Snehil Raj Singh, Author at Chintan

On January 20th, 1972, the then President of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, convened the Multan Conference, where two decisions were taken. The first was to acquire a nuclear bomb by any means, even if it meant eating grass, and the second was to bleed “India with a thousand cuts.”

This was the start of a bloody and complicated period between Pakistan and India. The attack in Pahalgam, J&K, on April 22, 2025, is the most recent manifestation of this idea. The attack claimed 26 lives, the largest number of civilian casualties after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. A response from the Indian state was imminent, given the benchmark set after the Uri and Balakot strikes.

The response came on 7th May, when in a combined operation by the Indian Air Force, Army, and Navy, nine terror camps were targeted through precision bombings. This wasn’t an escalation for escalation’s sake but a doctrine in action. India set a new red line. Four terror camps in Pakistan and five in PoJK were bombed, killing more than 100 terrorists. This set off a chain of reactions that has changed the power dynamics in the Indian subcontinent.

Operation Sindoor, as it was named, wasn’t only a military success but a strategic reset.

Following the bombing of terror camps, Pakistan’s military responded with heavy artillery shelling and drone strikes and launched a few surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs) of the ‘Fateh’ series on India’s military as well as civilian infrastructures from Leh to Kutch. This was followed by the use of Chinese PL-15 missiles and UAVs/drones acquired respectively from China and Türkiye. This went on from 8th May to 10th May before a mutual understanding was established between the DGMOs of both countries. However, it is important to note that this understanding was achieved not through diplomacy but as a result of the exercise of military might.

India had responded to Pakistan’s counter-attack by launching drones and tactical strikes on the key military infrastructure of the country. India virtually hit all important cities and airbases of Pakistan—Karachi, Gujranwala, Chakwal, the Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, the Sargodha air base housing F-16s, etc. In total, 11 airbases were struck, destroying 20% of Pakistan’s air force assets, including Lahore’s air defense system, making India the only country to do so in a single operation, that too on a nuclear-armed country. Thereby New Delhi sent a clear message to Islamabad and its allies in Beijing and Ankara.

The Chinese HQ-19 air defense system was destroyed, and unable to counter the drones or missiles used by India. The PL-15 Chinese missiles were all intercepted by the air defense grid along the Indian border. The share of the Chinese arms manufacturers has tanked in the market, seriously damaging the reputation of Chinese defense equipment and industry.

This signals to Beijing that India is capable and ready to defend its borders against the so-called sophisticated Chinese weapons. This should be a cause of concern for the Chinese establishment, as the limits of capability of their arms have been exposed, resulting in a loss of credibility for Beijing's arms exports.

For India’s other neighbours in the subcontinent, those who have relied on Chinese support as a bargaining chip the takeaway is clear: China can no longer be seen as a failsafe ‘seurity provider’ against India.

Operation Sindoor showcases seamless tri-service synergy. From intelligence collection to precision strikes and preparedness for the threat of escalation by Pakistan’s military, India has showcased that it has a formidable military force with strategic clarity and operational capacity. What makes this operation significant is that India called out Pakistan's nuclear bluff and countered the use of the Stability-Instability Paradox by levying a heavy cost on the use of lower levels of violence. Pakistan has been using this paradox to engage in proxy warfare or limited incursions, believing that the fear of nuclear escalation would deter India from any major conventional retaliation.

Operation Sindoor is a testament to the synergy between politics, the military, and diplomacy backed by hard power. The doctrine of strategic restraint is gone; the shift in the doctrine is clear, the cost of escalation has been increased, and the nuclear threat isn’t a deterrent anymore. The messaging is stark; the new doctrine envisions a mix of kinetic and non-kinetic measures, India will ostracise Pakistan, and it is for the neighbors in and outside the subcontinent to take lessons.

Restraint is no longer the buzzword; it is a thing of the past. Diplomacy will now be riding on the back of military power when it comes to Pakistan, and that is a benchmark for others to take note of, in case India’s sovereignty is threatened. Surgical dominance has replaced strategic restraint, and Operation Sindoor is not an anomaly but a template for future operations. This reflects India’s resolve to act preemptively when national sovereignty is threatened. This message is not only for Islamabad or Beijing but for the world at large.

Nonetheless, India should remain extremely vigilant about Pakistan. As Sushant Sareen in his latest piece for ORF highlights, despite having delivered a salutary blow to Pakistan, India should be realistic enough to know that the terror problem won’t go away overnight. India needs to keep building military and economic strength and forge an ideological and political strategy to eradicate jihadist terror. China will try to counter the narrative(truth) of India bypassing Chinese defence equipment with information warfare and counter-narratives. Thus, Sindoor is not the endgame, but the game has just begun. Operation Sindoor isn’t the final solution, but a taste of what India can do. The message is unmistakable: India is not only a great power, but also a formidable military power.

With Operation Sindoor, India has redrawn the terms of engagement in the subcontinent. This operation, unlike previous ones, is a defining moment in the making of India’s 21st-century strategic identity. After the decades-old Age of Restraint, the Era of the ‘Modi Doctrine' has begun.

Reference:

Author - Snehil Raj Singh

Beyond Restraint: Rediscovering the Utility of Force in India’s Strategic Doctrine

Share on Mastodon