C3S ISSUE BRIEF XVII: Modern Military Transformation in China and India: Institutional Lessons Learned (2020-2025)

By Yashita S, Research Intern, C3S

Guided by Major General Rajiv Narayanan, Distinguished Member, C3S

Image Courtesy: Scroll

Abstract:

Existing scholarly views on military transformation highly focus on quantitative comparisons of hardware such as aircrafts, ships, tanks or defence budgets. These studies provide valuable data on modernization but restrict them to arms and ammunitions, neglecting the importance of institutional reforms which focus on how lessons are absorbed by nations form external conflicts. This study addresses the research gap by understanding the lessons learned by nations from external conflicts and their implication into military doctrines, logistics, and procurement systems. By doing so it helps to better understand the various lessons learned and implemented by both China and India. Furthermore, it examines whether systemic reforms or selective reforms contribute to proactive and reactive readiness. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how external conflicts serve as laboratories for military learning, which shapes the modernization pathways of both India and China far beyond hardware comparisons. The methodology employed here is quantitative and comparative case study to support the hypothesis and research question. In conclusion, the research study is used to break the traditional method of studying modernization trajectory by giving importance to institutional reforms and capability developments.

Read the full Issue Brief at this link:

C3S ISSUE BRIEF XVII.pdf

Download PDF • 2.14MB

(Yashita S is a research intern at C3S. The views expressed here are of the author's and do not reflect the views of C3S.)