Lessons India Must Learn From Russia-Ukraine Conflict

As the Western media's strife with Russian government takes a turn for worse, with everyone, from Facebook to Reddit, ready to throw in the towel in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, there are, perhaps a few lessons for India to learn here. Russian President Vladimir Putin may have triggered off a giant wave geo-political that will have its rippling effect all over the world. However, without going into the politics of matter, here is a look at some important lessons that this crisis holds for India -

No One To call Your Own In a crisis situation, there is little doubt that India may also find itself alone and without any help, just like Ukraine. Therefore, in case of a war being forced upon India by either China or Pakistan, the country would have to go all out on its own, without expecting help from the West, primarily, America. As history teaches us, US and Europe would refrain from any direct involvement or intervention even though there won't be any dearth of global condemnation, for sure, over social media. Even Russia, whom India's detractors consider a ‘chum' won't play an active role on her behalf. At the best, in reciprocation to the Indian stand, Russia could be expected to abstain from any global sanction on part of the UNSC or UNGA. India will have to fight any impending war on its own. Becoming Atmanirbhar Increasing India's capability in the defence sector is the only way out of any future crisis or war. There is no way India can afford to rely on another country or regime to cater to its defence needs in terms of war-fighting and military equipment. Indigenous equipment is going to be the cornerstone of any military encounter that India may be forced to face in the future. That is where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious "Make in India" plan comes into play. The government recently made a massive push for an enhanced focus on research and development in the military preparedness of India. As much as 68% of the capital budget has been earmarked for domestic defence equipment manufacturers. At the same time, 25% of the R&D funds have been kept aside for private companies, startups and academia. Some of the latest government schemes are putting the emphasis back on promoting research in this direction.

Indian Manufacturers Should Step Up After the government, the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the Indian companies, who are in the business of manufacturing military equipment and vehicles. They must promote research and technology so that indigenous products can be used to enhance the military might of India. One way to reduce India's dependence upon foreign equipment is by focusing on future technology, be it arms, ammunition, surveillance, training or vehicles. Countries win the war today not just on the battlefield but also in the skies and on the social media. Therefore, Indian manufacturers must put their best foot forward and equip the country with the latest, and most importantly, indigenously built munitions, drones and defence systems. Phone-Social Media