“Wars are no longer fought merely to capture land; they are waged to conquer minds.” In an age where warfare has transcended the physical domain and entered the cognitive realm, victory is increasingly determined not by firepower, but by the power of perception. Modern conflicts are waged through misinformation, narrative manipulation, and psychological influence. For India, a civilisation that has mastered the art of subtle strategy for millennia, the answers to this modern challenge may lie in its own past. To secure a decisive edge in the 21st century’s war of minds, India must rediscover and reinterpret the profound military intelligence encoded in its ancient texts and historical experience. From Kautilya’s Arthashastra to contemporary examples like Operation Sindoor, and in the face of challenges such as China’s “Three Warfares” doctrine, India’s strategic heritage offers invaluable guidance for mastering cognitive warfare.
ANCIENT WISDOM IN A DIGITAL AGE
More than 2,000 years ago, Kautilya—the philosopher, economist, and strategist behind the Mauryan Empire—authored the Arthashastra, a treatise that remains startlingly relevant to modern conflict. Far from being a mere manual of warfare, it is a masterclass in intelligence, diplomacy, deception, and psychological control—concepts that define hybrid and information warfare today. Kautilya recognised that true victory is achieved long before battle commences. His emphasis on espionage, propaganda, and the management of alliances mirrors the architecture of present-day cognitive operations. His observation that “skilful intrigue can destroy even those yet unborn” captures the essence of psychological influence once delivered through whispers in royal courts, now executed through digital networks and algorithmic manipulation. In today’s hyperconnected world, disinformation spreads faster than bullets. Fake news, deepfakes, and coordinated social media campaigns have become modern equivalents of Kautilya’s spies designed to mislead, confuse, and erode trust. Thus, the ancient principle of kutayuddha (deceptive warfare) has found new life in the digital battlefield.
OPERATION SINDOOR: INDIA’S MODERN LESSON
Operation Sindoor in 2025 marked a defining moment in India’s contemporary military history. Alongside precise kinetic strikes against terrorist infrastructure, India faced an unprecedented wave of digital aggression. Sophisticated propaganda, fabricated videos, and AI-generated misinformation flooded online spaces, targeting India’s morale, unity, and credibility. What followed was a masterclass in integrated response. India’s countereffort, combining military precision with real-time fact-checking, strategic communication, and public transparency, neutralised the disinformation blitz. It demonstrated the importance of agility not just on the ground, but in the cognitive domain. This was Kautilya’s doctrine reborn: victory through preparedness, intelligence dominance, and psychological fortitude. The lesson was clear—modern wars will be fought as much through information as through arms, and narrative control will define national strength.
THE CHINESE CHALLENGE: NAVIGATING THE ‘THREE WARFARES’
China’s Three Warfares strategy—psychological, media, and legal warfare—has been meticulously employed to weaken adversaries without firing a shot. During confrontations in Doklam and Galwan, Beijing sought to control narratives, distort facts, and exploit information asymmetry to its advantage. India’s response has evolved from reactive diplomacy to proactive narrative shaping. Transparent communication, global outreach, and legal assertiveness have countered Beijing’s psychological tactics. Yet, Kautilya’s wisdom remains a timeless reminder that psychological dominance stems from anticipating the adversary’s strategy, not merely responding to it. To confront such multifaceted threats, India must institutionalise cognitive warfare capabilities, melding intelligence, diplomacy, media management, and technology into a seamless national strategy.
RECLAIMING HERITAGE, REVIVING PRIDE
India’s ancient strategic genius is not a relic of the past; it is a living inheritance. From Chandragupta’s unification of the subcontinent under Kautilya’s counsel to the maritime dominance of the Cholas and the asymmetric warfare of the Marathas, Indian history offers a vast compendium of cognitive mastery. Reclaiming this heritage is essential not merely to inspire patriotism but to shape a uniquely Indian framework for modern warfare. Integrating ancient strategic principles with AI-driven sentiment analysis, cyber defence, and data sovereignty will ensure that India’s information ecosystem remains resilient against manipulation. More importantly, cognitive warfare is not the military’s burden alone. It is a whole-of-nation endeavour. Governments, media, academia, and citizens must collectively build an immune system against falsehoods and divisive narratives.
TOWARDS A STRATEGIC RENAISSANCE
To win the war of minds, India must blend tradition with innovation. Our forebears understood that perception governs power; today, that truth is more evident than ever. As the global information order tilts towards chaos, those who can think strategically, communicate truth credibly, and inspire collective confidence will prevail. Reviving India’s ancient military wisdom is not about nostalgia. It is about national necessity. The world’s oldest civilisation must now lead the newest frontier of warfare: the battle for the human mind.
CENTRAL IDEA
By reclaiming its ancient strategic thought and integrating it with cutting-edge cognitive and technological capabilities, India can not only defend itself in the digital era but also redefine the contours of modern warfare. The war of the future will not be won on maps or borders—it will be won in minds. “An arrow shot by an archer may or may not kill a single person, but skilful intrigue, devised by a wise man, may kill even those who are in the womb.”—Kautilya, Arthashastra
Lt Col Geeta Mishra is a serving officer of the Indian Army.
