Mohammad Irfan

From the surgical strikes of 2016 to the Balakot airstrike in 2019 and Operation Sindoor in 2025, India’s response to terrorism has undergone a visible transformation—from a predominantly reactive security posture to an approach that places greater emphasis on intelligence, precision, preparedness and the ability to impose costs on terrorist infrastructure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the latest episode of Mann Ki Baat, marked 10 years of the 2016 surgical strikes and placed them within this broader evolution of India’s counter-terrorism policy. He recalled the September 28-29, 2016 operation in which the Indian Army crossed the Line of Control to strike terrorist launch pads, describing it as a significant moment in India’s response to terrorism. The Prime Minister said the operation demonstrated a new approach and linked it with the Balakot airstrike and Operation Sindoor, arguing that India had repeatedly communicated that terrorist attacks would invite a response. The significance of the message lies not only in the military operations themselves but in how India’s security establishment has sought to change the strategic calculations surrounding cross-border terrorism. The evolution has involved changes in the choice of targets, the use of intelligence and technology, jointness among the armed forces and the effort to distinguish terrorist infrastructure from conventional military targets. Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, became the latest major example of this approach.

From 2016 To 2025| A decade Of Changing Doctrine: The 2016 surgical strikes came after years in which major terrorist attacks had repeatedly triggered demands for stronger action against those responsible. Prime Minister Modi recalled the 2008 Delhi serial blasts and the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks while describing the security environment India had faced in earlier years. The 2016 operation marked a significant departure in public signalling. According to the government, Indian forces targeted terrorist infrastructure across the LoC, demonstrating that the geographical boundary would not necessarily prevent India from acting against identified terrorist launch pads. Three years later, the Balakot airstrike extended this approach. Following the February 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, India conducted a precision airstrike on February 26 against a Jaish-e-Mohammed training facility at Balakot in Pakistan, according to the government. The operation was presented as an expansion of India’s options in responding to terrorism, with the target located beyond the LoC. Operation Sindoor in 2025 represented another stage in that trajectory. Following the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terrorist attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Defence Ministry said nine sites were targeted and described the action as focused, measured and non-escalatory, adding that Pakistani military facilities were not targeted in the initial strikes. The Government subsequently described Operation Sindoor as a coordinated, intelligence-led campaign involving multiple domains and emphasised the use of precision and restraint. Taken together, these episodes illustrate an expanding set of military options—from ground-based cross-LoC action to airpower and increasingly integrated, technology-enabled operations.

Operation Sindoor And The Pahalgam Trigger: The immediate backdrop to Operation Sindoor was the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 2025.The attack killed 26 people, including a Nepali citizen, according to subsequent government accounts. The attack had a particularly significant impact because it targeted civilians in a prominent tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian response came after a period of intelligence assessment and political deliberation. On May 7, the Defence Ministry announced that the armed forces had launched Operation Sindoor against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The initial Government statement said nine sites had been targeted. Importantly, it also described the action as “focused, measured and non-escalatory” and stated that no Pakistani military facilities had been targeted in that phase. This aspect of the operation is important to understanding the emerging doctrine. The stated objective was to hit terrorist infrastructure while attempting to control the risk of a wider military escalation. In other words, the response was framed around the source of the terrorist threat rather than a broad conventional military confrontation.

Precision As The New Language Of Counter-Terrorism: One of the clearest developments between 2016 and 2025 has been the increasing importance of precision. Modern counter-terrorism operations depend not only on the ability to strike a target but also on the ability to identify it accurately, assess its significance and select the appropriate means of attack. Government accounts of Operation Sindoor repeatedly highlighted intelligence, target identification and precision. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting described the operation as based on multi-agency intelligence and said nine major camps were identified and targeted. The Government has also highlighted the growing role of indigenous technologies, including drones, layered air defence and electronic warfare capabilities, in the operation. This suggests that the future of counter-terrorism will not be determined solely by traditional military strength. It will increasingly depend on the quality of intelligence, surveillance, communications, data analysis, unmanned systems, air defence and the ability to integrate different capabilities quickly.

Jointness Changes The Character Of Operations: Another important feature associated with Operation Sindoor was the emphasis on joint operations.The government described the campaign as demonstrating greater coordination among the armed forces and involving multiple operational domains.

Modern warfare increasingly blurs the boundaries between land, air, maritime, cyber, space and information domains. A terrorist network may use encrypted communications, social media, financial networks and cross-border infrastructure while operating through physical camps and launch facilities.Countering such a network therefore requires more than conventional firepower. It requires intelligence agencies, armed forces, technology platforms and diplomatic institutions to work in coordination.The evolution from the 2016 strikes to Operation Sindoor therefore also reflects a broader institutional shift towards integration.

A Calibrated Response Rather Than An Open-Ended Conflict: A central feature of the official description of Operation Sindoor has been calibration. The initial Defence Ministry statement explicitly characterised the action as measured and non-escalatory. That distinction matters because military action against terrorist infrastructure across an international boundary or in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir carries the risk of escalation. The challenge for policymakers is consequently twofold: demonstrate the capacity and willingness to respond to terrorism while preventing an individual counter-terrorism operation from automatically developing into a broader conventional conflict. The Government’s framing of Operation Sindooremphasised this balance. The objective was presented as targeting terrorist infrastructure while maintaining limits on the scope of the operation. This represents one of the more significant strategic questions for India’s future counter-terrorism policy: how to retain credible deterrence while keeping escalation under control.

“Drones have become relatively inexpensive and widely accessible. Artificial intelligence can assist in analysing large volumes of information. Satellite imagery can improve situational awareness. Electronic warfare can disrupt communications and sensors..….”

The Green Manufacturing And The Next Industrial Frontier: The next phase of Make in India is also being shaped by the global energy transition. Solar manufacturing has expanded considerably, with India reaching 100 GW of solar photovoltaic module manufacturing capacity under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers framework in 2025, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Advanced batteries, electric vehicles, renewable-energy equipment and green technologies are increasingly becoming part of the industrial policy conversation. This could become an important dimension of India’s manufacturing strategy because global investment decisions are increasingly influenced by supply-chain resilience as well as environmental considerations. India’s opportunity lies in combining its large domestic market with manufacturing capacity that can serve international demand for cleaner technologies. Beyond factories: infrastructure and logistics Manufacturing cannot expand sustainably without infrastructure. Over the past decade, the government’s industrial strategy has therefore been accompanied by initiatives such as PM GatiShakti, the National Logistics Policy, industrial corridors, industrial parks and the National Single Window System. The objective is to reduce the time and cost involved in moving goods and establishing industrial units. This is an important but less visible aspect of the Make in India story. A modern manufacturing economy depends on the efficiency of the entire chain—from raw material and component suppliers to factories, warehouses, ports, airports, roads and final markets. The growing emphasis on integrated infrastructure planning reflects an understanding that competitiveness is determined by the entire production ecosystem.

The MSME Dimension: Large factories often receive the most attention, but India’s manufacturing ecosystem is heavily dependent on micro, small and medium enterprises. MSMEs supply components, provide specialised services and form the backbone of several industrial clusters. Their integration into larger domestic and global value chains is therefore critical. The long-term impact of Make in India will depend partly on whether smaller enterprises can adopt modern technology, access affordable finance, improve quality standards and become reliable suppliers to large Indian and multinational companies. The spread of digital systems, formalisation and new procurement mechanisms has created additional opportunities, but financing, technology adoption and scale remain important areas requiring continued attention.

The Unfinished Agenda: The 12-year journey also makes clear that manufacturing transformation is a long-term project rather than a completed destination. India’s manufacturing sector still needs deeper domestic supply chains, greater research and development, stronger technology capabilities and higher productivity. The country also needs to increase its participation in sophisticated global value chains where design, intellectual property and advanced components account for a larger share of value. Employment is another important dimension. Higher manufacturing output does not automatically translate into proportionately higher employment. Automation and modern production methods can raise productivity while limiting the number of workers required for individual production lines. The broader objective, therefore, is to create an ecosystem in which manufacturing expansion generates jobs not only inside factories but also across logistics, services, supplier networks, maintenance, design and technology. Skill development will consequently remain central to the next phase.

Kashmir Horizon View: The most significant feature of the Make in India journey may ultimately be the changing definition of what it means to manufacture in India. In its initial phase, the emphasis was strongly associated with attracting companies and encouraging production. Over time, the agenda has widened to include domestic components, strategic technologies, research and development, startups, infrastructure, exports, supply-chain resilience and integration with global markets. The Government’s latest assessment describes this transition as a movement from simply producing more goods towards building the skills, technology and capacity required to create greater value domestically and compete internationally. The numbers provide evidence of substantial expansion in several areas: electronics production has multiplied, defence exports have risen sharply, pharmaceutical and medical-device investments have grown, FDI has expanded and PLI-supported sectors have recorded significant investment, production and employment. At the same time, these figures also point towards the scale of the next challenge. The question for the coming decade is increasingly not whether India can manufacture, but how much value it can create through manufacturing—and how deeply Indian firms can participate in global technology and supply chains. Twelve years after its launch, Make in India has therefore moved from being principally an investment invitation to becoming part of a broader industrial strategy. The journey from assembling products to designing, developing and exporting them at scale will determine the next chapter. For India, the opportunity is substantial: a large domestic market, a growing industrial base, expanding infrastructure, a sizeable workforce and an increasingly diversified manufacturing ecosystem. The first twelve years have built much of the foundation. The next phase will be about depth—more domestic value addition, more technology, stronger supply chains, greater productivity and a larger presence in global markets. That is ultimately where the longer-term significance of “Make in India” will be measured.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

In Kashmir, the story of Pashmina is often told through the finished shawl—the softness of its fibre, the delicacy of its embroidery and the reputation it has earned in markets across the world. But behind every such product lies a much longer story: of skilled hands, inherited knowledge, patient craftsmanship and families whose livelihoods remain closely tied to an art that has survived generations. The Pashmina Artisan Awards 2026, organised by the Pashmeena Entrepreneurs Makers and Artisans (PEMA) Foundation in Srinagar, sought to bring that less visible story to the centre. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who attended the ceremony, described the awards as a celebration not merely of individual artisans but of Jammu and Kashmir’s wider cultural prosperity. His remarks placed particular emphasis on women artisans, whose contribution often remains less visible despite their role in several stages of the craft process. “The true prosperity of a society is reflected in the artistry of its weavers and craftswomen,” Sinha said, stressing that the value of Kashmir’s craft economy cannot be measured only through production figures or exports. At a time when traditional crafts are navigating changing consumer preferences, competition from machine-made products, evolving markets and the need to provide sustainable livelihoods to younger generations, the question facing Kashmir is not simply how to preserve Pashmina, but how to make its preservation economically meaningful for the people who produce it. That makes recognition of artisans more than a ceremonial exercise.

The People Behind The Pashmina Label: Every Pashmina shawl represents a chain of specialised skills. The transformation of raw fibre into a finished product involves knowledge that has traditionally moved from one generation to another. The Lieutenant Governor described every Pashmina shawl, Kani product and Sozni embroidery as “a living heritage”, shaped by patience and devotion. That description points to an important distinction between a craft and a commodity. A commodity can be mass-produced and replaced. A traditional craft depends on human knowledge accumulated over decades. Once that knowledge disappears from a community, rebuilding it can be extremely difficult.

For Kashmir, This Makes Artisans An Important Cultural Resource As Well As An Economic One: The Pashmina tradition is particularly significant because its reputation rests on craftsmanship. The value of a genuine handmade product is connected not merely to the raw material but to the time, precision and expertise invested in transforming it into something that carries an identifiable Kashmiri character. This is also why authenticity has become increasingly important. The Government has said that 18 crafts in Jammu and Kashmir have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) tags, while a QR-based authentication system has also been developed. Such mechanisms can potentially help consumers distinguish genuine products from imitations and, in turn, strengthen the market position of artisans. But certification alone cannot secure the future of a craft. The artisan at the end of the production chain must also receive a fair share of the value generated by the final product.

Women At The Centre Of An Old Tradition: One of the defining features of this year’s awards was the focus on women artisans. For generations, women’s contribution to Kashmir’s handicraft economy has often remained within homes and communities, rather than receiving the same public visibility accorded to finished products, traders or brands. Sinha said women artisans are “the silent creators, its custodians and its heartbeat” of the Pashmina tradition. The emphasis is significant because preserving traditional craftsmanship increasingly depends on recognising the people who possess these skills. Women are involved in different stages of the production process, including embroidery and other forms of value addition. Their labour contributes directly to the distinctive character of Kashmiri products, yet the economic value of such work can be difficult to measure when it takes place within household-based production systems.

Greater Recognition Can Therefore Serve Two Purposes: First, it can give artisans social visibility and dignity. Second, it can help create conditions in which traditional skills become economically attractive to younger members of artisan families. If the next generation sees craftsmanship only as low-paid and insecure work, traditional skills may gradually disappear despite their cultural importance. But if craftsmanship provides recognition, stable income, access to markets, social security and opportunities for innovation, it can become a viable livelihood rather than merely a heritage occupation.

Fair Remuneration Is Central To Preservation: The Lieutenant Governor assured artisans of the Government of India’s commitment in four broad areas, beginning with fair remuneration and protection of GI tags. The emphasis on remuneration is perhaps the most important part of the conversation around traditional crafts. There is often a contradiction in the heritage economy: consumers may pay premium prices for products marketed as handmade and traditional, while the person who actually creates the product may receive only a fraction of the final value. Addressing this gap requires stronger connections between artisans and markets. Digital platforms, exhibitions, direct-to-consumer models and organised producer groups can potentially reduce the distance between the maker and the buyer. They can also allow artisans to understand changing consumer preferences and receive better returns from specialised products. The Government’s assurance of expanding access to global markets through e-commerce, exhibitions and digital platforms therefore has relevance beyond promotion. For artisans, market access can determine whether a traditional skill remains economically sustainable. A product may have immense cultural value, but unless there is a dependable market willing to pay for the skill and time involved, cultural recognition alone cannot sustain the artisan community.

Technology Can Protect Tradition Rather Than Replace It: There is sometimes an assumption that modernisation and traditional craftsmanship are contradictory. The experience of Pashmina suggests otherwise. Technology can be used to strengthen traditional production without replacing the human skill that gives handmade products their character. Digital authentication, for example, can help establish provenance. E-commerce can connect artisans with customers outside Kashmir. Social media can allow craftspeople and small enterprises to tell the story behind their products. Digital catalogues can help preserve patterns and designs. Similarly, modern design training can help artisans respond to changing consumer preferences without abandoning traditional techniques. The challenge is to ensure that innovation remains an instrument in the artisan’s hands rather than a substitute for the artisan. That balance will become increasingly important as younger consumers seek products that combine tradition with contemporary design.

“The PEMA Foundation has previously organised editions of the awards in 2023 and 2025. The 2026 edition, according to the Lieutenant Governor, marks a milestone because of its special focus on women artisans…”

A Calibrated Response Rather Than An Open-Ended Conflict: A central feature of the official description of Operation Sindoor has been calibration. The initial Defence Ministry statement explicitly characterised the action as measured and non-escalatory. That distinction matters because military action against terrorist infrastructure across an international boundary or in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir carries the risk of escalation. The challenge for policymakers is consequently twofold: demonstrate the capacity and willingness to respond to terrorism while preventing an individual counter-terrorism operation from automatically developing into a broader conventional conflict. The Government’s framing of Operation Sindoor emphasised this balance. The objective was presented as targeting terrorist infrastructure while maintaining limits on the scope of the operation. This represents one of the more significant strategic questions for India’s future counter-terrorism policy: how to retain credible deterrence while keeping escalation under control.

