“The silent weapon of the digital battlefield struck long before the first missile was launched. This was not just a war of steel and fire, it was a war of silence, shadows, and code.”
Soldiers are trained to confront the enemy head-on, to face the fight in the open. But today’s battlefield has changed. The enemy no longer wears a uniform or crosses borders, they operate through code, cloaked in digital deception, manipulating minds, crippling systems, and eroding morale long before a single bullet is fired.
India’s response to Operation Sindoor was a masterclass in contemporary warfare. It spanned multiple fronts and extended deep into the hinterland. The operation showcased strategic coordination, real-time intelligence, and dominance not just in air and ground, but in cyberspace where the battle for control now begins.
We struck not just physical targets but also neutralised hostile command structures, crippled communication networks, exposed disinformation campaigns, and disrupted critical infrastructure. The intent was clear: paralyse the adversary’s capacity before they could mobilise it.
This is the new theatre of war. One where psychological manipulation, digital subversion, and algorithmic attacks precede kinetic action. If we fail to defend our digital frontlines with the same resolve as our physical borders, we risk losing the war before it even begins.
The Evolution of the Battlefield: From Terrain to Terrainless War
For centuries, warfare was defined by geography, fought on land, in the air, and at sea. In recent decades, space was added as a domain. But today, the most fluid and contested battlespace is cyberspace, a domain without borders, governed not by physical might but by digital dominance.
India’s adversaries, particularly Pakistan and its constellation of non-state actors, have long employed cyber means for asymmetric warfare, ranging from propaganda and psychological operations to financial disruption, espionage, and surveillance. These actions were designed to bleed slowly, manipulate perception, and exploit digital vulnerabilities, often without crossing the threshold of conventional war.
Until recently, India’s cyber posture had been largely defensive, focused on network fortification, surveillance, and incident containment. That changed with Operation Sindoor, a watershed moment where India decisively integrated cyber capabilities with conventional military force. The operation revealed a calibrated and coordinated strategy that encompassed three critical pillars: the ability to defend through hardened infrastructures, real-time threat intelligence, and institutional readiness; the resolve to deter by exposing disinformation campaigns, disabling digital propaganda tools, and signalling a credible cyber response posture; and the growing capacity to offend, leveraging cyber tools to disrupt enemy command and control systems, neutralise communications, disorient logistics, and dismantle psychological warfare apparatuses in tandem with kinetic operations.
Much like the Gulf War showcased how precision airpower redefined the American way of war, Operation Sindoor marks India’s own inflection point where cyber-kinetic convergence has emerged as a central pillar of national security doctrine.
India struck not just physical targets but also neutralised hostile command structures, crippled communication networks, exposed disinformation campaigns, and disrupted critical infrastructure. The intent was clear: paralyse the adversary’s capacity before they could mobilise it
Pre-Strike Cyber Disruption
Long before the first aircraft took to the skies, were already at work. In the critical hours leading up to kinetic action, cyber operations played a pivotal role in shaping the battlefield, silently, surgically, and with precision.
Leveraging a mix of open-source intelligence, surveillance tools, and advanced analytics, Indian agencies mapped the digital footprint of adversarial networks supporting terrorism. Specific communication nodes were isolated, targeting channels suspected to be involved in the orchestration and movement of terror groups. Rather than opting for broad disruption, the emphasis was on precision, disabling key coordination points without affecting wider civilian infrastructure.
Geospatial data from satellites was fused with real-time digital feeds and processed through AI-powered systems trained to detect behavioural and movement patterns. Deception techniques, including radar spoofing, were used to mislead hostile surveillance systems. Their early warning capabilities were impaired, not with ordnance, but with strategically deployed code. This seamless convergence of cyber, space, and intelligence marked a visible shift in India’s strategic posture, where deterrence is no longer reactive but pre-emptive and integrated.
