Emphasising that technology has become a decisive pillar of national capability, Lt General Vivek Dogra, Army’s Signal Officer-in-Chief, has called for a “whole-of-nation” approach to strengthen India’s digital resilience amid evolving security challenges.
Addressing the 58th World Telecommunication and Information Society Day celebrations organised by Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), Lt General Dogra highlighted the growing convergence of communications, artificial intelligence, cyber security, electronic warfare and spectrum management into a single interconnected ecosystem.
Speaking on the theme, “Digital Lifelines — Strengthening Resilience in a Connected World,” Dogra said digital infrastructure now forms the backbone of governance, emergency response, healthcare, financial systems and national defence.
“A digital lifeline is the fundamental infrastructure that ensures a nation stays standing when a crisis hits,” he said, stressing that resilience today extends far beyond military networks and must include civilian systems as well.
The address underlined that threats ranging from cyber attacks and natural disasters to public health emergencies and economic disruptions no longer distinguish between civilian and military domains. Calling for deeper civil-military collaboration, the Lt General noted that innovations in AI-driven systems, secure quantum communications and hardened network architecture would play a vital role in safeguarding national connectivity.
“True resilience is built when civilian technical expertise and military requirements fuse into a single, unbreakable ecosystem,” he observed.
The senior officer also cautioned that expanding digital opportunities simultaneously increase vulnerabilities. Greater dependence on interconnected systems, he said, demands that security, trust and resilience be embedded at the design stage of emerging technologies.
Highlighting the human dimension of technological preparedness, the address stressed the importance of investing in skilled manpower. Technical specialists in both the armed forces and private sector were described as “strategic national assets” whose adaptability and expertise are critical during crises.
“Resilience is not just a property of technology or equipment, but a human quality found in the grit of the workforce that keeps these lifelines running under pressure,” he said.
Calling upon industry, academia and defence stakeholders to work in close coordination, the speaker urged continued investment in innovation and human capital to ensure India’s digital ecosystem remains secure, inclusive and robust.
Published on May 19, 2026