The Role Of Technology: Technology has increasingly become central to India’s counter-terrorism architecture. The Government’s account of Operation Sindoor highlighted indigenous systems and multi-domain capabilities, pointing to drones, air-defence systems and electronic warfare. This technological transition has implications beyond a single operation. The battlefield is changing rapidly. Drones have become relatively inexpensive and widely accessible. Artificial intelligence can assist in analysing large volumes of information. Satellite imagery can improve situational awareness. Electronic warfare can disrupt communications and sensors. At the same time, terrorist organisations can also exploit technology.

This means that technological superiority cannot be treated as a permanent advantage. It requires continuous investment, innovation and adaptation. For India, the emphasis on indigenous defence technology also connects counter-terrorism with the larger objective of defence self-reliance.

From Military Response To A Broader Security Architecture: The evolution described by Modi is not confined to military operations. Counter-terrorism also involves diplomacy, intelligence cooperation, financial tracking, border management and disruption of recruitment networks. The Government’s post-Pahalgam response included diplomatic and economic measures directed at Pakistan, alongside military action. The broader strategy indicates that terrorism is increasingly being treated as a multi-dimensional security challenge. A terrorist organisation does not operate only from a physical camp. It can rely on financing, recruitment, propaganda, logistics and cross-border networks. Consequently, dismantling the physical infrastructure is only one part of the longer-term challenge. Sustained counter-terrorism requires preventing the rebuilding of those networks.

Evolution In India’s Counter-Terror Response Has A Direct Local Significance: For Jammu and Kashmir, the evolution in India’s counter-terror response has a direct local significance. The region has remained at the centre of the cross-border terrorism challenge for decades, while civilians have repeatedly borne the consequences of violence. The Pahalgam attack demonstrated that terrorism continues to have consequences not only for security personnel but also for civilians and the region’s tourism-dependent economy. The response to such attacks therefore has implications beyond the battlefield. Security, tourism, investment, employment and public confidence are interconnected. A reduction in terrorist violence can potentially create greater space for economic activity and normal civic life, although security outcomes depend on a range of factors and cannot be attributed to military operations alone. For Kashmir, the larger objective remains the creation of an environment in which terrorism loses the ability to disrupt civilian life. The central argument advanced by Modi in Mann Ki Baat was that India’s responses since 2016 have communicated a different threshold for dealing with terrorism. The Government’s own later assessment described the 2016 surgical strikes, Balakot and Operation Sindoor as marking a shift towards swift, calibrated responses to cross-border terrorism. The strategic purpose of such a policy is deterrence: creating uncertainty for those planning terrorist attacks about the consequences that may follow. But deterrence is difficult to measure directly. The absence of a particular attack cannot automatically be attributed to any single military operation. Terrorist organisations can also alter tactics, geography and methods in response to counter-measures. What can be observed, however, is the evolution of India’s declared policy and the range of capabilities it has demonstrated.

The Human Cost Remains The Starting Point: Amid discussions of strikes, technology and strategic doctrine, the human cost of terrorism remains the central reason for counter-terrorism efforts. Prime Minister Modi recalled the September 13, 2008 Delhi blasts and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, as well as the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. He noted that Indians were among the victims of 9/11 and paid tribute to those killed. The remembrance serves as a reminder that counter-terrorism policy ultimately concerns the protection of civilian life. The Pahalgam attack reinforced that reality. The victims were not military personnel engaged in combat. They were civilians whose lives were abruptly taken by terrorism. The response, therefore, has a dual purpose: preventing further attacks while preserving the space for ordinary people to live, travel, work and pursue their livelihoods without fear.

A Decade Of Evolution—And The Next Challenge: Ten years after the 2016 surgical strikes, the trajectory highlighted by Modi runs through three major milestones: the cross-LoC action of 2016, the Balakot airstrike of 2019 and Operation Sindoor of 2025.

Kashmir Horizon View: The common thread has been the government’s stated intention to respond more directly to terrorist infrastructure and to combine military capability with intelligence and technological capacity. Operation Sindoor added another layer by demonstrating the importance of jointness, precision systems and indigenous defence technologies, according to official accounts. The next stage will require sustaining these capabilities while ensuring that counter-terrorism remains precise, intelligence-led and focused on protecting civilians. The challenge is also to ensure that military capability is complemented by prevention: stronger intelligence networks, effective border security, disruption of terrorist financing, international cooperation and efforts to prevent radicalisation and recruitment. India’s counter-terrorism experience over the past decade thus points to a broader lesson. Security policy is no longer defined only by what happens after an attack. It increasingly depends on the ability to anticipate threats, identify networks, use technology intelligently, coordinate across institutions and respond proportionately when violence occurs. From the surgical strikes of 2016 to Operation Sindoor, the language of India’s counter-terrorism policy has changed significantly. The enduring objective, however, remains much simpler: to ensure that terrorism does not dictate the lives of India’s citizens.

That is ultimately the measure against which any security doctrine has to be viewed—not merely the reach of its weapons, but its ability to protect lives, preserve stability and create greater confidence in the country’s capacity to confront the threat.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

The launch of the book “Sardar Patel and Kashmir: The Untold History”  in Srinagar has brought the constitutional history of Jammu Kashmir, particularly the legacy of Article 370, back into the centre of public discussion. Launching the book on September 22, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha described the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019 as the fulfilment of what he termed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s “unfinished dream”. He said the constitutional changes had opened new possibilities in education, employment, entrepreneurship and development for the youth of Jammu Kashmir and placed the Union Territory at the threshold of what he described as a new future. The remarks gave the book launch a significance extending beyond the publication itself. At its heart was a larger question: how should the political and constitutional transformation of Jammu Kashmir since 2019 be understood, and what does the legacy of Sardar Patel mean for the region’s future? Article 370 had for decades been one of the defining constitutional features of Jammu Kashmir. The provision created special constitutional arrangements for the erstwhile state and governed the manner in which provisions of the Indian Constitution were extended to it. In August 2019, the Union government issued Constitutional Orders 272 and 273, while Parliament enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The latter reorganised the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Supreme Court, in its December 2023 judgment, upheld the constitutional changes relating to Article 370 and held that the Constitution of India was fully applicable to Jammu Kashmir. For LG Sinha, the post-2019 phase represents an opportunity to move the region’s public conversation from the constitutional question that dominated much of its recent history towards development, opportunity, peace and empowerment. That transition is now increasingly being presented as the next chapter in Jammu Kashmir’s journey.

Article 370| From Constitutional Arrangement To Historical Turning Point: The story of Article 370 is inseparable from the complicated circumstances under which Jammu Kashmir became part of India in 1947. Unlike many other princely states, Jammu Kashmir’s accession occurred in the context of conflict and a rapidly changing political environment. The subsequent constitutional relationship between the state and the Union evolved through Article 370 and a series of Presidential Orders. Over the decades, the provision became a major point of political debate. Supporters of the earlier arrangement viewed it as an important constitutional expression of Jammu Kashmir’s distinctive circumstances, while successive governments and political groups debated its scope, permanence and implications for integration. The 2019 changes fundamentally altered that constitutional framework. The Supreme Court’s judgment of December 2023 is particularly important in understanding the legal status of the transformation. The Court recorded that Constitutional Orders 272 and 273 had the effect of applying the entire Constitution of India to Jammu Kashmir and abrogating Article 370 as it stood before those orders. It also upheld the constitutional validity of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, subject to the directions contained in its judgment. Thus, what had once been a defining constitutional distinction is now part of a new legal and administrative framework. It is this change that Sinha described at the book launch as consigning the “era of Article 370” to history. His interpretation is that the change has created a new starting point for Jammu Kashmir—one in which political energy can increasingly be directed towards economic development, social opportunity and institution-building.

Why Patel’s Legacy Enters The Article 370 Debate: The choice of Sardar Patel as the central figure of the new book gives the Article 370 discussion a historical dimension. Patel was one of the principal figures responsible for the integration of princely states into the Indian Union after Independence. As Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, he worked closely with V.P. Menon during a period when the political map of newly independent India was still taking shape. The integration of hundreds of princely states was among the most consequential tasks facing the new government. At the Srinagar event, Sinha described Patel as the “architect of modern India” and credited his determination, organisational ability and practical approach with helping bring 562 princely states into a united country. The LG’s central argument was that Patel’s vision of national unity has contemporary relevance for Jammu Kashmir. He went further, saying that had Patel been given responsibility for Jammu Kashmir, some of the problems endured by its people for decades might not have arisen. That is Sinha’s historical assessment, rather than an established counterfactual, but it reflects the central argument he sought to draw from Patel’s legacy. The new book consequently provides a platform for examining Patel’s position on Kashmir and the circumstances surrounding the region’s integration.

2019 As A New Constitutional Chapter: For Jammu Kashmir, August 2019 represented a decisive institutional break with the previous constitutional arrangement. The Union government presented the changes as a measure to bring Jammu Kashmir fully into the constitutional and administrative framework applicable elsewhere in India. The reorganisation also altered the region’s administrative structure. The ertwhile state was divided into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, with a legislature, and Ladakh, without a legislature. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act received presidential assent on August 9, 2019. The Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling subsequently became an important legal milestone in determining the constitutional validity of the changes. For the administration in Jammu Kashmir, the importance of this legal and constitutional settlement lies in what it believes should follow from it. The argument is that once the long-standing constitutional dispute has been substantially settled, greater attention can be directed towards governance and development. That is why Sinha connected Article 370 with education, employment, entrepreneurship and infrastructure rather than treating the issue purely as a question of constitutional history.

From constitutional integration To Economic Integration: The next stage of the Jammu Kashmir story is increasingly being framed around economic integration. Constitutional integration establishes a legal relationship, but economic integration depends on whether people, businesses and institutions are able to participate fully in wider markets and opportunities. This is where infrastructure becomes important. Road connectivity, railway expansion, digital networks, airports, logistics facilities and urban infrastructure can reduce the economic disadvantages associated with geography. For Jammu Kashmir, where difficult terrain has historically affected connectivity and transportation costs, infrastructure can have an especially significant multiplier effect.

A Road Does More Than Reduce Travel Time: It can allow farmers to reach markets faster, enable tourists to access new destinations, connect students with educational institutions, facilitate movement of goods and encourage private investment. The same principle applies to digital connectivity. A young entrepreneur in Kashmir can increasingly serve customers outside the region without physically relocating. Digital services, e-commerce, software, online education and creative industries can all expand the economic space available to young people. This is why Sinha’s emphasis on the digital economy and startup culture is significant.

“LG Sinha described the youth of Jammu Kashmir as the region’s “most valuable asset” and stressed the need to channel their energy towards nation-building.The emphasis represents a shift in the narrative.For years, much of the national conversation around Jammu Kashmir centred on security, terrorism, constitutional status and political uncertainty……..”

Artificial Intelligence Youth As The Bridge Between The Two Eras: The most important link between the history of Article 370 and the future of Jammu Kashmir may be its youth. A constitutional transformation has limited meaning unless it is reflected in the lives and opportunities of the next generation. Sinha described the youth of Jammu Kashmir as the region’s “most valuable asset” and stressed the need to channel their energy towards nation-building. The emphasis represents a shift in the narrative. For years, much of the national conversation around Jammu Kashmir centred on security, terrorism, constitutional status and political uncertainty. The emerging policy narrative increasingly seeks to place education, skills, startups, technology, tourism and employment alongside security concerns. This does not mean that security challenges have disappeared. Rather, the argument is that lasting stability requires economic and social opportunities as well. A young population needs more than political assurances. It needs high-quality education, employable skills, entrepreneurship opportunities, access to capital, modern infrastructure and the confidence to build its future locally.

The startup Opportunity: Jammu Kashmir’s economic structure has traditionally relied heavily on agriculture, horticulture, tourism, government employment and small businesses. These sectors remain important, but the digital economy offers an opportunity to diversify. Startups can operate in areas ranging from tourism technology and handicrafts to agriculture, logistics, education, healthcare and software. The region’s unique products and cultural assets can also be taken to national and international markets through digital platforms. The challenge will be to build an ecosystem around these ideas. Entrepreneurs require incubation facilities, mentorship, finance, skilled employees, reliable connectivity and access to customers. Universities and colleges can become important parts of this ecosystem by connecting research with commercial applications. Srinagar and Jammu, in particular, have the institutional base to develop stronger innovation ecosystems. Sinha’s vision of these cities as centres of education, trade and innovation therefore reflects an attempt to connect the post-2019 phase with a more diversified economic future.

Development As The Next Measure Of Integration: The strongest test of any new political or constitutional phase is ultimately development. For ordinary citizens, constitutional arrangements matter, but so do employment, healthcare, education, roads, electricity, tourism and household incomes. The post-2019 narrative will therefore increasingly be judged by measurable outcomes. If constitutional integration is accompanied by greater economic integration, more investment, improved infrastructure and wider employment opportunities, the changes will acquire a practical meaning in people’s lives. This is also why Sinha’s four priorities—peace, infrastructure and connectivity, youth empowerment, and cultural revival—are interconnected. A peaceful environment encourages investment. Infrastructure connects markets. Youth entrepreneurship generates employment. Cultural tourism creates opportunities while preserving identity. Together, these elements can form a broader development model.

Peace Remains The Foundation: Sinha placed peace and security at the top of his priorities, reiterating the administration’s policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism. For any development strategy in Jammu Kashmir, security remains a fundamental consideration. Tourism requires visitors to feel safe. Businesses require predictable conditions. Infrastructure projects require stability. Students and professionals need an environment in which they can pursue education and careers without disruption. At the same time, development can reinforce stability by giving young people greater economic opportunity and creating stronger links between communities and institutions. This makes peace and development mutually reinforcing rather than competing objectives. The broader challenge for governance is therefore to ensure that security measures, economic development and public services advance together.

Culture As A Source Of Strength: The fourth pillar highlighted by Sinha is cultural heritage. Jammu Kashmir possesses a distinctive cultural inheritance that includes historic architecture, crafts, literature, music, cuisine, pilgrimage traditions and diverse local practices. The post-Article 370 development narrative can incorporate this heritage not only as a tourism product but as an important component of social identity. Handicrafts and traditional industries provide livelihoods to thousands of families. Heritage tourism can create opportunities for local guides, artisans, hospitality providers and small businesses. Cultural preservation can also strengthen young people’s connection with their communities. In this sense, development does not necessarily mean replacing traditional identities with modern economic models. It can instead mean finding ways in which heritage becomes an asset within a modern economy.

A Fresh Examination Of History: The launch of Sardar Patel and Kashmir: The Untold History also raises an important question about how Jammu Kashmir’s history should be studied. Sinha called for historical narratives to be examined with honesty and impartiality and urged writers to treat history as a mirror of truth rather than an instrument of glorification. That approach is particularly relevant to Kashmir. The region’s modern history has been interpreted through different political perspectives, and several aspects remain contested among historians and political actors. A stronger engagement with archival material and primary sources can help broaden the debate. The value of historical research lies not necessarily in producing a single interpretation but in enabling citizens to understand why particular decisions were taken, what alternatives existed and what consequences followed. That becomes especially important when historical events continue to shape contemporary politics.

