PM Modi in Kolkata for Top Military Meet; China, Bangladesh, Nepal Likely on Agenda

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Kolkata on Sunday evening to inaugurate the armed forces’ Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) which will be held at the Eastern Command headquarters Fort William, recently renamed as Vijay Durg, from September 15-17.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan will also be present along with the three military service chiefs at the three-day meet that is taking place months after Operation Sindoor.

According to sources, India's military strategy with China, following the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Tianjin, is expected to come up for discussion. A civil-military think tank, which religiously works on key China policies and acts as the eyes and ears of the government on the subject, is set to make a presentation during the conference, sources indicated.

Besides, the recent regime change in two neighbouring countries, Nepal and Bangladesh, within a span of a year and the present situation in Myanmar are also supposed to come under analysis and scrutiny. The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Year of Reforms - Transforming for the Future’. The CCC 2025 will focus on Reforms, Transformation & Change and Operational Preparedness.

The government said, “Together, these reflect the Armed Forces’ commitment to institutional reforms, deeper integration and technological modernisation, while sustaining a high level of multi-domain operational readiness. The deliberations will seek to further strengthen the Armed Forces which are agile and decisive in an increasingly complex Geo-Strategic landscape. Continuing with the tradition of inclusive engagement, the conference will feature interactive sessions with officers and personnel of various ranks from the Armed Forces, ensuring that field-level perspectives enrich the discussions at the highest level.”