About the event

India-China relations are currently in a difficult place, primarily because of the 2020 border clashes in the Ladakh region. Even beyond that crisis, which is still on-going, China has increased its strategic presence in the Indian Ocean region and in India’s immediate neighbourhood. How is the Indian military responding to these developments? How should we think of the military’s outlook, both in terms of threat assessment and institutional responses, in the foreseeable future?

In this off-the-record discussion, General Naravane, India’s chief of army staff from 2019 to 2022, will talk about about India’s changing strategic posture vis-à-vis China and other aspects pertaining to its defence and security policies.

Speaker

General Manoj Mukund Naravane

General (Dr) Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd) served as the twenty-eighth Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army from 31 December 2019 to 30 April 2022. Commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980, over the course of his service he commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir, a Brigade facing China, served as the Inspector General Assam Rifles in Nagaland and commanded a Corps facing Pakistan. He has vast experience in foreign affairs, having been part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka as well as Defence Attaché at Yangon, Myanmar, and head of the Indian delegation to several countries. Before taking over as chief of army staff, he also served as the Vice Chief of Army Staff and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Training and Eastern Commands.

Chair

Anit Mukherjee

Anit Mukherjee is a Senior Lecturer at the King's India Institute. He joined King's after ten years in Singapore where he was an Associate Professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. From 2010-2012, he was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), New Delhi. Formerly, he was a Major in the Indian Army and is an alumnus of India’s National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla.

This event is in-person only. The talk will be followed by a drinks reception.

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