New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday addressed the Delhi Defence Dialogue, outlining challenges facing the Indian Army in modernising its capabilities.

Speaking on legacy and new systems, General Dwivedi said, “…As far as legacy systems are concerned, they're here to stay because you cannot change them so fast… The oldest legacy system will at least stay for the next 5-7 years. We need to empower it with modifications… But as for the new platforms, we have to be patient.”

He also highlighted infrastructure gaps, both physical and digital, noting that the network spectrum is yet to be fully operational. “The satellite's aspirations of all three services will take some time to mature,” he added.

On emerging technologies, General Dwivedi stressed the urgency of building domestic expertise in artificial intelligence. He pointed out that by 2027, it is estimated that 2.3 million jobs will be available in AI-related fields, but the talent pool will be only 1.2 million. “If that is the case, it means that if the Indian Army needs to outsource this requirement, the cost will be very high. It is important for us to start today. Our schools need experts in AI, even in the Indian Army, because we may not be able to outsource, as the demand is going to be high and the talent is going to be low,” he said.