Rudra and Bhairav: India’s New Military Doctrine

Explore India’s new Rudra brigades and Bhairav battalions—key reforms redefining military strategy, deterrence, and modern warfare readiness.

Rudra and Bhairav : Shaping India’s Modern War Doctrine

In “Rudra and Bhairav: Towards Refining India’s Warfighting Doctrine” (Raisina Debates, Observer Research Foundation, Oct 29, 2025), Rahul Rawat and Kartik Bommakanti highlight India’s latest military reforms that seek to reshape its warfighting philosophy amid growing tensions with China and Pakistan. Their analysis sheds light on how India’s creation of the Rudra brigades and Bhairav battalions reflects both strategic innovation and calculated restraint. This essay explores the background, aims, and implications of these military transformations, arguing that they mark a vital shift from reactive defence to proactive deterrence—modernising India’s armed forces for a changing era of warfare.

Strategic Context

India’s security environment in 2025 is shaped by persistent instability on its northern borders. The nation continues to face a “two-front challenge”, meaning the potential for simultaneous confrontation with China and Pakistan. Both neighbours employ different but equally coercive strategies to undermine India’s security. Under President Xi Jinping, China has pursued a more assertive territorial policy along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), engaging in repeated incursions and stand-offs such as those at Depsang (2013), Doklam (2017), and Galwan (2020). These confrontations exemplify China’s “salami-slicing” tactics—small, incremental advances designed to alter the territorial balance without provoking a full-scale war.

Pakistan, meanwhile, poses a hybrid threat that combines conventional military readiness with proxy terrorism. Through cross-border militant groups and nuclear posturing, Islamabad seeks to challenge India’s control in Jammu and Kashmir and offset its conventional disadvantage. This has resulted in a “no-war, no-peace” situation where constant skirmishes, infiltration attempts, and ceasefire violations keep tensions high but stop short of declared conflict.

These conditions have forced India to recognise that traditional defensive postures are no longer sufficient. To safeguard national sovereignty and maintain credible deterrence, the Indian Army has embarked on a comprehensive reform effort—part of what the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has termed the “Year of Reforms” in 2025.

Doctrinal Evolution

Rawat and Bommakanti note that the Indian Army’s shift from a primarily defensive mindset to a flexible, offensive doctrine stems from lessons learned over decades of border crises. The Sino-Indian War of 1962 revealed the cost of unpreparedness, while subsequent clashes—particularly in Galwan Valley (2020)—demonstrated the necessity for speed, coordination, and adaptability.

At the same time, Pakistan’s asymmetric warfare strategy, including the threat of Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNWs), limits India’s options for large-scale mobilisation. To respond effectively without triggering uncontrolled escalation, India requires formations that can operate swiftly, strike precisely, and withdraw before conflicts spiral into major wars.

The 2019 constitutional reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir further intensified the alignment between China and Pakistan, compelling India to develop new operational capabilities to meet this joint challenge. The result was a doctrinal shift towards “deterrence by punishment”—the idea that credible, limited military responses can discourage adversaries by increasing the costs of aggression.

New Formations

The Rudra brigades and Bhairav battalions represent the material embodiment of this doctrinal innovation. Both formations are designed to be “lean and swift”, integrating mobility, technology, and offensive flexibility into India’s combat readiness.

The Rudra brigades evolve from the elite Ghatak platoons, expanding them into brigade-sized combined-arms units. Their primary focus is the western front with Pakistan, where they serve as agile strike forces capable of crossing the border to seize key objectives if required. Unlike large corps-level formations, Rudra brigades can act rapidly with minimal logistical strain, delivering high-impact operations without provoking full-scale mobilisation.

The Bhairav battalions, on the other hand, are tailored for mountain warfare along the LAC with China. They are structured for light, flexible combat in high-altitude conditions, offering less escalatory options compared to India’s Mountain Strike Corps. These units enhance India’s ability to conduct targeted tactical operations—countering limited Chinese advances while avoiding major confrontation.

Both formations rely on modernised weaponry and integrated command systems. Equipped with drones, advanced carbines, and secure communications, they aim to improve situational awareness and battlefield coordination. The emphasis on combined-arms manoeuvre—the synchronised use of infantry, artillery, and mechanised units—marks a technological and operational leap for the Indian Army.

Lessons from Experience

The reforms draw heavily from Operation Kailash Ranges (2020), when Indian forces captured commanding positions such as Rezang La and Rechin La in eastern Ladakh. These tactical victories provided leverage during border negotiations and illustrated how speed and surprise could yield strategic advantage even in limited engagements.