Patel’s Idea Of Unity And Today’s Jammu & Kashmir: The central theme of Patel’s legacy, as presented at the Srinagar event, is national unity. His integration of princely states created the territorial and administrative foundation of the Indian Union. Sinha’s argument is that the constitutional changes of 2019 should be viewed within this longer story of integration. The analogy has a clear political dimension, but it also offers a framework for considering what integration means beyond constitutional provisions. Modern integration is not simply territorial. It also involves economic participation, equal access to institutions, mobility, education, technology and opportunities. If Jammu Kashmir’s young people can participate fully in India’s expanding digital and entrepreneurial economy, integration acquires an economic dimension. If students can access educational opportunities across the country, it acquires a social dimension. If businesses in Jammu Kashmir can access national markets without structural barriers, it acquires a commercial dimension. And if the region’s cultural identity continues to flourish within this larger national framework, integration need not imply cultural uniformity. This is close to the idea Sinha invoked through “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”—unity alongside diversity.

Looking Beyond The Article 370 Debate:  The constitutional debate around Article 370 dominated Jammu Kashmir’s political discourse for generations. The 2019 changes and the Supreme Court’s 2023 judgment have now created a substantially different constitutional landscape. The challenge for the coming years is to move from constitutional settlement to institutional and economic consolidation. That means strengthening schools and universities, developing industries, improving healthcare, expanding tourism, encouraging entrepreneurship, building infrastructure and creating employment. It also means ensuring that young people see a future in which their ambitions can be realised within Jammu Kashmir. This is perhaps the most consequential shift in the narrative. The question is no longer only how Jammu Kashmir should be positioned constitutionally within India. It is increasingly about what kind of economy and society the region can build within that framework.

A New Chapter After A Long Constitutional Debate: The book launch has therefore provided an opportunity to connect three different periods of Jammu Kashmir’s history. The first is the period of Independence and the integration of princely states, in which Sardar Patel emerged as a central nation-builder. The second is the long constitutional era in which Article 370 became one of the defining features of Jammu Kashmir’s relationship with the Union. The third is the post-2019 period, in which the constitutional framework has been fundamentally altered and the region is being presented with a development-oriented future. Sinha’s message is that these three periods should not be viewed in isolation. For him, the legacy of Patel provides a historical lens through which the 2019 changes can be interpreted, while the post-2019 period should ultimately be judged by the opportunities it creates for the people of Jammu Kashmir. That makes development the most important next chapter.

From History To Opportunity: The lasting significance of the Article 370 transformation will ultimately depend on what Jammu Kashmir makes of the new constitutional environment. The region possesses considerable strengths: a highly educated youth population, internationally recognised tourism destinations, a strong horticulture sector, traditional handicrafts, an expanding infrastructure network and major educational institutions. Its geography, culture and natural resources can also support new economic opportunities. The task is to connect these strengths with modern markets. That requires investment, innovation and skills. It requires young people to become participants in the digital economy. It requires universities to become centres of research and entrepreneurship. It requires cities to become hubs of trade and innovation. And it requires rural areas to be connected to markets and services. This is where the post-370 narrative moves from politics to policy.

Kashmir Horizon View: At the Srinagar launch, Sinha described the book as a “lighthouse” illuminating Patel’s vision of a united and confident India. The metaphor is significant because the event was ultimately less about looking backwards than about drawing lessons for the future. Patel’s contribution to India’s integration belongs to history. Article 370’s constitutional journey has entered a new phase following the 2019 changes and the Supreme Court’s 2023 judgment. The next challenge is to ensure that Jammu Kashmir’s future is defined increasingly by peace, opportunity and development. The LG’s four priorities provide one such framework: security, connectivity, youth empowerment and cultural revival. Each addresses a different requirement of a modern economy and society. Together, they suggest a development model in which peace creates stability, infrastructure creates access, youth create innovation and culture creates identity and economic opportunity. For Jammu Kashmir, this could represent a significant transition—from a political narrative dominated for decades by constitutional questions towards one increasingly centred on human development. The history of Article 370 will continue to be studied and debated. So will the role of Sardar Patel in Jammu Kashmir’s early constitutional history. But the most important measure of the next chapter will be practical: whether young people find greater opportunities, whether businesses grow, whether infrastructure connects communities, whether tourism and traditional industries expand, and whether peace becomes sufficiently durable for development to take deeper root.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative on September 25, 2014, the central proposition was straightforward but ambitious: India should not merely be a large consumer market but should increasingly become a place where goods are designed, manufactured and exported to the world. Twelve years later, the initiative has evolved well beyond its original campaign identity. It has become an umbrella for a series of policy interventions aimed at attracting investment, expanding domestic manufacturing, improving infrastructure, supporting technology-intensive industries and integrating Indian companies into global value chains. Marking the completion of 12 years on September 25, Prime Minister Modi highlighted three broad outcomes of the initiative—“more made in India”, “more investment in India” and “more exports from India”—and said that the transformation was visible across sectors. The more significant story, however, lies not merely in the slogan but in how the manufacturing ecosystem has changed during this period. According to the government’s latest assessment, manufacturing Gross Value Added at constant prices recorded a compound annual growth rate of 10.88 per cent between 2022-23 and 2025-26 under the revised national accounts series. The manufacturing component of the Index of Industrial Production also grew 7 per cent during April-July 2026 compared with the corresponding period a year earlier. These figures suggest that the manufacturing push has acquired greater breadth, even as the larger objective of making India a globally competitive manufacturing base remains an ongoing process.

From An Initiative To An Industrial Policy Architecture: One of the important changes over the past 12 years has been the expansion of Make in India from a broad investment-promotion initiative into a wider policy architecture. Make in India 2.0 currently covers 27 sectors, including 15 manufacturing sectors and 12 services sectors. Alongside it, the government has introduced or expanded programmes such as the Production Linked Incentive scheme, National Single Window System, PM GatiShakti, the GIS-enabled Industrial Land Bank, Startup India, industrial parks, public procurement measures and initiatives to reduce compliance burdens. This matters because manufacturing competitiveness depends on more than factories. A company deciding to establish a production facility must consider land, logistics, power, skilled workers, taxation, access to suppliers, regulatory approvals, ports and roads, technology and the availability of a market. The policy approach of the past decade has increasingly attempted to address these interconnected requirements rather than treating manufacturing as an isolated activity. The Production Linked Incentive scheme represents perhaps the clearest example of this shift. Introduced across 14 strategic sectors, the scheme links incentives to incremental production and sales, encouraging companies to expand manufacturing capacity in India. By December 2025, the PLI framework had attracted more than Rs 2.16 lakh crore in investment, generated over Rs 20.41 lakh crore in incremental production and sales, and supported more than 14.39 lakh direct and indirect jobs, according to government data. By June 2026, the government reported that cumulative PLI investments had risen to Rs 2.6 lakh crore, with production and sales of Rs 23.8 lakh crore, exports exceeding Rs 15.5 lakh crore and 14.6 lakh jobs generated across the covered sectors. The figures illustrate how Make in India has increasingly relied on targeted industrial policy rather than a single incentive or program.

Electronics| Perhaps The Most Visible Transformation: Few sectors demonstrate the changing character of Indian manufacturing as clearly as electronics. In 2014-15, electronics production was valued at around Rs 1.9 lakh crore. By 2025-26, government data put electronics production at approximately Rs 13.11 lakh crore—nearly seven times the earlier level. Mobile-phone production increased from around Rs 18,900 crore to approximately Rs 6.3 lakh crore during the same period. India is now the world’s second-largest mobile-phone manufacturer by volume, according to the government’s latest Make in India assessment. The transformation is also reflected in export figures. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology data show that electronics production rose from Rs 6.41 lakh crore in 2021-22 to Rs 11.33 lakh crore in 2024-25. Electronics exports increased from Rs 1.17 lakh crore to Rs 3.27 lakh crore over the same period, registering a compound annual growth rate of about 40.9 per cent. More importantly, the sector is gradually moving beyond simple assembly. Government data on the PLI programme indicate that domestic manufacturing has expanded into printed circuit board assemblies, batteries, camera and display modules, enclosures and other sub-assemblies. The direction of this change is significant because the long-term value of manufacturing depends on the depth of the domestic supply chain, not simply on the final assembly of imported components.

The challenge ahead is therefore to deepen localisation further, bringing more components, design capabilities, semiconductor-related activities and high-value technologies into India’s production ecosystem.

Automobiles Show The Depth Of An Established Industrial Base: The automobile industry provides another important window into India’s manufacturing trajectory. India already possessed a substantial automotive industry before Make in India was launched. The significance of the past 12 years, therefore, is less about creating the sector from scratch and more about expanding its scale, technological capabilities, supply chains and export potential. According to the Ministry of Heavy Industries’ annual report, vehicle production in India increased from around two million units in 1991-92 to approximately 31 million units in 2024-25. The Indian automotive industry’s turnover is estimated at around $240 billion, or roughly Rs 20 lakh crore. The industry has also become an important destination for foreign investment and a major source of components and engineering capabilities. The next phase is increasingly linked to electric mobility, batteries, advanced chemistry cells and cleaner transportation technologies. These areas have been included within the broader manufacturing incentive framework, indicating that Make in India is being used not only to expand traditional manufacturing but also to position Indian industry for emerging technologies. That transition is particularly important because global manufacturing is being reshaped by electrification, automation, artificial intelligence and supply-chain diversification.

Defence Manufacturing|From Procurement To Production And Exports : Defence is another area where the domestic manufacturing base has expanded sharply. India’s defence production reached a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, according to government data. Defence exports increased from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 38,424 crore in 2025-26. Government figures state that Indian defence products are now being exported to more than 80 countries. The significance of this change extends beyond the export number. A domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem can create demand for engineering, electronics, materials, software, precision manufacturing and research. The government’s indigenization programmes have also sought to expand the role of domestic firms, startups and academic institutions. Since 2022-23, 25 per cent of the defence research and development budget has been opened to industry, startups and academia, according to the Ministry of Defence data cited by the government. This reflects a broader movement from a procurement-centred model towards a more integrated defence industrial ecosystem.

Investment As A Critical Pillar: The second part of the Prime Minister’s September 25 message—“more investment in India”—is equally important. India received cumulative FDI inflows of approximately $843 billion between financial years 2014-15 and 2025-26, according to government data. The figure represents a substantial increase over the preceding 12-year period. FDI inflows in 2025-26 were reported at a record $94.53 billion. Manufacturing has been an important component of this investment story. Government data put manufacturing FDI equity inflows between April 2014 and March 2025 at $184.15 billion. Total FDI inflows during 2014-25 were reported at $748.78 billion. The significance of FDI for Make in India is not limited to the capital it brings. Foreign investment can bring technology, managerial practices, supplier networks and access to international markets. When foreign companies manufacture in India and source increasingly from Indian suppliers, the potential impact extends beyond the individual factory.The policy challenge is to ensure that investment creates deeper domestic value addition, technology transfer, employment and local supply chains.

Exports Provide The Global Test: The third pillar highlighted by the Prime Minister is exports.India’s total merchandise and services exports were estimated at $860.09 billion in 2025-26, compared with $825.26 billion in 2024-25, an increase of about 4.22 per cent. Manufacturing exports are particularly important to the Make in India proposition because the ultimate test of an industrial strategy is whether products made domestically can compete in global markets on quality, price, reliability and delivery. Electronics and defence offer two examples of changing export profiles, while pharmaceuticals, automobiles, engineering goods, textiles and chemicals remain important parts of India’s export basket. The emerging pattern is therefore not a single-sector transformation but a gradual diversification of India’s manufacturing and export base.

“Since 2022-23, 25 per cent of the defence research and development budget has been opened to industry, startups and academia, according to the Ministry of Defence data cited by the government.….”

The Green Manufacturing And The Next Industrial Frontier: The next phase of Make in India is also being shaped by the global energy transition. Solar manufacturing has expanded considerably, with India reaching 100 GW of solar photovoltaic module manufacturing capacity under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers framework in 2025, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Advanced batteries, electric vehicles, renewable-energy equipment and green technologies are increasingly becoming part of the industrial policy conversation. This could become an important dimension of India’s manufacturing strategy because global investment decisions are increasingly influenced by supply-chain resilience as well as environmental considerations. India’s opportunity lies in combining its large domestic market with manufacturing capacity that can serve international demand for cleaner technologies.

Beyond Factories| Infra, Logistics: Manufacturing cannot expand sustainably without infrastructure. Over the past decade, the government’s industrial strategy has therefore been accompanied by initiatives such as PM GatiShakti, the National Logistics Policy, industrial corridors, industrial parks and the National Single Window System. The objective is to reduce the time and cost involved in moving goods and establishing industrial units. This is an important but less visible aspect of the Make in India story. A modern manufacturing economy depends on the efficiency of the entire chain—from raw material and component suppliers to factories, warehouses, ports, airports, roads and final markets.The growing emphasis on integrated infrastructure planning reflects an understanding that competitiveness is determined by the entire production ecosystem.

The MSME Dimension: Large factories often receive the most attention, but India’s manufacturing ecosystem is heavily dependent on micro, small and medium enterprises. MSMEs supply components, provide specialised services and form the backbone of several industrial clusters. Their integration into larger domestic and global value chains is therefore critical. The long-term impact of Make in India will depend partly on whether smaller enterprises can adopt modern technology, access affordable finance, improve quality standards and become reliable suppliers to large Indian and multinational companies. The spread of digital systems, formalisation and new procurement mechanisms has created additional opportunities, but financing, technology adoption and scale remain important areas requiring continued attention.

The Unfinished Agenda: The 12-year journey also makes clear that manufacturing transformation is a long-term project rather than a completed destination. India’s manufacturing sector still needs deeper domestic supply chains, greater research and development, stronger technology capabilities and higher productivity. The country also needs to increase its participation in sophisticated global value chains where design, intellectual property and advanced components account for a larger share of value. Employment is another important dimension. Higher manufacturing output does not automatically translate into proportionately higher employment. Automation and modern production methods can raise productivity while limiting the number of workers required for individual production lines. The broader objective, therefore, is to create an ecosystem in which manufacturing expansion generates jobs not only inside factories but also across logistics, services, supplier networks, maintenance, design and technology. Skill development will consequently remain central to the next phase.

