NEW DELHI: Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday said the Indian Army is ready to induct women into the infantry, but the move depends on broader societal acceptance.
Addressing the media, the General emphasised that women should not be viewed as a “vulnerable commodity” and that the Army’s approach is rooted in gender neutrality. “If standards are the same, capabilities are the same, and society as a whole is ready to accept it, then combat roles can be opened tomorrow,” he said.
He underlined the need for uniform standards across genders, noting that meeting these benchmarks remains challenging due to certain medical and operational constraints. According to him, the performance data of women officers will guide the gradual expansion of roles — beginning with supporting arms, progressing to combat arms, and eventually extending to special forces — describing this as a “sequential and welcome social change.”
Providing figures on women’s induction, Gen Dwivedi recalled that the National Defence Academy currently has 60 women Army cadets, with around 20 inducted each year. The Officers’ Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai and Gaya inducts about 120 women officers annually. He added that induction of women into other ranks (ORs) would require amendments to Section 12 of the Army Act.
The Army is targeting a twelve-fold increase in the induction of women in ORs by 2032. At present, there are around 8,000 women officers in service. He also noted that the Territorial Army has been opened to women, with 110 vacancies expected to be made available.
Army modernisation a priority for future warfare
Drawing lessons from ongoing global conflicts, Gen Dwivedi said modernisation remains an urgent priority for the Indian Army.
He outlined plans for dedicated drone regiments with enhanced capabilities, a strengthened rocket and missile force, induction of loitering munitions, and the creation of new battalions such as the Bhairav units equipped with advanced technologies and weapon systems. The Army is also enhancing its anti-missile defence radar and systems.
He added that more than 90% of ammunition is now indigenised, reflecting the push for self-reliance. “After Operation Sindoor, drones received a major thrust,” he said, noting that new drone formations have been raised and each command now has the capacity to manufacture up to 5,000 drones based on operational requirements. This capacity could be scaled up to 20,000 or even one lakh drones depending on threat perception and conflict scenarios.
“As of today, we have raised 13 Bhairav battalions, intended to bridge the gap between lethal platoons and special forces within infantry battalions,” he said.
On artillery modernisation, he said a Divyastra battery has been created within artillery regiments to support divisional commanders using unmanned aerial systems (UAS). For counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), specialised regiments are being raised, with three units currently under formation and 12 more planned, followed by further expansion.
