1. Indian Delegation Reaches Islamabad for SCO Meeting

An Indian delegation led by MEA National Coordinator Alok Dimri reached Islamabad on September 28 for a three-day meeting of national coordinators of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting is discussing activities under Pakistan’s SCO chairmanship and preparations for upcoming SCO meetings and events ahead of the leaders’ summit scheduled for August 2027.

2. India-Kazakhstan KAZIND 2026 Begins

The ninth edition of the India-Kazakhstan joint military exercise KAZIND 2026 began in Kazakhstan on September 28 and will continue until October 11. The exercise involves a 60-member Indian Armed Forces contingent and focuses on joint counter-terrorism operations, including training in mountainous and semi-urban terrain, UAVs, counter-UAS and air mobility.

3. India, Ethiopia Discuss Defence Cooperation

India and Ethiopia held the second meeting of their Joint Defence Cooperation Committee in Addis Ababa on September 28. The two sides discussed military training, exercises, medical cooperation, peacekeeping and defence industries. They also agreed to explore joint ventures in defence production, delegation visits and exchanges of personnel and experience.

4. Army Chief Says Land Victory Remains Key in Future Wars

Chief of Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth said at the NDTV Defence Summit that technology is shortening battles but not necessarily wars, and that control of territory remains the key measure of victory. He also highlighted the importance of self-reliance and said the soldier remains central to capability development as warfare becomes increasingly technology-driven.

5. Army Chief Unveils ‘SAMARTH’ Roadmap for Future Warfare

General Dhiraj Seth (COAS) unveiled the Indian Army’s seven-point ‘SAMARTH’ framework at the NDTV Defence Summit. The framework focuses on sustainability, adaptation, modernisation, acceleration, resilience, technology and human-machine collaboration, including the use of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, robotics and drones.

Savio Rodrigues

Savio Rodrigues is a Research Analyst at Escape Velocity MediaWorks Pvt Ltd and writes for Chakra News on Defence, Geopolitics, National Security. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Mumbai.