Kashmir Horizon View: The most significant feature of the Make in India journey may ultimately be the changing definition of what it means to manufacture in India. In its initial phase, the emphasis was strongly associated with attracting companies and encouraging production. Over time, the agenda has widened to include domestic components, strategic technologies, research and development, startups, infrastructure, exports, supply-chain resilience and integration with global markets. The Government’s latest assessment describes this transition as a movement from simply producing more goods towards building the skills, technology and capacity required to create greater value domestically and compete internationally. The numbers provide evidence of substantial expansion in several areas: electronics production has multiplied, defence exports have risen sharply, pharmaceutical and medical-device investments have grown, FDI has expanded and PLI-supported sectors have recorded significant investment, production and employment. At the same time, these figures also point towards the scale of the next challenge. The question for the coming decade is increasingly not whether India can manufacture, but how much value it can create through manufacturing—and how deeply Indian firms can participate in global technology and supply chains. Twelve years after its launch, Make in India has therefore moved from being principally an investment invitation to becoming part of a broader industrial strategy. The journey from assembling products to designing, developing and exporting them at scale will determine the next chapter. For India, the opportunity is substantial: a large domestic market, a growing industrial base, expanding infrastructure, a sizeable workforce and an increasingly diversified manufacturing ecosystem. The first twelve years have built much of the foundation. The next phase will be about depth—more domestic value addition, more technology, stronger supply chains, greater productivity and a larger presence in global markets.That is ultimately where the longer-term significance of “Make in India” will be measured.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

India’s semiconductor journey has entered a new and significant phase, with the country rapidly emerging as an important destination for semiconductor manufacturing, chip design, advanced packaging, research and technology innovation. The inauguration of SEMICON India 2026 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on September 17 marked another milestone in this journey. The fifth edition of the event brought together global semiconductor companies, technology leaders, investors, researchers, start-ups and policymakers, reflecting the growing international interest in India’s semiconductor ambitions. The transformation underway is part of a broader national effort to build a technology-driven manufacturing ecosystem and strengthen India’s position in global supply chains. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister underlined the rapid expansion of India’s semiconductor ecosystem and said it was creating new opportunities for innovation, investment and economic growth. He also emphasised the growing confidence of the international community in India’s economy and its manufacturing capabilities. The semiconductor push comes at a time when chips have become fundamental to almost every modern technology. Smartphones, automobiles, telecommunications equipment, defence systems, artificial intelligence infrastructure, medical devices and consumer electronics all depend on semiconductors.As demand for these technologies expands, India is positioning itself to participate across the semiconductor value chain.

From Policy To Production : India’s semiconductor programme has developed rapidly since the launch of the India Semiconductor Mission in 2022. What began with policy formulation, investment proposals and project planning has progressively moved towards manufacturing and commercial production. The Prime Minister highlighted this evolution during his SEMICON India address, noting that semiconductor projects had progressed from initial discussions to project implementation, pilot lines and commercial production. The commencement of commercial production represents an important stage in India’s technology journey. The country is now developing capabilities not only in semiconductor manufacturing but also in chip design, assembly, testing, packaging, equipment, materials and supporting infrastructure. According to government information, five semiconductor manufacturing plants have commenced commercial production, creating a growing foundation for the country’s semiconductor ecosystem. The development is significant because semiconductor manufacturing requires a sophisticated industrial environment involving highly specialised equipment, precision engineering, clean-room facilities, advanced materials, specialised gases, uninterrupted power and highly trained technical personnel. The emergence of these capabilities is creating opportunities for companies across multiple sectors. Semiconductor manufacturing is therefore becoming a catalyst for a much wider industrial transformation.

Semicon 2.0 Expands The Ambition: The next phase of this journey is being driven by Semicon 2.0, approved with an outlay of ₹1.275 lakh crore. The second phase expands the scope of India’s semiconductor strategy and focuses on building a comprehensive ecosystem covering design, machines and materials, additional fabrication facilities, advanced packaging, research and development and talent. This broader approach reflects the changing nature of the semiconductor industry. A modern chip ecosystem is not limited to a fabrication plant. It includes a network of designers, manufacturers, equipment suppliers, materials companies, packaging and testing facilities, research institutions, universities, start-ups and technology companies. India is now working to develop these interconnected capabilities. The objective is to ensure that the semiconductor ecosystem grows across the value chain, creating opportunities for both large global companies and Indian enterprises. The Prime Minister specifically called upon industry leaders involved in equipment, chemicals, gases and materials to participate in this emerging opportunity. With twelve projects already approved under the semiconductor program and demand for electronics and digital technologies continuing to expand, the supporting industries are expected to become an increasingly important part of India’s manufacturing landscape.

A Growing Opportunity For Indian Companies: One of the most promising aspects of India’s semiconductor strategy is the opportunity it creates for domestic companies. The expansion of semiconductor manufacturing can generate demand for precision engineering, industrial automation, specialised chemicals, gases, electronic components, testing equipment, logistics and other industrial services. This can encourage the growth of a new generation of technology-oriented manufacturing companies. The ecosystem can also create opportunities for start-ups working on specialised semiconductor technologies. The Government has been supporting the development of fabless semiconductor companies and encouraging Indian entrepreneurs to develop intellectual property and innovative chip designs. This is particularly important because chip design is an area where India already possesses considerable engineering strength. Indian engineers have for years contributed to semiconductor design and research for global technology companies. The emerging domestic ecosystem provides an opportunity to apply this expertise to Indian-designed products and technologies. According to Government data, more than 100 semiconductor design start-ups are being supported under the national semiconductor initiative. The growth of these companies can strengthen India’s position in the global chip-design landscape while creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs and engineers.

From Talent To Technology: India’s demographic strength is one of the major foundations of its semiconductor ambitions. The country has one of the world’s largest pools of engineering talent, with thousands of young engineers graduating every year from institutions across the country. The semiconductor industry provides an opportunity to channel this talent into one of the most technologically advanced sectors of the global economy. The Government has therefore placed significant emphasis on specialised training. The Prime Minister said that around 70,000 engineering students had already been trained in semiconductor design, with an ambitious target of training one lakh students. This expanding talent pool could become a major asset for companies establishing operations in India. The focus is not limited to classroom education. Students are increasingly being exposed to chip-design tools and real-world semiconductor projects. The Prime Minister recalled receiving custom-designed chips developed by students, illustrating the growing interest among young engineers in semiconductor technology. Such initiatives can help create a strong culture of innovation from universities and technical institutions. India’s young researchers are also being encouraged to contribute to advanced technology development. The Prime Minister urged Indian researchers working domestically as well as talented researchers working abroad to participate in the country’s technological development. The message reflects an ambition to connect India’s global scientific talent with the country’s expanding technology ecosystem.

Strengthening Research And Development: Research and development will remain central to India’s semiconductor ambitions. The semiconductor industry evolves continuously, with every generation of chips requiring advances in architecture, materials, power efficiency, packaging and manufacturing processes. India’s growing research institutions and engineering talent provide an opportunity to contribute to this technological evolution. The Prime Minister also called upon industry leaders to spearhead R&D in India, emphasising that stronger industry-led research would benefit both companies and young Indian researchers. Greater collaboration between universities, research institutions, start-ups and industry can create new opportunities for innovation. It can also help convert academic research into commercial technologies. The growing semiconductor ecosystem provides a new platform for researchers working in areas such as artificial intelligence, photonics, advanced materials, electronics, thermal management and high-performance computing. Silicon photonics, highlighted by the Prime Minister, is one such emerging area. As AI and high-performance computing expand, technologies capable of moving large volumes of data efficiently will become increasingly important. India’s semiconductor ecosystem can therefore participate in technological areas extending well beyond traditional chip manufacturing.

“The objective is to ensure that the semiconductor ecosystem grows across the value chain, creating opportunities for both large global companies and Indian enterprises. PM Modi specifically called upon industry leaders involved in equipment, chemicals, gases and materials to participate in this emerging opportunity..…..”

PM Modi’s AI Opportunity:  Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the global technology landscape and creating a new wave of demand for advanced computing infrastructure. AI systems require powerful processors, specialised accelerators, high-bandwidth memory and advanced packaging technologies.The rapid expansion of AI is consequently creating new opportunities for semiconductor manufacturers and designers. India’s semiconductor strategy is being developed alongside its broader ambitions in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. The country’s large technology workforce, expanding data-centre ecosystem and rapidly growing digital economy provide a strong domestic market for advanced computing technologies. The semiconductor and AI ecosystems can reinforce each other. More advanced semiconductor capabilities can support India’s AI ambitions, while the growth of AI can create additional demand for chips, computing infrastructure and specialised technologies. This creates the possibility of a virtuous cycle in which manufacturing, research, design and digital applications grow together.

Energy infra As A Technology Foundation : Another important element of India’s semiconductor strategy is the expansion of energy infrastructure. Semiconductor manufacturing and advanced computing require reliable and uninterrupted electricity. India is therefore expanding its energy capacity alongside its technology ambitions. The Prime Minister highlighted the country’s rapidly growing renewable energy capacity, including solar power, while also pointing to the opening of the nuclear energy sector to private participation and the development of small modular reactors. The expansion of renewable and nuclear energy can provide an increasingly diversified power base for India’s industrial development. For semiconductor facilities, reliable energy availability is not simply an infrastructure requirement; it is part of the foundation on which high-value manufacturing depends. The integration of energy planning with industrial and technology policy can therefore strengthen India’s attractiveness as a manufacturing destination.

A Trusted Destination For Global Companies: India’s semiconductor ambitions are unfolding against a global transformation in manufacturing. Companies around the world are looking to diversify their supply chains and establish manufacturing capabilities in multiple locations. India is seeking to become an important part of this global diversification. The Prime Minister described India as a country preparing to meet the world’s demand for new and trusted manufacturing destinations. India’s large domestic market provides an additional advantage. The country is already one of the world’s largest markets for smartphones, automobiles, digital services and electronic products. As electronics consumption grows, the domestic market itself can support semiconductor and component manufacturing. The combination of domestic demand and access to global markets can create a strong foundation for semiconductor companies operating in India. The country’s improving infrastructure, expanding electronics manufacturing base and growing pool of technical talent further strengthen this opportunity.

Building A Complete Ecosystem: The central idea emerging from SEMICON India 2026 is that India’s semiconductor ambition extends beyond manufacturing individual chips. The larger objective is to create a complete ecosystem. This includes chip design at one end, manufacturing and fabrication at another, and advanced packaging, testing, equipment, materials and system integration connecting the entire chain. Such an ecosystem can generate employment at multiple skill levels. It can create opportunities for engineers, researchers, technicians, entrepreneurs, manufacturing professionals and specialised service providers. It can also encourage new academic programmes and research initiatives. As more companies establish operations in India, knowledge and expertise can spread across the wider industrial ecosystem. The resulting capabilities can support other sectors as well. Automobiles, telecommunications, consumer electronics, defence technology, medical devices and industrial automation can all benefit from a stronger domestic semiconductor ecosystem. In this way, semiconductor development can become a foundation for broader technological and industrial growth.

India’s Growing Global Role: The semiconductor initiative also reflects India’s broader evolution as a technology and manufacturing economy. Over the past decade, India has expanded its digital infrastructure, electronics manufacturing, renewable energy capacity and technology start-up ecosystem. The semiconductor programme adds another important layer to this transformation. The Prime Minister linked the semiconductor journey with India’s wider economic growth and increasing international confidence. He pointed to recent economic milestones, infrastructure development and India’s growing international engagement as indicators of the country’s expanding capabilities. The semiconductor industry now provides another avenue through which India can strengthen its participation in high-technology global supply chains. The opportunity extends beyond attracting foreign investment. It includes creating Indian intellectual property, nurturing domestic companies, developing specialised talent and establishing research capabilities that can contribute to the next generation of technologies.

A Long-Term Technology Journey: India’s semiconductor ambitions are part of a long-term journey. The establishment of manufacturing facilities provides the physical foundation. The expansion of chip-design companies creates intellectual capability. The development of suppliers builds industrial depth. Talent programmes create the workforce, while R&D provides the technological foundation for future generations. Semicon 2.0 brings these elements together under a broader national framework. The Prime Minister’s address at SEMICON India 2026 therefore presented India’s semiconductor development as an opportunity extending across technology, manufacturing, research, entrepreneurship and employment. The country’s message to global industry is increasingly clear: India wants to participate in the semiconductor industry not merely as a market, but as a producer, designer, researcher and technology partner. The coming years are expected to see greater integration between India’s semiconductor ecosystem and its rapidly expanding electronics and digital economy. With commercial production already beginning, new projects progressing, design start-ups expanding and thousands of young engineers receiving specialised training, the foundations for this transformation are steadily taking shape. The semiconductor sector can become an important pillar of India’s ambition to build a technologically advanced and manufacturing-driven economy.

Kashmir Horizon View: From the first policy discussions in 2022 to commercial production today, India’s semiconductor journey has moved at considerable speed. With Semicon 2.0 now expanding the ecosystem towards design, advanced packaging, materials, equipment, research and talent, the next chapter promises to be even broader. For India’s young engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs, this represents a new frontier. For global companies, it represents an expanding technology and manufacturing destination. And for India, it represents an opportunity to build capabilities that can shape not only the country’s electronics industry but its wider position in the global technology economy. The semiconductor story is therefore becoming a story of India’s broader technological transformation — one in which chips are not the destination, but the foundation for a much larger ecosystem of innovation, manufacturing and opportunity.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

The appointment of 29 officers to the Jammu Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Service marks more than the beginning of new careers for a group of young professionals. It represents the entry of a new generation into an institution whose responsibilities extend from maintaining public order and protecting citizens to upholding the rule of law and strengthening public confidence in governance. At a ceremony in Srinagar, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha handed over appointment letters to the newly selected officers and described the documents as symbols of the trust placed by the people of Jammu Kashmir in those who have chosen a career in public service. The occasion brought together two important themes shaping Jammu Kashmir’s administrative and security landscape: merit-based opportunities for its young population and the continuing professionalisation of its policing institutions. For the newly appointed officers, the appointment letters mark the culmination of a demanding selection process conducted by the Jammu Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). For the administration, the occasion represents another step towards creating a professional cadre of officers equipped to respond to the changing requirements of policing and public service. The Lieutenant Governor’s message to the officers was therefore centred not only on their achievement but on the responsibilities that accompany it.

A Career Built On Merit: The selection of officers through a transparent competitive process is an important element of modern public administration. The Lieutenant Governor congratulated the newly appointed officers on successfully completing an intense selection process and praised the JKPSC for maintaining fairness, impartiality and credibility. He described the recruitment process as part of a broader transformation in employment opportunities since 2019, particularly for young people from ordinary families. The significance of merit-based recruitment extends beyond the individuals who receive appointment letters. When public employment is determined through transparent competitive examinations, it creates an opportunity for young people from different social and economic backgrounds to compete on the basis of their education, preparation and ability. The Lieutenant Governor referred to examples of candidates from families of vegetable vendors and labourers securing government positions through talent and hard work. Such examples carry a wider message for young people across Jammu Kashmir: professional achievement can be built through education, perseverance and competitive excellence. The JKPS cadre, in this context, becomes not only a professional service but also an avenue through which the region’s educated youth can contribute directly to public institutions. The appointment of the 29 officers thus carries significance both for policing and for the wider culture of public service.

