India 2.0 - Operation Sindoor: The 87 hours that changed India's strategic approach

In under four days, India orchestrated a new model of state response—disciplined, integrated, powerfully effective and as a regional stabiliser, with the edifice of the operation resting firmly on the foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

It lasted just 87 hours. Nonetheless, Operation Sindoor changed the language of Indian statecraft and the rules of regional deterrence. It wasn’t a war. Nor was it a traditional reprisal. It was something new—a quiet, coordinated, calibrated assertion of national will that echoed far louder than any full-scale conflict.

More than anything else, Operation Sindoor marked India’s evolution: from reactive to responsive, from fragmented to integrated, from escalatory to decisive. In all cases with a quick closure in mind. India's 21st-century doctrine took centrestage. This wasn’t merely about retaliatory strikes; it was about resetting expectations—domestically, regionally, and internationally. Operation Sindoor showcased India not as a reactionary power, but as a regional stabiliser—intent on redefining the rules of engagement.

Not a war, but a warning in motion

The operation was never designed to conquer territory or prove military superiority. Its purpose was strategic clarity—to signal that provocations would meet purposeful consequences and this would be done without resorting to open-ended conflict.

Every move during those 87 hours was calculated. Every strike had a boundary. It was a model of controlled escalation—not for pride, but for resolution.

Operation Sindoor was built not on rage but on resolve. It demonstrated the power of a nation that knows when to act—and precisely how far to go. It had one central objective: to signal that India’s responses are no longer reactive or emotion-driven. Instead, they are calculated, time-bound, and integrated.

Each move—military, diplomatic, cyber, informational—was aligned with pre-decided boundaries. It was not escalation for the sake of pride, but resolution in service of peace. India chose not to retaliate out of anger but to respond with discipline.

“We weren’t looking for a fight. We were looking to finish one on our terms.”

India as a regional stabilser

What made Operation Sindoor so significant was India’s approach to power. It did not seek to overwhelm; it sought to stabilise. This reflects a significant shift in regional geopolitics: India is no longer just a responder, it is increasingly a regional stabiliser, willing to bear the responsibility of de-escalation while ensuring its deterrence remains credible.

This stabilising posture is about maturity. Instead of pursuing open-ended operations, India executed a swift and precise engagement designed to restore equilibrium, not tilt it. In contrast to revisionist powers or volatile neighbours, India's methodical approach signalled a new rulebook—one rooted in sovereignty, strategy, and stability.

Western media and strategic commentators acknowledged this change. Headlines spoke of India’s "measured resolve" and "strategic maturity." It was, in essence, a template for how modern democracies can balance firmness with restraint. The region saw not a nuclear flashpoint, but a nation acting with layered intelligence and political wisdom with a strong Military ready to act.

“India no longer reacts—it responds. Proportionately, powerfully and with purpose.”

The whole-of-government response: A national symphony

What truly set Operation Sindoor apart was the unprecedented synergy between the arms of the state. From Raisina Hill to strike forces, India moved like a single organ. It was not just a military action, it was a whole-of-government campaign.

* The ministry of external affairs preempted global backlash with precise briefings assisted by the armed forces.

* Intelligence agencies fed real-time and curated strategic/tactical inputs to the armed forces.

* The armed forces, surgical and swift, acted with precision, giving complete spectrum options with a range of options with war gamed exit for Pakistan.

* Information warriors shaped the narrative domestically and internationally.

There was no policy confusion, no bureaucratic drag and no conflicting messaging. The machinery of the Indian state moved in step with drill square precision —purposeful and aligned.

Brain over brawn: India’s intelligence-led doctrine

Sindoor wasn’t about the scale/quantum of force but the smartness of execution. It marked a doctrinal shift from brute strength to intelligent manoeuvre.

Satellites and drones provided a real-time view of terror camps/staging areas and war-waging machinery. Kinetic action—air to ground/air and ground to ground were launched only when every byte of data had been assimilated.