Cyber Shielding: Defending the Home Front
As the operation unfolded, retaliation was expected and it came, primarily in the digital domain. Backed by external support, attempts were made to target Indian infrastructure through coordinated cyber intrusions.
However, the nation’s cyber defence apparatus had already been activated. Under the umbrella of national cyber coordination frameworks, agencies worked in tandem to neutralise these attacks. AI-based anomaly detection systems were deployed to scan for and intercept malicious activities targeting critical systems, including energy grids, telecommunications, and logistics networks, especially in sensitive frontier regions.
Importantly, this was not a siloed military operation. Civil-military cyber coordination ensured that internet service providers, utility operators, and local administrations were kept in sync. Response teams acted within seconds, and layered cyber defences prevented disinformation campaigns, blackout attempts, and systemic disruptions. This quiet yet resilient shielding of the homeland was one of the most strategically significant, yet underappreciated, achievements of Operation Sindoor showcasing India’s evolving ability to defend not just territory, but the invisible arteries of its national infrastructure.
Disabling Terror’s Digital Backbone
Modern terror networks thrive in the digital realm leveraging social media, encrypted platforms, and anonymous financial tools to recruit, radicalise, and raise funds. Recognising this, India’s cyber teams launched a sustained operation targeting the very foundations of this digital ecosystem.
Over two dozen high-impact social media nodes operated by hostile proxies were identified and dismantled. These platforms were instrumental in spreading extremist narratives, coordinating sleeper cells, and inciting unrest. Encrypted messaging applications used for cross-border handler communication were infiltrated, monitored, and strategically neutralised.
Leveraging AI-powered surveillance and deep web analytics, our cyber units uncovered digital financial trails linked to illicit networks supporting recent terror activities. Swift coordination with legal and financial authorities led to the freezing of cryptocurrency wallets and the disruption of their transactional capabilities. These actions cut off vital funding channels, crippling operational planning and procurement.
But this was not merely a counter-terror operation it was a counter-narrative campaign. By dismantling the enemy’s online presence, neutralising their propaganda tools, and denying them the space to operate or influence, India erased the digital façade these groups rely on to project power and legitimacy.
Much like the Gulf War showcased how precision airpower redefined the American way of war, Operation Sindoor marks India’s inflection point where cyber-kinetic convergence has emerged as a central pillar of national security doctrine
Psychological and Strategic Impact
What gives cyber warfare its distinctive strength is its ability to distort perception, delay action, and erode confidence without a single physical confrontation. Operation Sindoor showcased this principle with clinical precision.
By the time adversarial leadership could grasp the scope of India’s retaliation, much of their digital command architecture had already been disabled. Air defence signals were jammed, operational links scrambled, and critical networks blinded. Their attempts at launching disinformation campaigns fell flat, as Indian agencies were already disseminating verified updates pre-empting chaos and narrative manipulation.
This was information dominance achieved through artificial intelligence, predictive monitoring, and a rapidly mobilised digital workforce. With real-time content validation, bot disruption, and cross-platform sentiment tracking, India not only prevented confusion but established control over the informational battlespace.
Where once military victory depended on seizing ground or airspace, today it depends on controlling attention, belief, and perception. Operation Sindoor demonstrated that India is not only prepared to defend its borders, but also to outthink and outmanoeuvre its adversaries in the realm of ideas and influence.
Lessons from the Trenches to the Terminal
As a veteran, I’ve witnessed first-hand the transformation of warfare. From the silent watch posts in remote terrains to the digitised nerve centres of modern operations, one lesson has remained unchanged, we must out-adapt our adversaries, or risk irrelevance.
Operation Sindoor was not just an operation, it was a paradigm shift. It revealed how cyberspace can be weaponised to shape perceptions, disrupt decision-making, and disable critical systems before a single kinetic action is undertaken.
Here are the key imperatives emerging from this evolution:
- Cyber is a primary domain of warfare, it must be treated with the same strategic weight as land, sea, air, and space.
