Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth on Wednesday said the Indian Army’s transformation must go beyond modern equipment and organisational restructuring, with a culture of innovation, technological adaptation and agility remaining at its core.General Seth was addressing the Mechanised Forces Symposium 2026 at the Manekshaw Centre here on the theme, “Vision for Future Warfighting in the Indian Subcontinent”.The two-day event is being organised by the Cavalry Officers’ Association in collaboration with the Directorate General of Mechanised Forces. It brings together serving officers, veterans, defence scientists, industry representatives and strategic thinkers to deliberate on the changing character of warfare.Describing jointness and integration among the three services as critical enablers of future warfighting, the Army Chief stressed the need for seamless coordination across services and domains. He also reiterated the Army’s commitment to Aatmanirbharta, or self-reliance, through indigenous capability development and stronger partnerships with industry and academia.Reflecting on the evolution of the Mechanised Forces, General Seth described their journey as a testament to the Army’s spirit of adaptation and expressed confidence in their continued pivotal role in future warfare.The inaugural session began with a welcome address by Lt Gen Ashok Mehta (Retd), President of the Cavalry Officers’ Association. The session also saw the release of the book Armour 2040: Steel, Silicon and the Future Battlespace, authored by Lt Gen AB Shivane (Retd).Delivering the keynote address on “Contemporary Mechanised Warfare in the Indian Context”, Lt Gen Prit Pal Singh, Director General, Mechanised Forces, spoke about the shift from platform-centric capabilities towards an integrated, network-enabled and autonomous combat ecosystem.The symposium will also deliberate on artificial intelligence and autonomous kill chains, manned-unmanned teaming, integrated drone warfare, next-generation combat systems and multi-domain mechanised operations.The event will conclude on Thursday with a valedictory fireside discussion on “Indian Mechanised Forces 2035: Transforming for the Future Operational Environment”.