The result? Surgical strikes with zero mission drift and rapid disengagement. This wasn’t about retaliation, it was about resolution on Indian terms.

The digital battlefield: War in the age of virality

Operation Sindoor was not fought only in the physical world. It unfolded, perhaps more chaotically, in the digital one.

During the operation, social media became an uncontrolled front. Unlike conventional warfare, which demands clarity—who attacked whom, and why—the online world thrives on immediacy, emotionalism, and sensationalism. Within hours, misinformation flooded timelines: video game footage passed off as drone strikes, old footage from Syria shared as current events, and dramatic audio clips circulated without attribution.

Authenticity no longer mattered. Engagement became the currency.

The digital transformation has deeply reshaped our understanding of conflict. The lines between spectator and participant, soldier and citizen, state and algorithm have blurred. Everyone, armed with a smartphone, becomes part of the battlefield. This creates a challenge: how does a state control the narrative without censorship? How do facts compete with fakes in real-time?

In the war of 280 characters, there are no victors—only clamoring citizens. And they keep scrolling.

India’s response was notable for its communication restraint. No chest-thumping. No dramatic posturing. Just consistent, verified, strategic messaging.

Yet, it revealed a glaring need: a permanent, agile, fact-checking digital unit that works in lockstep with real-world operations.

Contrast with global conflicts

At a time when conflicts have become prolonged and complex, such as in Afghanistan, Gaza, Ukraine, and Syria, India's strategy presents a different approach: brief, decisive, and controlled.

There were no chaotic evacuations. No media blitz of civilian casualties. No prolonged deployment.

“India didn’t enter with a heavy hand. It entered with a steady one—and left on its own terms.”

Deterrence by demonstration

Operation Sindoor redefined the idea of deterrence. It’s no longer about nuclear thresholds or numerical superiority. It’s about credibility and communication.

India showed that deterrence now rests in the visible, restrained, and proportionate use of state power. Not the mere threat of action—but the willingness to act and stop with precision.

For Pakistan—and others in the region—the takeaway is stark. Proxy games now come with higher costs and quicker consequences.

What this means for the future

Pakistan has a five-year itch, as time has shown (Parliament attack, 26/11, Pulwama, Uri……). Pakistan as a state with its self-proclaimed Field Marshall may already be on the drawing board, whether to keep the Jihad flag flying or to keep the anti-India rhetoric aflame to keep the Pakistan Army as a relevant power broker or as a proxy for China. The timelines may be shortened to align with Asim Munir's tenure or political ambitions. Operation Sindoor is not just an episode—it’s a doctrinal milestone. Future crises in the region will unfold in its shadow. And the strategic grammar has changed forever, and a new threshold has been laid.

Key takeaways:

India now leads in moments of crisis, not waits.

Proportion, not provocation, is the new currency of strength.

The entire architecture of the state—not just the military—is India’s true force multiplier.

India concludes operations with clarity, not chaos.

The balance of power has shifted—not through arms buildup, but through operational credibility.

Conclusion: Strike effectively is the new normal

Operation Sindoor wasn’t a roar; it was a calm, deliberate sentence spoken with absolute clarity.

Like a schoolteacher drawing a line across a noisy classroom, India enforced discipline not to humiliate, but to correct Pakistan. The power lay not in punishment, but in the restraint with which it was delivered and adequate chance for the errant student to exit escalation.

In those 87 hours, the country demonstrated that strength doesn’t lie in escalation—it lies in control. It is this shift—from noise to nuance, from reaction to response—that will define India’s strategic identity in the years ahead.

Operation Sindoor is not just a military story. It is the story of a new India—assertive, aligned, and completely in command of its narrative.

 

Lt Gen Anil Puri, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd) commanded the front line Desert Corps, was the Deputy Chief and the first Additional Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Ministry of Defence. He is presently with the Armed Forces Tribunal.

Defence