through cost-driven procurement models like L1. This approach is inherently slow & misaligned with demands of modern warfare, where resilience, security & integration matter more than lowest cost.
The consequence is a structural lag. While Indian armed forces remain highly cost-effective and operationally experienced—having managed diverse conflicts & internal security challenges— technological backbone required for AI-driven warfare is still evolving.
2 ½ Front is Land Front – We have Multi Front Challenges
Nature of conflict itself has changed: We do not have just a 2 ½ front – this is only in Land Domain. Instead, we face a multi-front (multi-domain) environment—cyber, electromagnetic spectrum, space & cognitive domains—where conflict is continuous rather than episodic. Peace & war have blurred into a state of constant competition.
AI sits at centre of this transformation. It powers intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) through massive data ingestion—from satellites, sensors & open sources. It enables predictive modelling, decision support systems & precision targeting. Autonomous swarms, electronic warfare & non-kinetic operations are all increasingly AI-driven. Yet AI is not a standalone capability; it depends on an entire stack—semiconductors, operating systems, data infrastructure & networks. Without control over this stack, sovereignty becomes fragile.
Tech Sovereignty
It raises a critical concern for India. If foundational AI technologies, platforms & data pipelines are controlled externally, then decision-making autonomy is compromised. Whether it is surveillance data, agricultural intelligence, urban monitoring, or defence analytics, dependence on external systems introduces vulnerabilities. Sovereignty in AI era is not just about borders—it is about owning nation’s technological spine.
At same time, AI presents an economic opportunity. Defence, historically, has been a driver of industrial growth in advanced economies. The United States & China have leveraged defence spending to build robust technology ecosystems. India can do the same—but only if defence is repositioned as a core pillar of technological & economic strategy, not a peripheral consumer.
It requires a shift from infusion to integration. Defence must shape technology development from outset. Long-term procurement commitments, mission-driven R&D & closer collaboration between military, academia & industry are essential. Platforms like Innovations for Defence Excellence are steps in right direction, but they need scale, speed & strategic clarity.
Governance and Policy
Equally important is talent & institutional capacity. India produces world-class engineers & researchers, many of whom power global AI ecosystems. Challenge is to harness this talent domestically to build sovereign capability. It includes creating “military technocrats”—professionals who understand both operational realities & advanced technologies.
There is also a governance dimension. AI models built for Western contexts may not address India’s unique socio-economic challenges. An “AI for India” approach must prioritise inclusivity, affordability & local relevance. If AI becomes a tool that amplifies inequality or remains concentrated in a few global corporations, it could undermine both economic and strategic objectives.
Window for action is narrow & pace of AI development suggests that next three to five years will be decisive. Nations that establish control over AI infrastructure, data & applications will define the rules of emerging order—those who do not risk strategic dependency.
Reality is stark: next generation of warfare is already underway. It is being fought in data centres, algorithms & networks as much as on physical terrain. Deterrence is no longer just about nuclear capability or troop strength—it is about technological dominance & ability to impose costs across domains.
For Bharat, the choice is clear. Continue adapting civilian technologies for defence & risk falling behind, or build a defence-led technology ecosystem that drives both security & economic growth. In an AI-driven world, sovereignty will not be defended solely at borders; it will be secured through code, chips, and cognition.
Lt Gen Karanbir Singh Brar(Veteran)
https://bharatshakti.in/ai-defence-and-the-sovereignty-question-india-at-a-strategic-crossroads/