From Selection To Service: The appointment letter marks the beginning rather than the conclusion of the officers’ journey.Before assuming their full responsibilities, the newly appointed officers will undergo mandatory police training designed to prepare them for the operational, administrative and ethical dimensions of their profession. Police training is particularly important because modern policing requires much more than physical preparedness.Officers have to understand criminal law, investigation procedures, technology, cybercrime, intelligence gathering, community engagement, human rights, disaster response and crisis management. They also have to develop leadership qualities because gazetted officers frequently operate at the intersection of public administration, policing and community concerns. The transition from an examination hall to a police academy therefore represents a transition from academic preparation to professional responsibility. The Lieutenant Governor reminded the officers that the uniform would bring with it authority, but that authority would have to be exercised with integrity and compassion. This balance between authority and human sensitivity is central to the modern understanding of policing. A police officer is often the first representative of the state encountered by a citizen during moments of crisis, distress or uncertainty. The manner in which officers respond can therefore shape public perceptions of the entire institution.Professionalism, accessibility and fairness can strengthen confidence, while disciplined conduct can reinforce respect for the law. The new officers have consequently been entrusted with a role that combines enforcement with service.

Guardians Of Peace And Public Confidence: The Lieutenant Governor described the newly appointed officers as future guardians of peace, dignity and justice. The phrase reflects the broadening responsibilities of policing in a changing environment. Traditional policing responsibilities remain important, but the nature of security challenges has evolved considerably.Technology has changed crime, communication and financial systems. Criminal networks can increasingly operate across jurisdictions and use digital platforms to coordinate activities. The Lieutenant Governor specifically referred to challenges including terrorism, radicalisation, cryptocurrency-linked terror financing and money laundering. For a new generation of police officers, understanding these emerging forms of crime will be essential.The modern police officer increasingly needs technological awareness alongside traditional investigative skills.Cybercrime investigations, digital evidence, financial intelligence and online radicalisation require specialised knowledge and coordination with other agencies. This creates an opportunity for the Jammu Kashmir Police to further develop specialised expertise among its younger officers.The officers joining the service today will potentially spend decades working in an environment in which technology will continue to transform policing.Their training and professional development can therefore become a long-term investment in the future capabilities of the institution.

The Human Face Of Policing: While technology and security remain important, policing ultimately involves people.The Lieutenant Governor’s emphasis on compassion and sensitivity highlighted this dimension of police work. Citizens approach the police for a wide variety of reasons — from reporting crimes and seeking protection to resolving disputes, assisting vulnerable people and responding to emergencies. For many citizens, the police station is one of the most visible points of contact with government. This makes the conduct of police personnel particularly important. The Lieutenant Governor urged the officers to combine authority with compassion and ensure that human sensitivity remained part of their actions.His guiding principle — “Do not harass the innocent; do not spare the guilty” — places fairness at the heart of policing. The principle carries a simple but important message: effective law enforcement must protect innocent citizens while ensuring that those responsible for offences are dealt with according to law.For the new officers, this approach can provide an ethical framework for exercising the considerable authority attached to the uniform.

The Uniform,  Its Responsibility: The khaki uniform has a powerful institutional identity in India.It represents authority, discipline and responsibility, but it also represents public expectations. The Lieutenant Governor told the newly appointed officers that the respect commanded by the uniform would depend on their honesty, courage and conduct. This places individual behaviour at the centre of institutional credibility. An officer’s professional conduct can influence how citizens view the police force as a whole. For young officers beginning their careers, this makes integrity a professional asset as much as a personal value. The ability to make decisions under pressure while remaining committed to law and procedure is one of the defining requirements of police leadership. The Lieutenant Governor urged the officers to maintain honesty, courage and humility even in difficult circumstances.These qualities are particularly relevant for officers who will eventually be responsible for teams, investigations and public order responsibilities.

“Digital platforms, online complaint systems, CCTV networks, forensic technologies and data-based policing are changing the way police agencies interact with citizens and investigate offences.Young officers with familiarity with technology can play an important role in accelerating this transition….”

Leadership Through Service: The new JKPS officers are also joining the service at a time when public expectations from government institutions are evolving.Citizens increasingly expect government services to be accessible, responsive and technology-enabled.

Police Organisations Are Part Of This Transformation: Digital platforms, online complaint systems, CCTV networks, forensic technologies and data-based policing are changing the way police agencies interact with citizens and investigate offences.Young officers with familiarity with technology can play an important role in accelerating this transition. At the same time, technological advancement has to remain connected to the fundamental principles of policing: legality, fairness, accountability and public service. The new generation of officers can therefore contribute to a model of policing that combines technological capability with human understanding. Their role will extend beyond conventional law-and-order functions to include community engagement, crime prevention and public awareness.

Building On The Legacy Of Jammu Kashmir Police: The Lieutenant Governor also highlighted the sacrifice, devotion and courage of senior officers and personnel who have served Jammu Kashmir over the decades.The newly appointed officers are joining an institution with a long and demanding operational history. For them, that history represents both a legacy and a responsibility.The Jammu Kashmir Police has worked across a diverse geographical and social environment, from urban centres to remote rural areas and difficult terrain. Its personnel have responsibilities ranging from routine policing and traffic management to investigation, emergency response and security duties. The new officers will inherit this institutional experience while bringing their own education, technological awareness and professional perspectives. The combination of institutional experience and new talent can strengthen the organisation’s ability to adapt to future challenges. Young officers, in particular, can become an important bridge between established policing practices and emerging technologies. Their generation has grown up in an environment shaped by smartphones, digital communication, social media and rapidly evolving technology. These experiences can become valuable professional skills when appropriately integrated into policing.

The Wider Opportunity For Youth: The appointment ceremony also carries significance beyond the police organisation. It sends a broader message about the role of Jammu Kashmir’s young people in public institutions. The region has a large and increasingly educated youth population. Competitive government examinations offer one avenue through which young professionals can enter public service and contribute to administration. The success of candidates from ordinary families can encourage others to pursue education and competitive examinations. The story of merit-based selection is therefore also a story of aspiration. A young person preparing for a competitive examination is investing time, education and personal effort in the possibility of serving society. When that effort results in selection, it demonstrates the value of perseverance and professional preparation. The 29 newly appointed JKPS officers now become examples of that journey. Their careers will potentially take them through different districts, police units and specialised assignments, giving them opportunities to work closely with communities across Jammu Kashmir.

Public Service As A Lifelong Commitment: The Lieutenant Governor’s remarks repeatedly placed service above personal achievement.

That Distinction Is Important: A government appointment provides professional stability and responsibility, but a career in public service carries a larger social purpose.For police officers, this purpose is particularly visible because their decisions can directly affect citizens’ safety and security. The appointment letters therefore represent what the Lieutenant Governor described as the hopes, dreams and faith of the people. This idea can shape the professional culture of the new officers. Their success will not be measured only by promotions or administrative achievements. It will also be reflected in how effectively they protect citizens, prevent crime, assist victims, maintain public order and uphold the law. A police officer’s greatest professional achievement can ultimately be the confidence that citizens place in the institution. Preparing for tomorrow’s security environment The security environment facing police organisations is becoming increasingly complex. Terrorism remains a major security concern, while technological developments have created new forms of financial crime, cybercrime and online radicalisation. The use of crypto currency and sophisticated financial channels in illegal activities requires police officers to develop expertise beyond traditional investigation methods. The newly appointed officers will enter the service at an important point in this transformation. Their training can prepare them to combine conventional policing skills with cyber capabilities, financial investigation, intelligence analysis and modern forensic methods. Continuous professional education will be important throughout their careers. The advantage of a new generation of officers is that they can develop specialised expertise from the beginning of their service. Some may eventually contribute to cybercrime investigation, others to intelligence, forensic science, community policing, counter-terror operations, traffic management or administrative leadership. Together, this diversity of expertise can strengthen the overall policing system.

A Culture Of Integrity: At the heart of the Lieutenant Governor’s message was a simple expectation: integrity must remain non-negotiable. Police officers exercise significant authority, and the legitimacy of that authority ultimately comes from the law and public trust. Integrity ensures that authority is exercised responsibly. The call to choose duty even when circumstances become difficult is therefore particularly relevant to young officers. Their careers will inevitably bring challenging situations requiring judgment, patience and courage. Maintaining professional ethics during such moments can define the quality of their leadership. The emphasis on humility is equally important. Leadership in policing involves command, but it also involves listening. An officer who understands the concerns of citizens, colleagues and subordinate personnel can build stronger teams and more effective relationships with communities.

Kashmir Horizon View: The 29 officers receiving their appointment letters represent the beginning of a new chapter in their professional lives and another generation of leadership for the Jammu Kashmir Police.Their induction combines merit, education, training and public responsibility. As they progress through their careers, they will encounter a Jammu Kashmir that continues to evolve economically, socially and technologically. Their policing responsibilities will evolve alongside it. The future police organisation will increasingly depend on technology, specialised knowledge, community participation and professional leadership. But the fundamental principles will remain constant: protect citizens, uphold the law, respect human dignity and act with integrity. The appointment ceremony at Srinagar brought these principles together. The appointment letters symbolised opportunity, but they also represented responsibility. For the officers, the next stage is training, followed by years of public service. For Jammu Kashmir, their induction represents an investment in a new generation of professional police leadership. Their journey begins with the khaki uniform, but the Lieutenant Governor’s message made clear that the true strength of that uniform will come from what the officers bring to it — honesty, courage, compassion, discipline and an unwavering commitment to duty. As these young officers move into their professional lives, they carry with them not only the authority of the Jammu Kashmir Police but also the expectations of the people they will serve. Their appointment is therefore more than a career milestone. It is an invitation to contribute to peace, security, justice and public confidence and to become part of the continuing institutional journey of Jammu Kashmir’s police service. The ceremony has placed the spotlight on 29 individuals. Their careers, however, have the potential to influence something much larger: the future culture of policing in Jammu Kashmir.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a new and more ambitious agenda for BRICS as the grouping marks its 20th anniversary, arguing that its growing economic and political weight must now translate into greater influence over global decision-making, stronger institutional continuity and a larger role for the Global South in shaping international rules.Addressing BRICS leaders and representatives, Modi said the grouping had reached a “coming of age” moment and needed to move beyond consensus-building within the bloc towards concrete outcomes on the global stage. He proposed a BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism to ensure that initiatives agreed upon during successive presidencies do not lose momentum when the chairship changes hands. His proposals also included a BRICS Reform Roadmap on global governance, with ten proposals to be developed around three broad principles—representation, responsiveness and rule-making.The speech placed institutional reform at the centre of India’s BRICS agenda, reflecting New Delhi’s broader effort to position the grouping not merely as an economic coalition but as an important platform through which developing countries can seek a greater voice in international institutions.

From Economic Grouping To Wider Global Platform: BRICS began two decades ago as a grouping centred largely on the economic significance of emerging economies. Over time, however, its agenda has expanded into development, finance, technology, health, climate change, food and energy security, multilateral reform and other areas of international cooperation. Prime Minister Modi’s assessment that BRICS has reached a “coming of age” moment therefore carries significance beyond the symbolism of its 20th anniversary. The grouping today operates in a substantially different international environment from the one in which it was created. Global economic power has become more dispersed, developing economies have acquired greater weight in international trade and investment, while geopolitical tensions have complicated cooperation through traditional multilateral institutions. India’s approach under its chairship has attempted to connect BRICS cooperation with practical issues affecting ordinary citizens. PM Modi said more than 350 meetings had been organised during India’s chairship, with participating teams welcomed in nearly 30 cities across the country. He described the approach as “people-centric” and “humanity-first”, with resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability identified as key priorities. The emphasis on the people-centric character of BRICS is important because the credibility of multilateral institutions increasingly depends on whether their decisions produce visible benefits beyond diplomatic conferences. For developing countries, the test is particularly acute. Issues such as food security, access to finance, energy affordability, climate vulnerability, digital inclusion and public health directly affect millions of people, while many of the international institutions dealing with these issues continue to operate through structures established decades ago. Prime Minister Modi’s speech attempted to bridge that gap by arguing that BRICS should become more effective internally while simultaneously advocating structural reform externally.

Continuity Mechanism Proposed To Prevent Loss Of Momentum: One of the most concrete proposals in Modi’s address was the establishment of a BRICS Continuity and Implementation Mechanism. The annual rotation of the BRICS chairship provides each member with an opportunity to place its priorities on the organisation’s agenda. But rotating leadership can also create a structural challenge: initiatives launched under one presidency may lose momentum once another country assumes the chair. Prime Minister Modi proposed addressing this through the BRICS Troika, with a mechanism that would systematically follow up on decisions and initiatives. He suggested creating a secure digital repository where every decision could be linked to a nodal point, a timeline and its implementation status. On paper, this is a relatively administrative proposal. Politically, however, it addresses one of the central challenges facing multilateral groupings—the gap between declarations and delivery. International summits routinely produce lengthy communiques, commitments and initiatives. The more difficult question is what happens after leaders return home. A digital system tracking responsibilities and deadlines could create greater institutional memory within BRICS. It could also allow future presidencies to inherit an established implementation framework rather than beginning with a fresh set of priorities. The proposal reflects India’s attempt to move BRICS towards a more institutionalised model without necessarily creating a heavily centralised bureaucracy. For a grouping that has expanded in membership and broadened its agenda, such institutional continuity could become increasingly important.

The ‘Pyramid Of Privilege’ And Global South: The most politically significant section of Modi’s speech focused on global governance. Describing the existing international system as resembling a “pyramid”, he argued that decision-making power remains concentrated at the top while countries at the bottom are often affected by decisions in which they have limited participation. His formulation that the Global South is “in the front row of global crises, but in the back row of decision-making” captures one of the principal arguments behind India’s advocacy for reform of global institutions. The Global South is disproportionately exposed to several transnational challenges, including climate change, food and energy insecurity, debt pressures, conflicts and economic disruptions.Yet many developing countries argue that the institutions responsible for making or influencing global decisions do not adequately reflect the distribution of economic and demographic power in the contemporary world.Modi proposed replacing what he termed a “pyramid of privilege” with a “platform of partnership”.

The Distinction Is Central To India’s Diplomatic Positioning:  New Delhi has consistently argued for a more representative multilateral order while avoiding the framing that reform should be directed against existing powers. In his speech, Modi again stressed that BRICS should not be “against anyone” but should seek to take everyone along. This positioning could become particularly important as BRICS seeks to expand its influence without being defined exclusively through rivalry with established Western institutions.UN Security Council Reform At CentreModi’s call for reform of the United Nations Security Council was among the clearest elements of the proposed global governance agenda. He said reform could no longer be delayed and argued that text-based negotiations should be connected to a clearly defined timeline and concrete outcomes. The demand for Security Council reform is not new. India has for years sought permanent membership of the Council, arguing that the existing structure does not adequately reflect contemporary geopolitical and economic realities. The composition of the Security Council reflects the world that emerged after the Second World War. The five permanent members—the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom—retain veto powers, while the wider UN membership has expanded substantially since the organisation was founded. For countries such as India, the issue is therefore one of representation as much as status. PM Modi linked Security Council reform with broader changes in international financial institutions. He argued that voting power, leadership positions and policy priorities should better reflect today’s economic realities.The underlying argument is that global economic governance cannot remain disconnected from the countries responsible for a growing share of global economic activity.This issue could become one of BRICS’ most consequential areas of collective diplomacy, although translating broad support into agreement on the precise structure of reform remains difficult.

“India does not need to build every component from scratch.It can learn, adapt and develop systems suited to its own conditions. This becomes particularly important for sports in which India is only beginning to establish a competitive presence.…..”

