Dealing with China is not easy, but India's real problem lies elsewhere

A statement by DG ITBP Shatrujeet Kapur is being widely discussed. He said that confronting China by conventional means has become harder than before, because China has invested heavily in military modernisation. Its army, technology and weapons-production capacity have moved far ahead. His statement has set off a political debate and raised questions about India’s security preparedness.

Referring to the continuing tension with China on the border, Shatrujeet Kapur cited the Russia-Ukraine war. By investing in drone technology, Ukraine has posed serious challenges to a large military power like Russia. Drawing a lesson from this, he advised India to invest more in drone capabilities as well.

The question now is: does India lack the capability to take on China? Is this statement an admission that India cannot fight China in a conventional war?

I believe there is no need to be this surprised by the statement. Shatrujeet Kapur has not said anything we were unaware of. He has only drawn attention to a challenge that India needs to understand seriously, that is, we cannot shut our eyes to what is going on.

The truth is that China has worked on a large scale over the past few decades to modernise its military. It is the world’s second-largest economy, its manufacturing capacity is remarkable, and its spending on research and development is also very high. Its military capabilities have benefited enormously from this entire ecosystem. China has scale, it has technology, and it can adopt them quickly.

China has scale; India faces a long challenge

It is also important to understand here that, at present, even a superpower like the United States is finding it difficult to match China’s industrial capacity and manufacturing scale. So if India truly wants to match China (especially in the defence sector), it has a long and challenging road ahead. The good news is that the entry of the private sector into India’s defence and space sectors is giving quite positive signals. But the real challenge is a sluggish bureaucracy and the red tape that has badly gripped the system. Because decisions are not taken on time, or are not taken at all, many of our military procurement projects are still pending. Many important indigenous defence systems have been stuck in the trial phase for years, and by the time approvals come, they will have become outdated. In addition, insufficient investment in defence research and development is also a challenge.

India needs its own war strategy, not a copy of China’s

However, this does not mean at all that India cannot compete with China. But expecting that we will match China in every field immediately is not practical at all. The practical approach is what the DG ITBP has said in his statement: we must build our strategy by understanding our strengths and weaknesses, and drones can be an important part of it.

In the Russia-Ukraine war that he cited as an example, Ukraine has proved through drone warfare that in modern war, having a huge army or more expensive and sophisticated weapons is not enough by itself. With the help of drones, an enemy’s expensive military systems can be targeted at relatively low cost. Tasks such as surveillance can also be carried out at lower risk.

Clearly, this is an important lesson for India too. To compete with China, India will have to develop its capabilities in areas where technology and strategy can narrow this gap. Drones can do this.

However, a strategy for dealing with China cannot be limited to military preparedness alone. It is also essential to keep up dialogue at the diplomatic level and to prevent tension on the border from turning into a major conflict. India and China have had differences over patrolling and other issues along the Line of Actual Control. Channels of dialogue exist between the two countries to resolve such matters. It would therefore not be right to view every incident on the border as a new major military confrontation. At the same time, it is also essential that, during talks, India does not compromise on its security and military preparedness.

Clearly, the opposition and its ecosystem are presenting DG Shatrujeet Kapur’s statement in a different way, and will use it for politics. But we need to understand what is practical. What kind of adversary are we up against? And where do we stand against its capabilities? There should be no room for politics here.

India’s real problem: delays in defence procurement, a sluggish bureaucracy and red tape

One aspect that usually gets swept under the carpet when defence is discussed is our bureaucracy and its old ailment of failing to take decisions on time. To compete with a power like China, India needs continuous effort and investment. It can also be understood that a country like India cannot spend as much on defence as China does. Even so, the most important thing is to make proper use of the resources that are available.

In our country, many indigenous defence projects remain stuck in the testing and trial stage for years. In some cases, they do not receive orders even after a long wait, while foreign equipment is bought to meet some requirements. The damage is not limited to a single project. The entire ecosystem connected with it, including companies, technical experts, engineers and skilled workers, can be weakened.

The defence procurement process cannot be such that it takes years to develop a technology and then just as long to get it to the Army.

Along with increasing spending on defence research, India will also have to speed up the procurement process. Clear timelines must be set for testing and trials, and companies that develop indigenous systems must get reliable orders. Otherwise, we will keep talking about self-reliance on the one hand while continuing to lose the chance to advance our own technology on the other.

On drones, however, India’s progress cannot be ignored. Many private-sector companies in particular are doing good work in this area, and they are also getting support from the armed forces. Work is under way to develop new technology according to the Army’s needs and make it fit for operational use.

General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired recently, was even called the “Drone General” because of his efforts to promote drone technology and its use in the Army. This shows that the Indian Army understands the changing needs of modern warfare and is continuously adopting new technology.

But now there is a need to speed up this progress.

Perhaps this is also what Shatrujeet Kapur’s statement meant: instead of underestimating China’s strength, we must develop our strategy and capabilities accordingly. India does not need to copy every military capability of China, but it must remove its own weaknesses and invest in the technologies that can play a decisive role in future wars.