INDIAN ARMY’S CENTRAL COMMAND CONDUCTS ITS FIRST-EVER STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION CONCLAVE IN LUCKNOW

The Indian Army's Central Command conducted its first-ever Strategic Communication Conclave in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on March 07, 2026. With close to 500 people in attendance, the conclave involved deliberations and panel discussions on strategic communication in the national security architecture. The panelists and speakers included senior diplomats, communication experts from the government as well as the media. The attendees included senior military personnel from the Central Command, and communication professionals from the Government & the private sector.

In his opening address, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta highlighted the fundamental shift in the nature of warfare, which now includes information and cognitive domains. Underscoring the crucial role of perception management, he stated that perception shapes legitimacy, legitimacy shapes influence, and influence shapes outcomes. He also spoke about the weaponisation of narratives and the threat from conflicts below the threshold of war. He pointed out that strategic communication cannot remain reactive, episodic, or personality-driven, but must become institutionalised, doctrine-backed, and capability-driven.

The conclave included an expert policy-level session on institutional and national security dimensions on the theme 'Institutionalising Strategic Communication as a Capability for Future Preparedness in the Emerging Information Space'. India's first female Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj (Retd), Ambassador Yashvardhan Sinha (Retd) and Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd) addressed the session.

A special interactive session was organised on the theme 'Strategic Communication in Emerging Multi-Domain Operations: Strategies, Structures, Processes and Preparedness' which integrated policy and operational perspectives. Retired civil and military officials, including Ambassador Dilip Sinha, Dr Shantanu Mukharji, Smt Veena Jain & Lt Gen DP Pandey, shared key insights during the session. Panel discussions with media on the themes 'Shaping the mind space: Perception Management in the Strategic Domain' and 'Information Power and Strategic Communication' addressed the importance of perception management & information power.

The aim of the conclave was to examine strategic communication as an institutional capability within India's national security architecture and generate actionable insights on doctrine, structures, processes & preparedness in the emerging information space.

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VK/NA/SPS/PS