Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi Pushes ‘Hybrid Leadership’ to Strengthen Defence Innovation

At AIMA’s 52nd National Management Convention, the Chief of Army Staff highlights the role of cross-domain leadership, procurement reforms, and academia-industry partnerships in advancing Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi Pushes ‘Hybrid Leadership

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi has called for adopting a ‘Hybrid Leadership’ approach to meet India’s evolving strategic challenges, blending military discipline with technological and managerial innovation.

Speaking at the 52nd National Management Convention of the All India Management Association (AIMA), General Dwivedi said that India’s security environment demands leaders who can operate across multiple domains-military, economic, digital, and geopolitical. Such leadership, he noted, is key to driving both national security preparedness and sustainable development.

The Army Chief emphasised that a significant portion of the defence budget is now being directed toward indigenous defence manufacturing, a move aligned with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision. By prioritising local production, the Army aims to reduce dependency on imports and strengthen the domestic industrial base.

He also highlighted procurement reforms introduced to streamline defence acquisitions-simplifying rules, reducing red tape, cutting timelines, and improving transparency. These measures, he said, will make India a more agile and innovation-driven defence power.

General Dwivedi further called for stronger partnerships between the armed forces, industry, and academia. He suggested establishing dedicated technology cells in IITs, IISc, and other premier institutions to accelerate R&D in critical areas like artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing. Multi-stakeholder consortia, he added, could play a pivotal role in developing cutting-edge technologies for the armed forces.

Stressing the importance of cost-effective innovation, the COAS cited recent operations as proof that creative solutions and preparedness often determine battlefield success. He concluded that Hybrid Leadership-an integration of strategic foresight, technological adaptation, and collaborative governance-will define India’s defence future.