The United Service Institution of India (USI) hosted the Third Annual Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) at its New Delhi campus on November 14-15, 2025, bringing together senior military leaders, policymakers, diplomats, scholars, authors, think-tanks, industry representatives and the public. The festival was inaugurated by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth and saw the participation of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. The festival provided a vibrant space to showcase India’s military heritage, engage on contemporary strategic & security issues and highlight emerging ideas shaping the country’s defence ecosystem.

The Third Annual Edition featured an exhibition of iconic military paintings by Lt Col Arul Raj (Retd) and the release of notable publications, including The Sukraniti: Statecraft and Warcraft by Col PK Gautam (Retd), Honours and Awards of the Indian Armed Forces by Dr AK Mishra, and 75 Years of India’s Contribution to UN Peacekeeping by Maj Gen PK Goswami, VSM (Retd). Distinguished dignitaries such as the Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri R.N. Ravi and Shri Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati also graced the occasion.

Across Day 1, sessions delved into themes including Operation Sindoor: Catalysing Aatmanirbhar Bharat, The War India Forgot, The Foundations of India’s Strategic Autonomy, Future Conflicts and Strategic Horizons, Contested Partitions and Technology and Strategy: Adapting Warfare for the Future. The day concluded with a special conversation between senior journalist Ms Suhasini Haidar and Ambassador Rajiv Sikri, IFS (Retd), on India’s evolving foreign policy in Rising India Engages the World.

On Day 2, sessions explored Great Indian Military Leaders and Military Systems, Taming the Waves, Military Biographies, Tussles over Tibet, Assam’s Modern Journey, BSF and Bangladesh, Valour and Honour: Indian Army through the Ages and Lessons from the 1965 Indo-Pak War. Discussions also covered heritage conservation at Raigad, landmark judgments on women in the armed forces, Asian strategic thought and fiction as a tool of historical memory. The festival concluded with closing addresses by the CDS and the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, publication releases and a band presentation.

Since its inaugural edition in 2023 at the Manekshaw Centre, the 2025 edition continued the tradition in strengthening its role as a premier platform celebrating India’s military heritage. For further details, please visit: https://usiofindia.org/milfest/  

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