The Responsiveness As A Measure Of Multilateralism: Modi’s second proposed pillar—responsiveness—shifted the discussion from who controls international institutions to how effectively those institutions respond to crises. He argued that global institutions will retain public trust only if they can deliver effective solutions at speed and scale, particularly at the last mile. The focus on implementation is particularly relevant for developing countries, where international commitments often encounter capacity constraints before reaching communities. As crises increasingly cross borders, the demand for faster international responses has also grown. Climate-related disasters, pandemics, conflicts, disruptions to maritime trade and humanitarian emergencies rarely remain confined to one jurisdiction. Yet international responses can be slowed by bureaucratic procedures, fragmented responsibilities and political disagreements.

PM Modi’s proposal for a Seafarers Emergency Support Network: Seafarers are central to international trade but can face serious difficulties when ships encounter emergencies, medical crises or other disruptions. Modi suggested a network linking maritime authorities and diplomatic missions to facilitate distress alerts, medical assistance, communication with families and evacuation support. The proposal is narrower than Security Council reform, but its importance lies in its practical character. It demonstrates the kind of cooperation Modi wants BRICS to pursue—less focused solely on declarations and more focused on mechanisms capable of solving specific problems. The challenge will be to determine whether such proposals can be converted into functioning institutions, with clear responsibilities, funding and operational protocols.

From Rule-Takers To Rule-Shapers : The third pillar of Modi’s proposed reform agenda—rule-making—looks towards the technologies that will define the next phase of global competition.Artificial intelligence, cyberspace, outer space, biotechnology and critical technologies are rapidly creating new economic opportunities while simultaneously raising questions about security, privacy, ethics, intellectual property and international law.Many developing countries have historically had limited influence over the formulation of global standards governing emerging technologies. Prime Minister Modi argued that the Global South must move from being a collection of “rule-takers” to becoming “rule-shapers”.This is likely to become an increasingly important dimension of BRICS cooperation. The rules governing artificial intelligence, for example, will have consequences extending far beyond the countries currently leading the development of frontier technologies. Decisions on data, computing infrastructure, algorithmic accountability, cybersecurity and access to AI could affect development trajectories across the Global South. Similarly, emerging rules around outer space and biotechnology could determine who benefits from technological progress and who remains dependent on technologies developed elsewhere. India’s proposal to provide young diplomats and policymakers from developing countries with negotiation skills, practical training and legal expertise therefore points towards a longer-term strategy. Rather than simply demanding a seat at existing negotiating tables, BRICS could attempt to build the institutional capacity required to influence negotiations.

South-South Cooperation Gets Renewed Emphasis: Prime Minister Modi’s reference to the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation added another layer to the speech.South-South cooperation has traditionally focused on technical assistance, development partnerships, capacity-building and the exchange of knowledge among developing countries. India has sought to expand this concept into areas such as digital public infrastructure, development financing, disaster resilience, healthcare, renewable energy and technology. The BRICS platform provides an additional avenue for such cooperation because its members possess substantial economic, demographic and technological capabilities. The question now is whether those capabilities can be pooled effectively. BRICS members have different economic structures, foreign-policy priorities and geopolitical interests. Their approaches to international security, trade and strategic competition can also diverge. Consequently, consensus within BRICS does not necessarily mean uniformity. Prime Minister Modi’s emphasis on consensus and partnership acknowledges this reality while arguing that differences should not prevent cooperation where interests converge.

Kashmir Horizon View: The growing relevance of BRICS also brings a new challenge: scale.As the grouping expands, its collective economic and political weight increases, but reaching consensus can become more complicated.A larger grouping contains more interests, more regional dynamics and more foreign-policy priorities. This makes the institutional proposals in Modi’s speech particularly significant.A BRICS with a broader membership and wider agenda will need systems capable of managing continuity, implementation and disagreement.Without such systems, expansion could risk making the grouping more declaratory than operational. With effective mechanisms, however, a larger BRICS could potentially become a stronger negotiating platform for developing countries. The success of India’s proposals will therefore depend less on the language adopted at the summit and more on what happens after it. The central message of Modi’s speech can be reduced to a simple proposition: BRICS has reached a point where its influence must be measured by outcomes rather than declarations. The proposed Continuity and Implementation Mechanism addresses the internal functioning of the grouping. The proposed Reform Roadmap addresses its external ambition. Together, they represent an attempt to give BRICS both institutional memory and a longer-term strategic direction.But translating the vision into reality will require political agreement among members.The proposed ten-point global governance agenda will have to reconcile different national priorities. Security Council reform requires negotiations involving countries beyond BRICS. Financial institutional reform involves entrenched interests. Technology rule-making will require engagement with both developed and developing economies. The same complexity applies to practical initiatives such as the proposed Seafarers Emergency Support Network.Yet the significance of the speech lies precisely in its attempt to connect these seemingly different questions. For India, the argument is that a changing world requires institutions capable of reflecting that change.BRICS at 20 is therefore being presented not simply as a celebration of two decades of cooperation but as an opportunity to redefine what the grouping should become over the next two decades. The proposed transition—from “voice to impact” and from “privilege to partnership”—captures that ambition.Whether BRICS can make that transition will depend on its ability to convert political consensus into institutional continuity, practical cooperation and measurable outcomes. The next twenty years could determine whether BRICS becomes primarily a forum that articulates the concerns of emerging economies or a platform capable of materially influencing the rules by which the international system operates. PM Modi’s speech makes clear where India believes the choice should lie: a future in which the countries most affected by global decisions are also given a meaningful role in shaping them.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

The first International Film Festival of Jammu and Kashmir (IFFJK) has ended, but the more important question begins after the closing ceremony: can Jammu and Kashmir turn its extraordinary cinematic landscape into a sustainable filmmaking ecosystem? For decades, Kashmir has occupied a special place in the imagination of Indian cinema. Its mountains, snow-covered meadows, gardens, rivers and lakes have provided some of the most recognisable frames in Hindi films. Generations of audiences have associated Kashmir with romance, beauty and escape, while filmmakers have repeatedly returned to the region in search of spectacular locations.

IFFJK 2026 | An  Attempt To Open A Different Chapter In That Relationship:  With around 120 films from more than 30 countries screened during the four-day festival and around 1,100 submissions received from over 80 countries, the event brought international cinema to Jammu and Kashmir while simultaneously placing the region’s own filmmakers, actors and stories before a wider audience. Its larger message was clear: Jammu and Kashmir should not remain merely the backdrop against which other people’s stories are told. It has the potential to become a place where stories originate, talent develops, films are produced and creative businesses grow.That transition, however, will require more than festivals.It will require an ecosystem.

From A Famous Location To A Film Destination : The distinction between a film location and a filmmaking destination is fundamental. A location provides scenery. A filmmaking destination provides an entire ecosystem around that scenery.Jammu and Kashmir already has the first ingredient in abundance. What it now needs to strengthen is the second.A production coming to the region requires actors, technicians, cinematographers, editors, sound professionals, production managers, costume designers, set designers, equipment suppliers, accommodation, transport, catering and post-production services.If most of these services are imported from outside, the region remains primarily a location. If local professionals increasingly fill these roles, filmmaking begins to generate a lasting economic footprint.That is where IFFJK’s potential significance lies. The festival can become more than an annual celebration of cinema. It can serve as a meeting point between local talent and the national and international industry. The ultimate measure of success will not be the number of films screened at the festival but the number of collaborations, productions, jobs, training opportunities and new filmmakers that emerge from the relationships created around it.

The End Of The ‘Scenic Kashmir’ Formula: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s appeal to filmmakers to look beyond the mountains and lakes goes to the heart of the challenge.The scenic image of Kashmir has been commercially successful for decades, but it has also created a narrow cinematic vocabulary.Kashmir is much more than what appears in a tourist brochure or a traditional Bollywood song.Its cities, towns and villages contain stories about changing families, generations, migration, education, entrepreneurship, agriculture, climate change, sports, music, literature, crafts and evolving social identities. The region’s people themselves are an enormous storytelling resource.“Our ambition must go beyond being a beautiful filming location,” Abdullah said, arguing that Jammu and Kashmir should increasingly become a place from which stories emerge, talent is discovered and films are conceived and created.That proposition could change the way the region approaches cinema. The objective should not be to abandon scenic filmmaking. Instead, scenery should become one element of a much broader narrative.The mountains can remain in the frame without becoming the entire story.Dal Lake can remain central to a film without the film being only about the lake.The real transformation would occur when audiences begin travelling to Jammu and Kashmir not simply to see familiar landscapes on screen but to discover characters, stories and filmmakers associated with the region.

IFFJK And The Question of Representation : The festival has also opened a larger conversation about how Jammu and Kashmir is represented.For many years, cinema and television have frequently approached the region through the prism of conflict. There are stories of conflict and stories of ordinary life. There are stories of hardship alongside stories of achievement. There are stories of political tension alongside stories of entrepreneurship, education, culture and aspiration. The comments of filmmaker Captain Bali at the festival reflected this desire for a wider cinematic vocabulary. His argument that audiences are tired of repeatedly seeing Kashmir through conflict points towards a growing appetite for stories that explore the region in greater complexity.The opportunity is therefore not to replace one stereotype with another.It is to create space for many narratives.Jammu and Kashmir should be able to tell its own stories on its own terms while also allowing filmmakers from outside to interpret the region through different creative perspectives.

 Local Languages Could Become A Major Advantage: One of the region’s biggest untapped cinematic resources is its linguistic diversity.Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Gojri, Pahari and other linguistic traditions carry centuries of literature, poetry, folklore, music and oral storytelling.For a long time, language was viewed primarily as a limitation to the commercial expansion of regional cinema.The digital era has changed that calculation.Streaming platforms, subtitles and dubbing have made it possible for films produced in regional languages to travel much further than their original markets.For Jammu and Kashmir, this creates an opportunity to transform linguistic diversity into a competitive advantage.A compelling Kashmiri-language film does not have to become a Hindi film to find a national or international audience.Instead, its cultural specificity can become its strength.The same applies to Dogri and other regional languages.The more diverse the stories and languages represented in the region’s cinema, the less likely Jammu and Kashmir will be reduced to a single cinematic identity.

The Biggest Opportunity Is The Young Generation: Perhaps the most important constituency for the future of IFFJK is the region’s young population. The presence of established filmmakers and international jury members creates exposure, but exposure alone is not enough.Young filmmakers require training, mentorship, equipment, financing and opportunities to showcase their work. The suggestion at the festival for a dedicated student week and greater participation by young filmmakers could therefore become one of the most consequential ideas for future editions. A student programme could include filmmaking workshops, script development, cinematography masterclasses, editing sessions and interactions with established directors. Film competitions could encourage students to document their own communities.A script lab could help transform local ideas into professional screenplays. Mentorship programmes could connect emerging filmmakers with industry professionals. Such initiatives would address one of the fundamental problems facing creative talent in smaller markets: the gap between ability and opportunity.As actress Khateeb noted, talent exists across Kashmir, Jammu, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Bhaderwah and Ladakh. What is often missing is access to platforms capable of taking that talent beyond its immediate surroundings.IFFJK can potentially fill part of that gap.

Cinema Can Become A Job Creator: The discussion around filmmaking should also be viewed through an economic lens.Cinema is not only entertainment. It is a labour-intensive industry.A single production can generate employment across multiple sectors.Transporters move equipment and people. Hotels accommodate cast and crews. Restaurants and caterers provide food. Local artisans contribute to costumes and production design. Technicians manage lighting and sound. Photographers and videographers document productions. Editors and post-production professionals shape the final product.The economic benefits can therefore spread far beyond the film set.The more local professionals are involved, the greater the economic impact.This makes skill development particularly important. If Jammu and Kashmir can build a trained pool of cinematographers, editors, sound designers, production assistants, technicians, writers and visual-effects professionals, productions will have a stronger incentive to return.Each new production can then strengthen the local workforce.This creates a cycle in which investment generates skills, skills attract more investment and increased production creates more employment.

From Film Industry To Wider Creative Economy:  The future is also larger than conventional cinema.The media and entertainment industry is rapidly expanding into animation, visual effects, gaming, virtual reality, extended reality, streaming, digital content and other emerging formats. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan’s reference to India’s broader AVGC ecosystem underlines the scale of the opportunity.The emerging creative economy could provide Jammu and Kashmir with opportunities beyond traditional filmmaking.A young computer science graduate could work in animation or gaming.A media student could specialise in editing or digital production.A literature graduate could develop screenplays.A photographer could move into cinematography.A musician could enter film scoring.This makes the creative sector particularly relevant to young people because it offers a broad range of professional pathways.

The Infrastructure Question: The greatest natural asset of Jammu and Kashmir is already in place.The next requirement is professional infrastructure.Filmmakers need efficient permissions, predictable regulations, trained crews, equipment, studios, accommodation, transportation and post-production facilities. A producer deciding where to shoot will consider not only whether a location looks good but whether the entire production can operate efficiently.This is where policy can make a significant difference. A transparent and efficient filming mechanism can reduce uncertainty. Training programmes can increase the availability of local technicians. Better production infrastructure can reduce dependence on outside resources. Post-production facilities can ensure that a greater portion of the economic value remains within the region. The goal should be to make Jammu and Kashmir attractive not only because it looks like Kashmir but because filmmaking here is professionally viable.

Why A Year-Round IFFJK Could Matter More: Another important idea emerging from the festival is the possibility of transforming IFFJK from a four-day annual event into a year-round platform. That could prove crucial.Festivals create visibility. Institutions create continuity. A year-round IFFJK programme could include screenings, workshops, film appreciation programmes, student initiatives, script labs, documentary projects, industry interactions and collaborations with film schools. It could also take cinema beyond Srinagar.If workshops and screenings reach Jammu, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and other areas, the festival could become a broader cultural movement rather than an event concentrated in the capital.Suchdecentralisation would also help identify talent from areas that rarely receive access to professional film networks.

The International Dimension Is An Opportunity: The international participation at IFFJK is another asset that should be developed. The festival’s jury included filmmaker and cinematographer Santosh Sivan, Dorothee Wenner, Keiko Bang and Himanshu Shekhar Khatua. International participation matters because filmmaking is ultimately a networked industry. A visiting filmmaker may return to shoot in Jammu and Kashmir. A student may establish a professional connection that becomes important several years later. These relationships cannot always be measured in the immediate aftermath of a festival, but they can determine the long-term growth of a creative ecosystem. IFFJK can therefore serve as a bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and the global film community.

Cinema And Tourism Can Reinforce Each Other: There is also an obvious connection between cinema and tourism. Films can create destination awareness in ways conventional advertising cannot. A compelling story set in a particular village, town or landscape can make audiences curious about visiting that place. But the relationship can work in both directions. Tourism infrastructure can support filmmaking, while successful films can encourage tourism. The opportunity for Jammu and Kashmir is to develop this relationship carefully. Rather than repeatedly using the same iconic locations, filmmakers could be encouraged to explore lesser-known areas. That could distribute the economic benefits of both filmmaking and film-induced tourism.It could also introduce audiences to a more diverse Jammu and Kashmir.

