- India needs to leverage technology to bridge the current power imbalance with China, according to Lt Gen. Raj Shukla (Retd), former commander of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC).
- Lt Gen. Shukla advises for a change in strategic thinking and a focus on building stronger deterrence so there’s no need for confrontation.
Amidst rising Chinese coersion and dwindling American deterrence on the global stage, Lt Gen. Raj Shukla has outlined what he believes are the directives for India. He calls for an adaptation in strategic thinking that includes ramping up high-tech advancements and facilitating cultural shifts with which to tackle the power dissimilarity with China.
Shukla, who formerly commanded India’s Army Training Command and is a current member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), explained his view that as China faced its own obstacles it has nonetheless managed to transition its economic and technological strengths into hard power.
Speaking with StratNews Global’s Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale, Shukla reflected that while being fighting-focused is crucial for an army, it is equally as important to take a deterrence-focused approach with optimal strength to the point where there would be no necessity for a fight. His views underscore the importance of focusing on developing innovative technology for both peaceful and defensive means to help counteract the current domination that China holds on a global scale.
In the face of the changing global landscape, Shukla’s statement emphasizes India’s need to gravitate towards tech-driven solutions. By harnessing advanced technology, India will potentially be able to reduce its power asymmetry with China, not only strengthening its defensive capacities, but also potentially helping to build a more secure global environment. This move comes in line with the growing global trend of bending technology and advancements in AI towards defense strategies and diplomatic relations.
The former ARTRAC commander’s calls for a shift in strategic thinking highlight the need for a more balanced and technologically sophisticated defense approach that focuses on deterring confrontations with China rather than engaging in them.