Operation Sindoor was 'just a trailer', says Army Chief as he warns Pakistan over terror support

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday described Operation Sindoor as an “88-hour trailer” that showcased the swift action and defence capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces, giving India a chance to deliver a decisive response to Pakistan.

Addressing the curtain-raiser event of the Chanakya Defence Dialogues in New Delhi, he described the operation as an “88-hour trailer”, emphasizing India’s preparedness for any future contingencies.

#WATCH | Speaking on Operation Sindoor, Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi says, "...Operation Sindoor was just a trailer which ended in 88 hours. We are prepared for any circumstances in future. If Pakistan gives a chance, we will teach it how to behave responsibly… pic.twitter.com/pdKvToDmEm

— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2025

“Operation Sindoor was just a trailer which ended in 88 hours. We are prepared for any circumstances in future. If Pakistan gives a chance, we will teach it how to behave responsibly with a neighbouring nation,” he said.

Key Lessons from Operation Sindoor

General Dwivedi outlined three main lessons learned from the operation:

Integration Between Forces – “Another thing is integration, which means that all forces, whether Army, Navy, Air Force, CAPF, anyone else need to have good integration, because today's battles are multi-domain. Just the army cannot fight a battle, everyone has to fight together...So many things have been mixed together.”

Ensuring Proper Supplies – Highlighting the importance of logistics, he noted, “We also cannot say how long a battle will last even today. This time we fought for 88 hours, next time it could be four months too or even four years. Looking at that, do we have enough supplies and weapons to fight that? If we do not have then we need to prepare for that.”

Timely Decision - Making Across the Command Chain – “Whenever some operation happened we learn from it, this time too we learned things. One of the things we learned was that the decision we have very less time to take any decision, and take a decision at every level on time.”

India’s Stance on State-Sponsored Terrorism

Dwivedi underlined India’s firm position against countries supporting terrorism, saying:

“When a country encourages state-sponsored terrorism, it becomes a matter of concern for India. India talks about progress. If someone creates obstacles in our course, then we will have to take some action against them. When we talk about the new normal, we have said that talks and terror can't go together. All we are asking is to adopt a peaceful process, which we will cooperate with. Until then, we will treat terrorists and their sponsors alike.”

#WATCH | Speaking on Operation Sindoor, at Chanakya Defence Dialogue, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi says, "...When a country encourages state-sponsored terrorism, it becomes a matter of concern for India. India talks about progress. If someone creates… pic.twitter.com/4MmgUx1EIa

— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2025

He added that India’s forces are resolute in maintaining the nation’s security and are unshaken by attempts at blackmail.

Relations with China and Border Cooperation

General Dwivedi also spoke about India-China ties, noting improvements since October 2024 following talks between political leaders.

#WATCH | Speaking on LAC, India-China relations and diplomacy, Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi says," There has been a lot of improvement in our (India and China) relations since last October, following dialogue between leaders of the two nations to bring… pic.twitter.com/s15J3jHE2f

— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2025

“There have been significant changes over the past year—our relations have improved a lot. When political directions are clear, it benefits every level. The prime minister and the Chinese leadership talked and worked out a solution. The more dialogue happens at the border, the better it will be,” he said.

He further emphasized, “We have very good ground level cooperation/talks with the Chinese at the border.”

Improved Security Situation in Jammu & Kashmir

The COAS also highlighted the improving security situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

#WATCH | Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi says, "We have political will that strengthens our deterrence. In today's time, our deterrence is very strong..."

"After 5th August 2019, there has been a huge change in the situation in Jammu & Kashmir. After this,… pic.twitter.com/tMgG9sNhVG

— ANI (@ANI) November 17, 2025

“After 5th August 2019, there has been a huge change in the situation in Jammu & Kashmir. After this, political clarity has come. There has been a huge decline in terrorism (in J&K),” he said.

About Chanakya Defence Dialogues

The Chanakya Defence Dialogues is a flagship international seminar organised by the Indian Army to bring together policymakers, strategic thinkers, academia, defence personnel, veterans, scientists, and experts from India and abroad to examine the country’s strategic directions and developmental priorities.

This year’s theme is “Reform to Transform, Sashakt, Surakshit, aur Viksit Bharat.” While General Dwivedi addressed the curtain-raiser event in New Delhi, the main event is scheduled for November 27–28 in the national capital.