Building A Film Culture, Not Just A Film Policy: Ultimately, no government policy can create a successful film industry by itself. Infrastructure and incentives can help.Efficient permissions can help. Festivals can help. But a sustainable film culture must be created by filmmakers, writers, actors, technicians, educators, producers and audiences. The Real Legacy Of IFFJK Will Be What Happens Next

The First Edition Of Iffjk Has Provided Visibility: It has brought international cinema to Jammu and Kashmir, given local filmmakers a platform and opened a conversation about the region’s place in the global creative economy.But its real legacy will not be determined by the closing ceremony. It will be determined by what happens between now and the next edition. The opportunity now is for Jammu and Kashmir to show itself to the world—not simply through its scenery but through its stories. That means putting people alongside landscapes. It means allowing local languages to reach new audiences. It means creating professional opportunities for young talent. It means creating a film culture capable of producing stories that can stand on their own, whether they are set against snow-covered mountains, crowded city streets, rural landscapes or ordinary family homes. IFFJK has demonstrated that there is international curiosity about cinema in Jammu and Kashmir. The next challenge is to convert curiosity into collaboration, collaboration into production and production into a sustainable creative economy. The region does not have to choose between being a spectacular filming location and becoming a storytelling hub.But the second identity will require deliberate institution-building, sustained investment and, above all, confidence in the stories that already exist within the region. The mountains brought cinema to Kashmir. The stories of its people can take Kashmir’s cinema much further. The first IFFJK has opened that possibility. What comes next could determine whether Jammu and Kashmir remains one of cinema’s most beautiful backdrops—or becomes one of its most distinctive sources of stories.

“Jammu and Kashmir’s transition from a filming location to a filmmaking destination becomes important. The region already possesses the natural landscapes that producers seek..”

Creative Economy Beyond Cinema: The opportunity emerging from IFFJK extends well beyond conventional filmmaking. The entertainment industry is undergoing a rapid transformation in which cinema increasingly intersects with streaming, gaming, animation, visual effects, music, virtual production, augmented reality, extended reality, podcasts and short-form digital content. For Jammu and Kashmir, this expanding creative economy offers the possibility of creating opportunities for a much wider range of young people than those who traditionally aspire to become actors or directors. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan’s reference to India’s AVGC ecosystem during the festival underlined the scale of this transformation. He said the government’s initiative envisages content creator labs in 15,000 schools and 500 colleges, backed by an allocation of nearly Rs 250 crore, while the media and entertainment industry could require nearly two million professionals by 2030. For Jammu and Kashmir, participation in this emerging sector could open new avenues for employment and entrepreneurship. A graduate trained in media could build a career in editing or visual effects, while a computer science student could enter gaming, animation or virtual production. A literature student could find opportunities in screenwriting, and a photographer could move into cinematography or visual storytelling. The creative economy therefore provides multiple pathways for young people to participate in an industry that is no longer confined to the traditional film set. This broader understanding of filmmaking is important for Jammu and Kashmir because it allows the region to look at cinema not simply as an occasional production activity but as a potential economic sector. The arrival of a film production can create demand across a wide range of services, from location scouting and transportation to hospitality, catering, construction, costume design and technical support. The economic impact can continue even after shooting is completed, particularly when films generate interest in locations and contribute to tourism. The challenge is to ensure that these opportunities increasingly benefit local communities and professionals rather than remaining limited to visiting productions.

Building An Ecosystem Around Filmmaking: A major production can become an economic multiplier because its requirements extend far beyond actors and directors. Hotels accommodate crews, local transport operators move people and equipment, restaurants and caterers provide food, while technicians, electricians, carpenters, costume designers and production assistants become part of the filmmaking process. With a trained local workforce, these activities can create skills and employment that remain in the region after a production leaves. This is where Jammu and Kashmir’s transition from a filming location to a filmmaking destination becomes important. The region already possesses the natural landscapes that producers seek. What it needs to strengthen is the professional ecosystem surrounding those locations. The objective should be to encourage productions not only to shoot in Jammu and Kashmir but to employ local professionals, use local services and build longer-term partnerships with the region’s creative community. If this happens consistently, filmmaking can create a cycle of growth. Productions can generate employment; employment can develop skills; skilled professionals can make the region more attractive to producers; and increased production can encourage investment in studios, equipment and post-production facilities. Over time, the region could begin retaining a greater share of the economic value generated by its growing relationship with cinema.

Infra Will Determine Whether Filmmakers Return: Natural beauty may bring a filmmaker to Jammu and Kashmir once, but professional infrastructure can determine whether that filmmaker returns.A sustainable film ecosystem requires efficient permissions, predictable procedures, trained local crews, equipment availability, accommodation, transportation and post-production capabilities. Producers planning large projects need certainty about timelines, logistics and costs. The easier it becomes to manage these requirements, the more competitive the region becomes as a production destination.Government therefore has an important enabling role. Transparent filming procedures can reduce uncertainty for producers, while investment in training can expand the pool of skilled local technicians. Developing post-production capabilities could be particularly significant because it would allow more of the filmmaking process to take place within Jammu and Kashmir instead of requiring productions to move elsewhere after shooting. But infrastructure alone cannot create an industry. Omar Abdullah’s observation that the government can provide infrastructure and an enabling environment while a sustainable film culture must ultimately be driven by the creative community captures the larger challenge. The state can create favourable conditions, but artists must create the culture, producers must develop sustainable businesses and audiences must create demand. An industry emerges when these different elements begin reinforcing each other.

IFFJK Should Become A Year-Round Platform: The future importance of IFFJK may ultimately depend on what happens between one edition and the next. A four-day festival can generate visibility, excitement and international attention, but a year-round institution can create lasting transformation. IFFJK could gradually develop into a platform for regular screenings, workshops, masterclasses, student programmes, script development, documentary initiatives and collaborations with national and international film institutions. Such activities could provide young filmmakers with opportunities to learn throughout the year rather than waiting for the next festival. There is also an opportunity to take the festival beyond Srinagar. Screenings and filmmaking workshops in Jammu, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar and other districts could broaden access to the emerging film ecosystem. This would be particularly important for young people who may have creative potential but limited access to established industry networks. A year-round programme could also create stronger links between filmmakers and communities. Local writers could pitch stories to visiting producers, young actors could participate in auditions and workshops, and emerging filmmakers could receive mentorship from established professionals. In this form, IFFJK would evolve from an annual event into an institution capable of continuously connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the wider film industry.

An International Bridge For Local Talent: The international character of IFFJK provides another significant opportunity. The participation of filmmakers and jury members such as Santosh Sivan, DorotheeWenner, Keiko Bang and Himanshu Shekhar Khatua brought professional perspectives from different cinematic traditions to Jammu and Kashmir. The value of such participation extends beyond the competition itself. Film festivals function as networks where relationships can lead to future collaborations. A filmmaker visiting Srinagar may return to shoot a project, a producer may discover a local artist, a cinematographer may work with a regional crew, or a young filmmaker may establish a professional relationship that becomes important years later. Dorothee Wenner’s remarks about the courage and resilience reflected in several films, along with her opportunity to understand the people and experiences of Jammu and Kashmir beyond familiar images, also demonstrate the cultural value of these exchanges. Cinema can become a two-way window through which the world discovers new dimensions of Jammu and Kashmir while local filmmakers gain exposure to different approaches to storytelling. For the region, this international engagement could become one of the most valuable long-term outcomes of the festival.

From Scenery To A New Cinematic Identity: Ultimately, IFFJK should not be judged only by the number of films screened, awards presented or guests who attended its first edition. Its deeper significance lies in the conversation it has initiated about Jammu and Kashmir’s cinematic identity. For decades, the region was celebrated by cinema largely because of what it looked like. The next chapter can be about what it has to say.The mountains will remain extraordinary film locations. Dal Lake will continue to attract cameras. Gulmarg will remain one of the country’s most spectacular landscapes. But behind those familiar images are countless stories waiting to be explored. There are stories of families and generations, young people navigating a changing economy, artists preserving traditions, farmers responding to environmental change, women building enterprises, sportspeople pursuing national and international ambitions, artisans preserving crafts, musicians carrying forward cultural traditions, students searching for opportunities and entrepreneurs creating new businesses. There are stories in every town and village, and the cinematic potential of Jammu and Kashmir will ultimately depend on whether those stories find their way onto screens. The region therefore does not need to stop being a filming location. It needs to become much more than one. It can develop into a place where locations, talent, stories, technology, investment and audiences come together.

Kashmir Horizon View: The first IFFJK has provided the beginning of that journey. Its international participation has demonstrated that there is interest in bringing global cinema to Jammu and Kashmir. Its local films and artists have demonstrated that talent exists within the region. Its discussions have highlighted the need for training, infrastructure, investment and sustained engagement. If IFFJK develops into a year-round platform, if local talent receives systematic training, if production procedures become increasingly efficient, if private investment grows and if regional-language cinema receives sustained attention, Jammu and Kashmir could gradually establish a distinctive position within India’s expanding creative economy. Such a transformation will not happen overnight. Building a film industry requires years of investment, experimentation, institution-building and, above all, a community willing to take creative risks. But every successful creative industry begins with people coming together around the belief that something larger is possible.IFFJK has brought many of those people into the same space.The next task is to ensure that they return—not merely as festival guests, but as filmmakers, producers, mentors, collaborators and investors. Return to shoot. Return to write. Return to teach. Return to collaborate. Return to discover. Most importantly, return because Jammu and Kashmir has stories that cannot be told anywhere else. The region’s cinematic future does not require it to abandon the image that made it famous. It requires expanding that image. The mountains can remain in the frame, the lakes can remain in the frame and the snow can remain part of the visual identity. But increasingly, the people should be at the centre of the story.If that transition succeeds, Jammu and Kashmir will no longer be known merely as a beautiful place where films are made. It could become a place from which stories emerge, filmmakers grow, talent finds opportunity and cinema travels from the region to audiences across India and the world. The real opportunity now is to build what lies beyond it.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s latest high-level review of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has underlined the administration’s determination to consolidate the gains made in maintaining peace and stability while preparing the Union Territory’s security apparatus to effectively meet emerging challenges. Chairing a comprehensive security review meeting, LG Sinha called for a robust counter-terrorism strategy, intensified area domination operations, stronger inter-agency coordination and sustained vigilance against emerging threats. His directions underline a proactive approach aimed not merely at responding to security challenges, but anticipating and neutralising them before they can threaten peace and normalcy. The meeting brought together the senior-most functionaries of the civil administration and police establishment, including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary Home Chandraker Bharti, senior officers from Police Headquarters, CID, Crime Branch, Kashmir and Jammu ranges, Divisional Commissioners, DIGs and other senior officials. The breadth of participation itself reflected the administration’s emphasis on a coordinated and unified security architecture for Jammu and Kashmir. At the heart of Sinha’s security vision is the objective of maintaining sustained pressure on terror networks while ensuring that the security apparatus remains agile, intelligence-driven and closely connected with developments on the ground.

Proactive Security Strategy: Sinha’s direction to intensify area domination operations is significant in the context of the administration’s broader strategy to ensure that emerging threats are identified and neutralised at an early stage. Rather than allowing hostile networks to gain operational space, the emphasis is on maintaining continuous vigilance and strengthening the presence of security agencies across vulnerable areas. The approach is designed to create a secure environment in which ordinary life, economic activity, tourism, education and development can continue without disruption. For Jammu and Kashmir, where security and development are closely interconnected, the maintenance of peace remains a critical prerequisite for sustained economic and social progress. Sinha’s repeated emphasis on coordination among agencies also reflects a recognition that modern security challenges require an integrated response. Police, intelligence agencies, civil administration and other security stakeholders each possess different capabilities and information. Bringing these elements together strengthens the overall ability of the government to assess threats and respond effectively. The September 1 meeting provided an institutional platform for precisely such coordination, with officers from different regions presenting assessments of the prevailing security situation, anti-terror operations, law and order and emerging challenges.

Security Strategy Aligned With Normalcy: The administration’s security approach is increasingly being linked with the larger objective of preserving the atmosphere of peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. A stable security environment has enabled greater economic activity, movement of people, tourism and developmental work across the Union Territory. The continuation of this environment requires security agencies to remain vigilant even when the overall situation is relatively stable. This is where Sinha’s emphasis on sustained vigilance assumes importance. The objective is to ensure that security gains are consolidated rather than taken for granted. The Lieutenant Governor’s directions indicate that the administration intends to remain ahead of evolving threats while ensuring that security institutions continue to adapt to changing circumstances. The emphasis on proactive area domination, intelligence coordination and operational preparedness forms an important part of this approach.

People At The Centre Of Security Policy: One of the most significant aspects of the Lieutenant Governor’s directions was his emphasis on public engagement. Sinha directed police officials to maintain continuous engagement with citizens and designate specific hours for public interaction and grievance redressal. The direction demonstrates that the administration views public confidence as an important pillar of the security architecture. “The police must maintain a strong and continuous engagement with the public. Every genuine grievance must be addressed with sensitivity and every investigation must be conducted with absolute fairness, transparency and impartiality,” Sinha said. The message places the citizen at the centre of policing. Effective security is not limited to operations against terrorists or criminals. It also involves ensuring that citizens have confidence in institutions and know where to approach authorities when they face difficulties. By stressing fairness and transparency in investigations, the Lieutenant Governor has sought to strengthen professional policing and reinforce public confidence in the police system.The emphasis on grievance redressal also complements the government’s broader governance agenda, in which accessibility and responsiveness of public institutions remain important priorities.

Strengthening The Police-Public Partnership: The police station remains one of the most important points of contact between citizens and the government. By directing police officials to create dedicated opportunities for citizen interaction, Sinha has sought to strengthen this connection at the grassroots level. Such engagement can have multiple benefits. It can improve grievance redressal, strengthen confidence in policing and provide law-enforcement agencies with better understanding of local concerns. For security agencies, stronger public engagement can also contribute to better information flow. Communities that have confidence in institutions are more likely to communicate concerns and assist authorities in preventing potential threats. Thus, the Lieutenant Governor’s emphasis on people-centric policing complements rather than stands apart from the administration’s counter-terrorism strategy.

Strong Action Against Narco-Terror Networks: Another important priority emerging from the review is the intensification of action against narco-terror networks. Lt Governor Sinha appreciated the Jammu and Kashmir Police and security agencies for their effective action against drug smugglers and directed them to further intensify operations against networks involved in narco-terrorism. The direction reflects the administration’s recognition that the fight against narcotics has implications extending beyond public health and conventional crime. Disrupting drug networks can also contribute to the wider objective of preventing the misuse of illicit financial channels and criminal networks. By bringing narco-terrorism into the core of the security review, the administration has signaled that the fight against drugs will remain a major component of its security strategy. The emphasis is also consistent with the government’s broader efforts to address drug abuse and trafficking in Jammu and Kashmir. The challenge requires sustained enforcement, intelligence sharing and coordination among agencies. The Lieutenant Governor’s direction provides renewed momentum to this multi-agency effort.

Preparing For The Digital Battlefield: The security landscape is no longer confined to physical spaces. The rapid expansion of digital platforms has created new opportunities as well as new vulnerabilities. Recognising this changing environment, Sinha directed officials to enhance monitoring of emerging digital threats and pay close attention to social media platforms. The administration has identified anti-national propaganda, digital misinformation and online blackmailing among the emerging challenges requiring greater attention. The direction reflects an attempt to ensure that Jammu and Kashmir’s security architecture keeps pace with technological changes. Digital platforms can spread information rapidly, making timely identification of misinformation and harmful online activity increasingly important for maintaining public order. At the same time, strengthening cyber capabilities can help the police respond more effectively to online blackmailing, digital fraud and other forms of cyber-enabled crime. The Lieutenant Governor’s focus on the digital sphere therefore represents an expansion of the security framework to address threats that did not exist in their current form in the traditional policing environment.

