PM Modi to Open Defence Commanders’ Meet in Kolkata

Photo:PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Kolkata on September 15, 2025, to inaugurate the three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC), one of the most important gatherings of India’s armed forces. The event will take place at the historic headquarters of the Eastern Command, popularly known as Vijay Durg, formerly Fort William.

This year’s theme is “Year of Reforms – Transforming for the Future”, highlighting the ongoing process of modernization and structural reforms within the armed forces. The idea behind the theme is to ensure that the military remains fully prepared for the future, adapting to new technology, complex battlefields, and changing security challenges.

According to officials, the focus of the conference will be on:

* Reforms and structural changes in the armed forces.

* Stronger integration between the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

* Technology-driven modernization, including the use of advanced weapons and digital warfare systems.

* Maintaining operational readiness across multiple domains like land, sea, air, space, and cyber.

Prime Minister’s Visit to Kolkata

Mr. Modi will arrive in Kolkata on the evening of September 14 after completing his visit to Assam’s Jorhat. He will stay overnight at the Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s House in the city. The next morning, he will formally inaugurate the conference at the Eastern Command headquarters. Later in the afternoon, he is scheduled to leave for Purnea in Bihar.

This marks Mr. Modi’s second visit to Kolkata in less than a month. On August 22, he laid the foundation stone and inaugurated several development projects worth more than ₹5,200 crore, aimed at boosting infrastructure and connectivity in West Bengal.

While speaking about the state, Mr. Modi also highlighted West Bengal’s sensitive position as a border state, pointing to the risks of infiltration and other security threats that the armed forces must continue to address with vigilance.

The Significance of the CCC

The Combined Commanders’ Conference is not just a routine meeting but a strategic brainstorming platform where the country’s top military leaders sit together with the highest civilian leadership to discuss long-term plans. It allows India’s armed forces to exchange ideas on strategy, reforms, and future challenges.

This year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, and senior commanders from all three services will attend the event. The presence of the Prime Minister ensures that political leadership remains directly involved in shaping the defence vision.

The CCC was last held in Bhopal in 2023, where Prime Minister Modi had also inaugurated the proceedings. Each time, the venue is shifted to different parts of the country to underline the broad national importance of defence preparedness.

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Context: Operation Sindoor

The upcoming conference also carries weight because it follows Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2025 after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians.

Operation Sindoor was a carefully planned tri-services campaign, involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The operation focused on striking terrorist bases not only across the Line of Control but also deeper inside Pakistan. It demonstrated India’s ability to carry out precise and coordinated military action.

Officials have pointed out that this operation reflected the spirit of the CCC—professionalism, precision, and joint action—and will certainly be discussed during the three-day event in Kolkata.

What the Conference Will Cover

The three-day discussions will cover:

* Current and future threats faced by India in its neighborhood.

* Lessons from recent operations like Sindoor.

* New technologies including artificial intelligence, drones, and cyber warfare tools.

* How to build a leaner but more effective force through reforms.

* Feedback from soldiers at the ground level, ensuring that strategies are not only made at the top but also shaped by those in active field duty.

The Defence Ministry has said that interactive sessions will be a major part of the conference, with officers of different ranks given a chance to present their perspectives. This ensures that the highest-level strategies remain connected to ground realities.

A Complex Security Environment

India today faces a highly complex geo-strategic environment—from cross-border terrorism to maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean, from cyber threats to disputes along the Line of Actual Control with China. In this backdrop, the CCC acts as a platform to review and strengthen India’s ability to respond quickly and decisively to any challenge.

For the armed forces, reforms are not just about new weapons but also about better coordination, faster decision-making, and smarter use of resources. With modern wars increasingly fought in multi-domain spaces—on land, in the air, at sea, and even in cyberspace—the conference will be vital in charting the road ahead.