The 22nd edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue will be held in Singapore from May 30 to June 1, 2025, and will be attended by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, who will represent India at this global forum. The Dialogue is hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Asia’s most prominent defense and security forum. The participation of CDS General Chauhan is set to underline India’s continuing commitment to global security dialogue and in creating a comprehensive cooperative security framework in the Indo-Pacific region.
The three-day forum will see the CDS engaging in high-level bilateral talks with Chiefs of Defence Forces and top military brass from foreign nations, including Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He will also hold meetings with representatives from the European Union. These talks are supposed to bolster India’s defense cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, and foster interoperability by exploring avenues of joint defense initiatives, critical to the strategic security framework of the region.
Just last year, India participated in the QUAD meet to talk about the current Indo-Pacific climate, and with the upcoming Shangri-La Dialogue, it is hoping to continue with its agenda.
CDS To Deliver Keynote Address During Shangri-La Dialogue
The CDS, as part of his official itinerary, will also deliver a Keynote Address during the Shangri-La Dialogue, addressing Academia, Think Tanks, and Researchers, speaking on the topic ‘Future Wars and Warfare.’ The keynote is supposed to offer deep insights into the evolving geopolitical landscape, especially focusing on India’s regional challenges, in light of the success of ‘Operation Sindoor.’
The address from the leading figure in India’s Armed Forces will involve topics like hybrid warfare and the role of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems in future military operations.
CDS General Chauhan is also supposed to participate in a special breakout session on ‘Defence Innovation Solutions for Future Challenges’ where he will hold discussions on scalable technological solutions, defense start-ups, and public-private partnerships aimed at addressing the complex threat landscape of the 21st century.
India Emerging As A Leader In Global Geopolitics
The CDS’s addresses will not only reflect India’s growing defense capabilities but also highlight its strategic foresight in anticipating future conflict scenarios. The participation and engagement of the CDS with foreign counterparts, military think tanks, and scholars will further promote India’s doctrinal position and vision regarding multi-domain interoperability, theater-level integration, and digital warfare readiness.
Furthermore, with India’s recent strides in domestic defense innovation, it will signal itself as a leader in defense manufacturing and global geopolitics. As such, the Shangri-La Dialogue will also focus on promoting India’s indigenous defense manufacturing capabilities due to forward-looking initiatives as the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework.
Why Is Shangri-La Dialogue So Significant?
The annual event, Shangri-La Dialogue, serves as a critical platform for strategic dialogue and military diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific. The forum brings together defense ministers, military chiefs, policy-makers, and strategic experts from over 40 nations. As such, its significance is self-implied, as the platform is used for a discourse on key geopolitical themes like regional security architecture, freedom of navigation, supply chain resilience, and collective security arrangements.
India’s proactive participation in the previous and upcoming dialogue aligns with its broader vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, as articulated in the Indian Maritime Security Strategy and the National Defence Strategy. Thus, the presence of the CDS at the forum will only reinforce the nation’s role as a net security provider, particularly in the context of increasing maritime challenges, gray zone warfare, and the militarization of critical infrastructure.
