Tech Is Redefining Warfare – And IITs Are Front and Center

Hey folks, imagine warfare not just on land, sea, or air, but exploding into cyber space, outer space, and even the "cognitive domain" – that's basically mind games with info and AI. That's the future Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan painted at IIT Bombay's Techfest this week. He said we're on the edge of a new era where battles are super fast, decisions happen in seconds, and wins come quick – like India's Operation Sindoor that wrapped up in just four days.

Chauhan stressed that multidomain operations mean the Army, Navy, Air Force, and now cyber/space teams all sync up perfectly. No more silos. And guess who's got to drive the tech innovations for this? Our IITs! He pointed out MoUs with IITs for stuff like aero engines, semiconductors, and more. DRDO's even scouting talent for remotely operated aircraft – think surgical strikes from afar.

IIT Bombay Steps Up with New Defence Centre

IIT Bombay isn't waiting around. Director Shireesh Kedare announced their fresh Centre for Defence Technology Innovation. In just 10 months, 20 research projects are rolling, and they've greenlit PhD programs too. Techfest itself had cool demos like humanoid robots and DRDO stalls showing off warfare tech. It's exciting to see academia jumping into national defence like this.

Big Advice from Murthy and Gadkari: Create Jobs, Don't Chase Them

The event wasn't all military talk. Infosys founder Narayan Murthy shared how his "leftist" days in India flipped after seeing efficient systems abroad. His takeaway? Entrepreneurship is the only way to beat poverty. Echoing that, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told students: Stop being job seekers – become job creators! He wants IIT brains building industries from India's natural resources, with smart planning for the future.

In short, this Techfest chat shows IITs aren't just for apps and startups anymore. They're powering India's defence edge in a tech-driven world. What a time to be studying engineering!