Saumya Pandey
Operation Sindoor is not just a name but a reflection of the feelings of millions of people of the country.Operation ‘Sindoor’ is our unwavering commitment to justice.
In contemporary strategic discourse, national security is no longer defined only by firepower or deterrence. It is equally shaped by sovereignty over systems, moral legitimacy of action, and public trust. India’s evolving defence posture increasingly reflects this integrated approach.
Two defining markers of this shift are NAVIC and Operation Sindoor offering valuable insight into how India is aligning ancient strategic consciousness with modern capability.Together, they represent a nation reclaiming direction and justice in an uncertain global order.
Indian strategic thought has historically treated war as an extension of Dharma, not conquest. Texts such as Arthashastra and epics like Mahabharata highlight that military campaigns were governed by a precise understanding of time and direction, Observations of nakshatras (constellations) for movement, logistics, and decision-making and Ethical boundaries that defined proportional response and responsibility.
Celestial knowledge functioned as an early system of navigation, intelligence, and timing system. This tradition emphasised that success in war required alignment between cosmic order and human action.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated NAVIC to the nation in 2016, his message was unambiguous “India cannot afford strategic dependence on foreign navigation systems, particularly in moments of crisis or conflict.”
NAVIC was envisioned as a dual use system serving both national security and civilian needs, from armed forces to fishermen and disaster responders. Its strategic significance lies in assured navigation during geopolitical denial or degradation,Encrypted services for military operations and Strengthening India’s C3I (Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence) architecture.In strategic terms,NAVIC restores India’s control over direction, timing, and positioning.
Operation Sindoor occupies a unique space in India’s defence narrative. It is not merely an operational success, it is a statement of intent.
The term sindoor carries deep cultural symbolism of protection, continuity, dignity, and commitment. By choosing this name, the state embedded emotional legitimacy into strategic action. The operation demonstrated decisive yet calibrated use of force, a commitment to justice rather than retaliation and Reinforcement of national dignity and public confidence.
Much like ancient campaigns aimed to restore Dharma, Operation Sindoor reflects modern India’s resolve to act firmly while remaining ethically anchored.
Relationship between NAVIC and Operation Sindoor depicts that warfare is neither symbolic nor coincidental, it is strategic.Control over navigation enables credible power and credible power enables justice.
NAVIC provides sovereign, real-time spatial awareness and Operation Sindoor applies that capability with moral clarity.In this framework, NAVIC functions as the strategic compass, while Operation Sindoor defines the direction of its use.
Modern conflict spans multiple domains from Space (satellites, navigation, surveillance), Maritime,Information (signals, cyber, perception) to Public Sentiments (legitimacy, trust, deterrence credibility). NAVIC strengthens India’s operational resilience across domains. Operation Sindoor reinforces deterrence by demonstrating that India’s responses are measured, just and decisive, a combination that enhances both hard and soft power.
Both initiatives are products of India’s broader push for defence indigenisation and strategic management. This is not merely about manufacturing capability, it is about sovereignty in decision making.A nation that controls its navigation systems and operational choices reduces vulnerability to external pressure. In this sense, indigenisation becomes a form of strategic insurance.
From ancient warriors guided by stars to modern forces navigating through NAVIC satellites, India’s strategic journey reflects continuity rather than rupture.NAVIC provides direction and Operation Sindoor affirms justice.Together, they illustrate an Indian security doctrine that blends technological self-reliance, ethical restraint, and strategic confidence.
In an era of contested spaces and uncertain alliances, India is not merely responding to events, it is shaping its own trajectory.Guided by its own constellations. India’s strategic compass is firmly in its own hands.
(The author is from IIMC Jammu)
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