India’s New Security Doctrine

Posted 17 Jun 2025

Updated 19 Jun 2025

4 min read

Why in the News?

Addressing the Nation after successful Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister of India outlined India's new security doctrine, marked a significant shift in India's counterterrorism doctrine.

Key changes in India's Security Doctrine

Operation Sindoor marks a decisive departure in India's National Security Doctrine which now includes three core pillars:

Pillar	Details	Shift and Significance
Decisive Retaliation	Any terrorist attack on India will be met with a strong and resolute response, with India retaliating on its own terms, targeting terror hubs at their roots. E.g., India struck nine major terrorist hubs across Pakistan and Pak occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK) including headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed.	It has lowered the threshold of response to deter any major terrorist attack in future, thus increasing military and economic costs of supporting terrorism.
No Tolerance for Nuclear Blackmail	India will not be intimidated by nuclear threats and any terrorist safe haven operating under this pretext will face precise and decisive strikes. E.g., India stood its ground even when when Pakistan's ambassador to Russia warned that Islamabad could resort to its full military arsenal, including nuclear weapons, if it is attacked by India or if New Delhi disrupts Pakistan's water supply.	It ensures that nuclear threats won't deter India's right to self-defense, a sharp shift from past doctrine of strategic restraint.
No Distinction between Terror Sponsors and Terrorists	India will no longer see terrorist leaders and the governments sheltering them as separate entities. E.g., Operation Sindoor broke conventional norms by targeting locations deep within Pakistan's mainland, including strategic zones like Punjab province and Bahawalpur, treating both terrorists and their state sponsors as legitimate targets.	It establishes that state-sponsored terrorism would be considered as a state-sanctioned act of war perpetrated through proxy actors by a complicit state. It strengthens the efforts to counter terrorism that poses a significant threat to global peace and security.

Other key aspects of Security Doctrine during Operation Sindoor

Deterrence by Punishment: The punishment strategy (Inflicting damage after terrorist attack) aims to deter unwarranted Pakistani behaviour by threatening to inflict unacceptable damage through conventional means.
- This is a shift from earlier strategy of 'Deterrence by Denial' which aims to deter an action by making it infeasible or unlikely to succeed, thus denying a potential aggressor confidence in attaining its objectives.
Economic Measures: Economic measures, which gives India leverage without inviting kinetic escalation, are now part of India's Strategic Toolkit in dealing with security concerns.
- E.g., India placed the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in abeyance.
Geopolitical Signalling: India has dispatched seven high-level all-party delegations to other countries to present India's stand against terrorism and pressure Pakistan internationally.
Strategic De-capacitation: India struck eleven Pakistani airbases disrupting the mobility and operational momentum of Pakistan Air Force, ensuring that Pakistan could not sustain a second or third wave of escalation.
Coordinated and Tech-Driven Response Strategy: India's response was deliberate, precise, and strategic facilitated by seamless integration of indigenous hi-tech systems into national defence including in drone warfare, layered air defence, or electronic warfare.
- E.g., the integration of drone warfare into India's military doctrine.
De-escalation Strategy: India's strategy aims at inflicting punitive costs on terror headquarters while limiting conventional conflict and putting the onus on Pakistan.
- E.g., when Pakistan escalated the conflict conventionally, India swiftly mobilized a tri-service response to quickly subdue the fighting capabilities of the Pakistani miliary.

Conclusion

Operation Sindoor is a watershed in India's military and geopolitical evolution and India's signal of intent to retaliate against cross-border terrorism marks a clear shift in posture. By operationalizing deterrence, neutralizing terror nodes, blunting enemy retaliation, and avoiding escalation into war, India has delivered a sophisticated, high-impact campaign that redefines conflict dynamics in South Asia.