India’s Multi-Domain Strategy: Ruling Land, Sea, and Cyberspace

India’s strategic footprint is expanding exponentially, asserting its influence across land, sea, and the digital frontier. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan recently detailed India’s growing importance in the Indo-Pacific, noting the contemporary shift in warfare to include space, cyberspace, and cognitive dimensions. At the 9th Military Literature Festival 2025, Gen Chauhan elaborated on how India’s distinct geography provides a dual advantage, enabling it to function effectively as both a continental and maritime power. This strategic positioning makes India a go-to first responder and a preferred international collaborator. Drawing parallels with strategic geographical determinism, he highlighted how a nation’s location is fundamental to its power projection and strategic choices. He also reflected on India’s post-independence history, explaining how events like partition and conflicts shaped an initial continental perspective, contrasting it with its inherent maritime potential. Gen Chauhan traced the historical progression of global power, noting the shift from territorial and maritime control to the current focus on space, cyber, and cognitive arenas. He used examples like Djibouti and Singapore to illustrate the immense strategic value of nations situated at critical maritime passages vital for global trade. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of Indonesia’s straits as key conduits for commerce between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Gen Chauhan’s insights underscore India’s pivotal role in the modern multi-domain strategic environment of the Indo-Pacific region.