Unveils ‘Indian Armed Forces Vision 2047’ document at 16th CCC
Kolkata, Sept 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Armed Forces for the triumph of ‘Operation Sindoor’ during the inauguration of the 16th Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) at the Eastern Command headquarters in Vijay Durg, formerly Fort William on Monday.
He reviewed reforms implemented over the past two years and outlined plans for the next two, while urging the defence ministry to prioritize self-sufficiency and innovation to tackle future challenges.
PM Modi also launched the ‘Indian Armed Forces Vision 2047’ document, emphasizing operational readiness amid the “new normal” established by Operation Sindoor and the evolving landscape of warfare with emerging technologies and tactics, according to an official statement.
An official statement issued in this regard read, “The Prime Minister complimented the Armed Forces for the success of Operation Sindoor.”
Operation Sindoor was launched in May in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people.
It was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan, showcasing a calibrated, tri-services response embodying precision, professionalism and purpose, the defence official said.
Addressing the conference, Modi also praised the integral role played by the Armed Forces in nation building, anti-piracy, safe return of Indian citizens from conflict zones, as well as providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) assistance to friendly countries.
“In line with 2025 being the ‘year of reforms’ in defence, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Defence to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness, atmanirbharta and innovation to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality,” the statement said.
The conference is being attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, among others.
Held once in two years, the three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference is the apex-level brainstorming forum of the Armed Forces, which brings together the nation’s top civilian and military leadership to exchange views and lay the groundwork for the future development of India’s military preparedness.
Focusing on reforms, transformation and change and operational preparedness, the theme for this year’s conference is ‘Year of Reforms – Transforming for the Future’, in line with the ongoing modernisation and transformation of the Armed Forces, the statement said.
Over the next two days, the conference would conduct a holistic review of various structural, administrative and operational matters based on the feedback from across the forces, preparedness of the forces in the face of increasing global uncertainties, it said.
Deliberations were held on a wide range of strategic issues, including force modernisation, jointness, integration and enhancing operational readiness for multi-domain warfare.
The CCC was last held in Bhopal in 2023, which was inaugurated by Modi.
The PM, who arrived in Kolkata on Sunday evening from Assam, left the city in the afternoon for Purnea in Bihar.
This was Modi’s fourth visit to Bengal in the past five months and the second within a month.
Meanwhile, the PM launched multiple development projects worth around Rs 40,000 crore in Bihar’s Purnea district on Monday, saying the projects “spanning railways, airports, electricity and water” will serve as a means to fulfill the aspirations of the Seemanchal region.
The PM also inaugurated a newly developed terminal building at Purnea airport, which will enhance passenger handling capacity in the region. Modi flagged off the first flight on the Purnea-Kolkata route.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, several union and state ministers were present at the function.
The PM said that the terminal building of Purnea Airport was constructed in a record time of less than five months.
“With the launch of the new airport, Purnea has now been placed on the country’s aviation map”, he said. This will enable direct connectivity between Purnea and Seemanchal with major cities and key commercial hubs across the nation.
Seemanchal region consists of Purnea, Katihar, Araria and Kishanganj districts.
He said that makhana (Indian foxnuts) cultivation has been a source of income for Bihar’s farmers, but previous governments neglected both the crop and the farmers.
He asserted that it is the current government that has given makhana the priority it deserves.
“I had promised the people of Bihar the formation of a National Makhana Board. The central government issued the notification for its establishment on Sunday. The Board will work continuously to ensure better prices for makhana farmers and to enhance the use of technology in the sector,” the PM said.
He highlighted that the government has approved a plan worth nearly Rs 475 crore for the development of the makhana sector.
Modi laid the foundation stone for a 3×800 MW thermal power facility worth Rs 25,000 crore at Pirpainti, Bhagalpur. This is the state’s largest private sector investment.
It is designed on ultra-super critical, low-emission technology. The project will provide dedicated power and strengthen Bihar’s energy security, a senior official said.
The PM also laid the foundation stone for Phase 1 of the Kosi-Mechi Intra-State River Link Project worth over Rs 2,680 crore.
“It will focus on upgrading a canal, including desilting, reconstruction of damaged structures, and renovation of the settling basin, while also enhancing its discharge capacity from 15,000 to 20,000 cusecs,” he said.
The project will benefit multiple districts in northeastern Bihar with irrigation expansion, flood control, and agricultural resilience, the official said.
The PM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for rail projects and flagged off multiple trains in Bihar during the day.
He laid the foundation stones for the rail line between Bikramshila Katareah, worth over Rs 2,170 crore, providing direct connectivity across the river Ganga.
He also inaugurated a new rail line between Arariya and Galgalia, which was built at a cost of Rs 4,410 crore.
The PM flagged off a train in the Araria Galgalia (Thakurganj) section, which establishes direct rail connectivity between Araria and Kishanganj districts, significantly improving access across northeastern Bihar.
He also launched the Vande Bharat Express train between Jogbani and Danapur, directly benefitting districts such as Araria, Purnea, Madhepura, Saharsa, Khagaria, Begusarai, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, and Patna.
Amrit Bharat Express trains between Saharsa and Chheharta (Amritsar) and Jogbani and Erode were also flagged off.
These trains will provide enhanced economic, cultural, and social integration across regions, the official said.
The PM also participated in ‘Griha Pravesh’ ceremonies for 35,000 rural beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin and 5,920 under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Urban and handed over keys to a few beneficiaries.
He also distributed community investment funds of around Rs 500 crore to cluster-level federations under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission in Bihar and handed over cheques to a few cluster-level federations (CLFs) heads.
