General Dhiraj Seth Takes Charge As 31st Indian Army Chief With 'VIJAY' Vision

General Dhiraj Seth took charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on Tuesday with an ambitious plan to build a future-ready army, technologically enabled, based on his 'VIJAY' vision comprising five elements.

In his first speech following his appointment at the highest post of the Indian Army, General Seth said the moment was one of "immense pride and humility" and promised adherence to the values of "duty, honour and nation first".

"I take up this assignment with an unflinching commitment to the ideals of duty, honour and nation first," he said and thanked the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister for their trust bestowed on him to head the Indian Army.

The new Army chief paid tributes to the soldiers who have laid down their lives in the service of the nation and said their spirit of courage and selflessness would continue to motivate the soldiers for generations to come.

'VIJAY' Framework To Help Transform The Army

Admitting the fast-changing security scenario, General Seth said the Indian Army would undertake modernisation to prepare itself for future conflicts.

While describing the Indian Army as a "combat ready and battle hardened force", he said changing nature of warfare demands greater attention to technology, innovation and integration.

For doing that, he announced the unveiling of his 'VIJAY' framework which is an acronym denoting five key aspects of his vision.

V - Vigilance and Preparedness

Constant vigilance along the frontiers and threats would remain his primary concern, General Seth said.

"The Army will maintain a very high level of operational preparedness in order to respond effectively to any challenge to our security," he said.

I - Innovation and Transformation

Putting great importance on innovation both in doctrine as well as technology, the Army chief said innovation needs to be ingrained in the way Army thinks, develops capabilities and conducts operations while transformation would be needed to adapt to evolving warfare.

J - Jointness and Integration

Terming jointness as indispensable to modern military operations, General Seth stressed greater coordination with Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

Moreover, he extended the scope of jointness to include not just military efforts but also a "whole of nation" approach of military-civil fusion.

According to him, today's national security involves coordinated efforts in different sectors and would also help achieve the national objective of Viksit Bharat 2047.

A - Atmanirbharata

Making atmanirbharta (self-reliance) as one of the pillars of his vision, General Seth said that the Army will increasingly utilise indigenous defence technologies and industry.

"Our overarching objective will be to win our wars with indigenous solutions," he said and emphasised the need to reduce dependency on foreign military hardware.

Y - Yodha First

Referring to soldiers as the strength of the Army, General Seth said every soldier from an Agniveer to the veteran is a "Yodha".

"It is my commitment to ensure technological proficiency, training and professional excellence of every yodha while also being fully committed to the well-being and empowerment of veterans and Veer Naris," he said.

Tribute To Predecessor And Other Former Chiefs of Army Staff

The Army chief also paid tributes to his predecessor General Upendra Dwivedi as well as other former Chiefs of the Army Staff who built a formidable and trusted institution of the Army.

Assuring the citizens about the preparedness of the Indian Army to secure the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interest of the nation.

Connecting 'VIJAY' With National Vision

At the end of his speech, General Seth made a connection between his vision and Prime Minister's stress on jointness, innovation and atmanirbharta.

"This vision is rooted in the philosophy of jointness, innovation and atmanirbharta enunciated by the PM," he said that these principles will guide the transformation of the Indian Army in coming years.

Giving a slogan for himself and the Army, General Seth said, "Jai se Vijay" - From victory's call to victory itself.

Ending his speech with "Jai Hind, Jai Bharat", General Seth said he looks forward to working with all stakeholders in making the Indian Army future ready.