Similarly, Pakistan’s pattern of low-intensity conflicts has demonstrated the importance of maintaining readiness for both counterterrorism and conventional deterrence. India must be prepared to operate across the full spectrum of warfare—from sub-conventional insurgencies to state-level conflicts—while controlling escalation.

Thus, the Rudra and Bhairav formations are not merely new military units; they symbolise a new mindset within India’s defence establishment. Their purpose is not only to fight wars but also to prevent them through a credible threat of calibrated force.

Power and Restraint

While innovation is essential, Rawat and Bommakanti caution that it must be accompanied by strategic restraint. The risk of escalation remains a pressing concern, especially with Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent and China’s superior military resources. If India’s new formations are perceived as overly aggressive, they could provoke the very crises they are meant to prevent.

The concept of “graduated response”—matching an adversary’s provocation with proportional force—is central to avoiding this outcome. Rudra and Bhairav units are intended as measured tools of deterrence, not instruments of unchecked aggression. The idea is to demonstrate political resolve and operational readiness without crossing thresholds that lead to uncontrollable escalation.

This balance between deterrence (preventing attack through strength) and compellence (forcing behavioural change through limited force) defines modern coercive diplomacy. India’s military reforms, therefore, are as much about signalling intent as about battlefield effectiveness.

Strengths and Promise

The move towards agile, integrated formations offers several advantages for India’s national security strategy.

First, it increases operational flexibility, allowing the army to respond rapidly to crises across diverse terrains—from deserts to mountains. Second, it enhances cost efficiency, as smaller units can deliver disproportionate impact without the expenses of mass mobilisation. Third, it aligns India’s defence posture with global trends in network-centric warfare, where information dominance and precision are key.

Furthermore, the reforms indicate an important shift in India’s strategic culture—from a traditionally reactive stance to a proactive one. Historically, India’s responses to aggression were often delayed or defensive. The Rudra and Bhairav initiatives show a willingness to shape the security environment, not merely endure it.

This shift also strengthens India’s diplomatic hand. A modern, confident military enhances deterrence and credibility, reassuring allies while discouraging adversaries from testing India’s resolve.

Challenges Ahead

Despite these advances, the transformation is far from complete. The Indian Army faces multiple implementation hurdles. Integrating new doctrines, training regimens, and technologies into a large and bureaucratic system is complex. The success of these units depends on sustained investment, effective leadership, and inter-service coordination.

Moreover, as warfare becomes increasingly digital, India must invest in cyber capabilities, surveillance systems, and artificial intelligence to complement its conventional strength. Without these, the Rudra and Bhairav formations risk becoming strong in concept but weak in practice.

There are also diplomatic challenges. India must manage how these reforms are perceived internationally, ensuring that deterrence does not appear as provocation. Strategic communication—clear signalling of intent and limits—is essential to prevent miscalculation by rivals.

Looking Forward

India’s military restructuring represents more than a tactical adjustment—it is part of a broader transformation in how the nation perceives power, security, and sovereignty. The Rudra and Bhairav units signal that India intends to act from a position of confidence and control, balancing modernisation with responsibility.

If implemented effectively, these reforms could serve as a model for hybrid warfare preparedness, enabling India to counter terrorism, border provocations, and cyber threats with integrated efficiency. The emphasis on speed, intelligence, and adaptability positions India’s forces to meet 21st-century challenges head-on.

Yet success will depend not only on the strength of the new units but also on the unity of political and military vision behind them. Strategic clarity, technological progress, and sustained funding will determine whether these reforms achieve their potential or fade into bureaucratic inertia.

Conclusion

In sum, as described in “Rudra and Bhairav: Towards Refining India’s Warfighting Doctrine”, the creation of the Rudra brigades and Bhairav battalions represents a defining moment in India’s military evolution. These reforms combine historical lessons with forward-looking innovation, addressing the complex realities of modern warfare through agility, deterrence, and restraint.

India’s security challenges demand neither passivity nor recklessness, but a measured assertiveness—the ability to defend, deter, and decide on its own terms. The Rudra and Bhairav formations, if fully realised, embody this philosophy. They are not just about fighting wars but about shaping peace through preparedness—a testament to a nation determined to protect its sovereignty in an era of uncertainty.

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The Source’s Authority and Ownership of the Article is Claimed By THE STUDY IAS BY MANIKANT SINGH