- Information dominance precedes battlefield dominance, winning the narrative war is now a precursor to winning the physical one.
- Every officer is now a cyber node, digital literacy, threat awareness, and data protection must be fundamental skills at all levels.
- Jointness is essential but insufficient without integration with civilian expertise, especially in AI, cryptography, behavioural analytics, and threat intelligence.
- Counter-disinformation capabilities must be institutionalised, with dedicated teams focused on identifying, exposing, and neutralising hostile narratives.
- Cyber drills must go beyond firewalls and incident response they must simulate real-world attack scenarios on command-and-control, financial systems, media, and CIIs.
- Cyber veterans and industry leaders must be structurally included in doctrinal development and national cyber resilience planning.
- Doctrine must evolve from deterrence to disruption, recognising that pre-emptive and proportional cyber strikes are now part of strategic calculus.
The Road Ahead: Pragmatic Pathways for National Cyber Power
India must now transition from isolated excellence to systemic readiness. The warfighting doctrine must expand beyond platforms to include algorithms, attention, and access control.
Today’s soldier must evolve. He must carry a rifle as well as a laptop and must be informed by satellite feeds, social media sentiment, and AI-predicted behaviour patterns. He must know when to strike with steel and when with silence and code
Key recommendations for the way forward:
- Establish a full spectrum Integrated Cyber Command, with both defensive and offensive mandates, reporting directly to the highest levels of strategic command.
- Formalise a national cyber reserve force, drawing on vetted civilian talent, retired military cyber experts, and academic specialists ready to be mobilised during crises.
- Mandate cyber modules in all military training academies and higher command courses, ensuring cross-rank cyber competency.
- Create national-level public-private cyber consortia, where tech companies, startups, and research institutions collaborate on detection, deterrence, and counterstrike capabilities.
- Set up dedicated Info-Warfare and Cognitive Ops Cells, tasked with strategic messaging, bot monitoring, and rapid response to digital disinformation.
- Expand national cyber range infrastructure to simulate realistic threat environments, allowing for integrated training between military, intelligence, and civilian cyber responders.
- Establish inter-ministerial war-gaming frameworks, to rehearse coordinated responses to hybrid attacks across sectors; power, banking, transport, and governance.
- Build international cyber partnerships with strategic allies, both bilaterally and through multilateral forums, for shared early warning, response protocols, and legal cooperation.
- Launch national awareness campaigns for cyber hygiene, particularly aimed at youth, civil servants, and small enterprises, our first line of digital defence.
Conclusion: A New Kind of Soldier for a New Kind of War
India’s precision-led, intelligence-backed response in Operation Sindoor was not just a military strike, it was a modern, mindful, and multidomain offensive. It demonstrated that the battle is not always about holding territory, it’s about controlling time, information, and perception.
The soldier of today must evolve. He must carry a rifle, yes, but he must also wield a laptop, secure a network, and read the battle unfolding on a dashboard of data. His instincts must be informed by satellite feeds, social media sentiment, and AI-predicted behaviour patterns. He must know when to strike with steel and when to strike with silence and code.
Our adversaries are adapting, watching us through compromised cameras, social graphs, and anonymised transactions. We must respond not with hesitation, but with preparation, precision, and purpose.
India must lead not only in the defence of its borders, but in the projection of its cyber will. And when the next battle comes and it will, it must be clear that this nation defends with firewalls, fights with algorithms, and wins with foresight.
-The writer is an Indian Army veteran. Post-retirement, transitioning into senior leadership roles across the corporate, government, and academic sectors, he headed defence programmes at Larsen & Toubro, served as Chief of Staff in key Union ministries, and was the Director of Technology Verticals at Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU). He also served as the Managing Director of two defence tech-focused incubators, fostering innovation at the intersection of national security and emerging technologies. An alumnus of IIT Delhi and the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), he is a recognised expert in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and national security strategy. He is currently the CEO of Rathon AI and an advisor at ThorSec Global, a strategic security consultancy.