“Sinha’s direction to intensify area domination operations is significant in the context of the administration’s broader strategy to ensure that emerging threats are identified and neutralised at an early stage..”

The Strong Inter-Agency Coordination: The participation of senior officials from across the civil and police administration highlights another defining feature of Sinha’s approach: institutional coordination. The security situation was assessed at multiple levels, with the DGP and Principal Secretary Home briefing the Lieutenant Governor on the overall scenario while IGPs, DIGs and Divisional Commissioners provided assessments from their respective jurisdictions. Such reviews allow the administration to obtain a comprehensive picture of developments across the Union Territory. They also provide an opportunity to align priorities and ensure that operational and administrative responses complement each other. For a geographically diverse Union Territory such as Jammu and Kashmir, coordination between regional and district-level institutions is particularly important. The Kashmir and Jammu regions have different geographical, social and security dynamics. A common strategic framework, combined with localised operational responses, allows the administration to address these differences while maintaining an overall unified security policy.

Security As An Enabler Of Development: The importance of Sinha’s security strategy extends beyond the immediate domain of policing. Peace and security are fundamental to Jammu and Kashmir’s development trajectory. Tourism, investment, infrastructure construction, education, entrepreneurship and employment all benefit from a stable environment. The Union Territory has witnessed growing developmental activity and increasing public and private-sector engagement in recent years. Sustaining that momentum requires continued attention to security. The Lieutenant Governor’s latest review therefore has a broader significance: it seeks to ensure that the security environment remains conducive to development and normal economic activity. By directing agencies to maintain heightened vigilance, the administration is effectively working to protect the conditions necessary for the continuation of this developmental momentum.

Balancing Security With Responsive Governance: Sinha’s directions also demonstrate an effort to combine firm security measures with responsive governance. On one side, the administration has called for intensified operations against terror networks, stronger area domination and action against narco-terrorism. On the other, it has stressed public interaction, grievance redressal, fairness and transparency in police investigations. This combination is important for building a durable security environment. A strong security apparatus must be capable of dealing firmly with genuine threats while maintaining the confidence of citizens who interact with the system every day.The Lieutenant Governor’s message suggests that both objectives are being treated as complementary components of governance.

Adapting To An Evolving Threat Environment: The range of issues discussed during the meeting demonstrates how the nature of security challenges is evolving. Traditional terrorism remains a key concern, but it increasingly intersects with narcotics, illicit financial networks, cyber threats and digital misinformation. This requires security institutions to continuously upgrade their capabilities. The emphasis on emerging digital threats indicates that the administration is preparing institutions for this changing environment rather than relying exclusively on conventional security responses. Similarly, the focus on narco-terrorism reflects a broader understanding of how criminal networks can intersect with security threats. The result is a security strategy that is becoming increasingly multi-dimensional.

Leadership Focused On Consolidation: The latest review also reflects Sinha’s emphasis on consolidation. Security gains achieved over time require continuous institutional effort to preserve them. Periods of relative calm cannot lead to complacency, particularly in a region where the security environment can evolve rapidly. By bringing senior officials together for a detailed review and setting clear priorities, the Lieutenant Governor has sought to maintain institutional focus. His directions on operational vigilance, inter-agency coordination, public engagement, narco-terrorism and digital threats provide a broad roadmap for the security establishment. The approach combines immediate operational requirements with longer-term institutional strengthening.

Kashmir Horizon View: The coming period will test the effectiveness of this integrated strategy. The Government’s priorities are clearly defined: maintain sustained pressure on terror networks, strengthen area domination, disrupt narco-terror networks, improve digital vigilance, enhance coordination and deepen engagement with citizens. If implemented effectively, these measures can further strengthen Jammu and Kashmir’s security architecture while reinforcing the environment of peace and normalcy that is essential for development. The Lieutenant Governor’s message is therefore one of both vigilance and confidence. Vigilance, because emerging threats require constant preparedness; and confidence, because the administration believes that strengthened institutions, coordinated action and public participation can effectively meet these challenges. The September 1 review demonstrates that the government is looking at security not as an isolated law-and-order responsibility but as a comprehensive governance priority. From counter-terrorism operations in the field to citizen interaction at police stations, from action against drug networks to monitoring threats in the digital space, the approach seeks to create multiple layers of protection. For Jammu and Kashmir, the larger objective remains clear: preserve peace, strengthen public confidence and ensure that the security environment continues to support the Union Territory’s development and return to sustained normalcy. Sinha’s latest directions underline that this objective will be pursued through a combination of firm action against threats, stronger institutions, coordinated security operations and people-centric policing.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)

Mohammad Irfan

This week Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a stronger and united international response to terrorism, asserting that the global fight against terror must move beyond an “action-reaction approach” and focus on dismantling the entire ecosystem that sustains terrorist organisations. Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Modi placed security at the forefront of India’s vision for the grouping, describing peace and stability as the essential foundation for connectivity, development and opportunities for people across Eurasia. His intervention came against the backdrop of continuing global security uncertainties, with the Prime Minister arguing that terrorism remains a serious challenge not only for individual countries but for humanity as a whole. Prime Minister Modi called on SCO member states to speak with “one voice” against terrorism and reject double standards in dealing with terrorist organisations and those who provide them support. “The time has come to move these three pillars beyond vision and translate them into concrete outcomes. The first and foremost requirement for this is peace and security,” Modi said, referring to India’s vision for the SCO built around Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.

‘No place For Double Standards’: The Prime Minister’s strongest message was directed at the need for a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism. Rather than limiting the response to individual attacks or terrorist incidents, Modi argued that countries must target the infrastructure and ecosystem that enables terrorism to survive. “We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens,” he said. The formulation is significant because it broadens the counter-terrorism agenda from eliminating individual terrorists to addressing the systems that facilitate their emergence, financing and movement. Terrorist organisations require more than armed cadres to sustain themselves. They depend on financing networks, recruitment mechanisms, ideological radicalisation, logistical support and safe spaces. Disrupting these interconnected elements can therefore weaken terrorist networks in a more sustained manner. PM Modi’s call for a united response places collective international action at the centre of this strategy. “We must speak with one voice and make it clear that there can be no place for double standards on this serious issue,” he said. The Prime Minister also stressed that countries using terrorism as an instrument of policy and providing safe haven and support to terrorists must receive a clear message that terrorism cannot become a strategic asset.

From Reaction To Prevention: A key element of Modi’s address was his rejection of a purely reactive approach to terrorism. “In the fight against terrorism, we cannot remain confined to an action-reaction approach,” he said. The statement points towards a preventive model in which countries work together to identify terrorist networks, disrupt their financial resources, counter recruitment and radicalisation and prevent the creation of safe havens. Such an approach requires deeper intelligence cooperation, information sharing and coordinated action among security agencies. For the SCO, which brings together countries spanning a large part of Eurasia, the issue has particular significance. The grouping provides a platform for cooperation on security, organised crime, narcotics and information security. Prime Minister Modi emphasised the need to make the SCO’s existing mechanisms more effective and oriented towards practical outcomes.

Afghanistan Central To Regional Security: Prime Minister Modi also linked the security of Eurasia with peace and stability in Afghanistan. He said India has continued to contribute to Afghanistan’s development and provide humanitarian assistance to its people and would continue to do so. The Prime Minister’s reference to Afghanistan underscores its importance in the broader regional security architecture. For the countries of the SCO region, developments in Afghanistan have implications for terrorism, narcotics, organised crime, border security and regional connectivity. A stable and peaceful Afghanistan can contribute to greater regional cooperation, while prolonged instability can create space for extremist and criminal networks. India’s emphasis on humanitarian assistance and development also reflects its approach of supporting the Afghan people while advocating regional peace and stability.

Drug Trafficking As A Security Threat: Another important component of Modi’s security message was the issue of narcotics. He described drug trafficking as more than a conventional criminal activity, calling it a serious threat to the younger generation as well as regional security. The linkage between narcotics and security has gained increasing importance internationally because drug networks can intersect with organised crime, illicit financing and other forms of criminal activity. Prime Minister Modi welcomed the establishment of SCO Centres dealing with security threats, organised crime, information security and narcotics, but stressed that these mechanisms should become effective instruments of practical coordination and timely action. The emphasis is consistent with his broader argument that the SCO must move from dialogue towards concrete outcomes. If security mechanisms are backed by timely information exchange and coordinated action, they can strengthen the collective ability of member states to address transnational threats.

“Modi also drew attention to the wider consequences of conflicts, citing the crisis in West Asia as an example of how instability in one region can affect countries across the world…”

The Digital Security Enters The Strategic Agenda: Prime Minister Modi also pointed towards the changing nature of security in an interconnected world. The Prime Minister noted that the scope of security has become broader and that conflicts and instability in one part of the world can have consequences far beyond their immediate geographical boundaries. The experience of recent international crises, he said, demonstrates how instability can affect energy security, maritime trade and global supply chains. This has strengthened the case for countries to expand security cooperation beyond conventional military and counter-terrorism concerns. Information security and digital threats are increasingly becoming part of this landscape. The SCO’s focus on information security, which Modi referenced in his remarks, therefore assumes importance as countries confront an expanding range of cyber and digital challenges.

West Asia And The Wider Security Picture: Prime Minister Modi also drew attention to the wider consequences of conflicts, citing the crisis in West Asia as an example of how instability in one region can affect countries across the world. He pointed to consequences for energy security, maritime trade and supply chains, particularly noting that countries of the Global South can bear a disproportionate share of the impact. India, he said, has consistently advocated resolving tensions and conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy rather than on the battlefield. The message places India’s counter-terrorism position within a broader foreign-policy framework that combines firmness against terrorism with support for diplomatic solutions to interstate conflicts.

Security As The Foundation Of Connectivity : The Prime Minister’s emphasis on security was closely linked to the second pillar of India’s SCO vision—connectivity. Prime Minister Modi argued that economic connectivity and development can flourish only in an environment of peace and stability. India supports efforts that connect markets, facilitate trade and create new development opportunities, he said, while stressing that connectivity initiatives must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. The point reflects India’s position that regional connectivity should be based on principles of mutual respect and sovereignty. Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the need to modernise connectivity through measures such as simplified customs procedures, digital documentation and more efficient logistics networks. In this framework, security becomes an enabler of economic cooperation.A secure region allows trade routes to function, infrastructure projects to progress and businesses to operate with greater confidence.

Security, Connectivity, Opportunity: Prime Minister Modi’s address was built around three interconnected pillars—Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.

Security, in his formulation, is the foundation. Connectivity can create economic possibilities, while opportunity ensures that the benefits of cooperation reach ordinary people. The Prime Minister argued that the SCO’s next phase should focus on translating its existing vision into tangible outcomes. For India, this means strengthening cooperation in areas ranging from counter-terrorism and narcotics to trade, technology, infrastructure and people-to-people relations. The approach reflects an understanding that security and development are closely connected. Without security, development remains vulnerable. Without development and opportunity, social and economic vulnerabilities can potentially create conditions that hostile networks seek to exploit.

A Stronger Collective Response: Prime Minister Modi’s intervention at the SCO summit represents a renewed push for collective responsibility in the fight against terrorism. His call to dismantle financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens effectively places responsibility not only on countries confronting terrorism directly but also on the wider international community. The message is particularly relevant for a region that has experienced the effects of terrorism, extremism and organised crime. A collective security framework can make it more difficult for terrorist networks to exploit differences between countries. Information sharing, coordinated action against financing, joint efforts to counter radicalisation and stronger mechanisms against narcotics can collectively strengthen regional security.

India’s Leadership Role Within The SCO: Prime Minister Modi’s remarks also reinforce India’s growing emphasis on shaping the SCO’s agenda around practical cooperation. Rather than treating the organisation simply as a platform for political dialogue, India has advocated initiatives focused on youth, entrepreneurship, science, culture and innovation alongside security cooperation. This broader approach is reflected in Modi’s reference to India’s SCO initiatives such as the Start-up Forum, Young Authors’ Conclave and Young Scientists’ Forum. However, the Prime Minister made clear that these opportunities can flourish only when the basic security environment remains stable. His message effectively establishes a hierarchy: security creates stability; stability enables connectivity; and connectivity creates opportunities.

A Clear Message Against The Use Of Terror As Policy: One of the most forceful elements of Modi’s address was his assertion that terrorism cannot be treated as a legitimate instrument of state policy. His call for countries that use terrorism as an instrument of policy or provide safe havens to understand that terrorism can never become a “strategic asset” is a direct articulation of India’s longstanding position. The argument is straightforward: the international community cannot effectively combat terrorism if there are inconsistencies in how terrorist groups and their supporters are treated. For India, consistent international standards are essential to building a credible global counter-terrorism framework. The Prime Minister’s appeal for “no double standards” therefore seeks to establish a common principle for the SCO: terrorism must be opposed regardless of its source, justification or political context.

Beyond The Battlefield: Another defining feature of Modi’s address was its recognition that modern security challenges extend well beyond conventional battlefields. Terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, narcotics, organised crime, information security and supply-chain disruptions all form part of the contemporary security environment. This requires governments to build capabilities that span intelligence, law enforcement, diplomacy, technology and economic policy. The SCO, with its broad geographical reach, is well placed to facilitate such cooperation. Prime Minister Modi’s call to make the grouping’s security centres effective instruments of coordination reflects this larger objective.

Kashmir Horizon View: At the heart of PM Modi’s speech was a simple proposition: peace and security are prerequisites for regional prosperity. His vision for the SCO’s next 25 years is not limited to maintaining an existing institutional framework. It is focused on converting cooperation into practical outcomes that improve the lives of people across the region. But that transformation, the Prime Minister made clear, begins with security. A region threatened by terrorism, narcotics, organised crime and instability cannot fully realise its economic potential. Conversely, a secure Eurasia can unlock greater trade, investment, connectivity, technological cooperation and opportunities for its young population. Prime Minister Modi’s intervention therefore placed the fight against terrorism within a much larger vision of regional development. The emphasis on dismantling terrorist ecosystems, rejecting double standards, strengthening cooperation against narcotics and improving information security reflects an effort to make the SCO’s security pillar more action-oriented. His message from Bishkek was consequently both firm and forward-looking: terrorism must be confronted collectively, security must be strengthened proactively, and regional cooperation must deliver tangible benefits to people. As the SCO enters its next quarter-century, India’s approach seeks to place security at the centre of the organisation’s future—because, as Modi’s address underlined, without peace there can be no lasting connectivity, and without security there can be no sustainable opportunity.

(“Team Kashmir Horizon” is committed to continuous improvement and invites feedback and suggestions from readers and its followers on social media sites. Reader insights are considered vital for enhancing content quality and empowering the community. The team encourages open communication and values the thoughts and ideas of its audience, believing that such input will enable them to serve the public more effectively. The initiative aims to ensure that readers have the best possible experience with “Kashmir Horizon”. Interested individuals can reach out to us via email at editor@thekashmirhorizon.com.)