ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the Indian Army has adapted to change in the face of challenges emerging from insurgencies and terrorism. It employs India's counter-insurgency (CI) experience to analyse military change and the ability of the army to adapt to evolving threats, political directives, and technological advancements. The Indian Army has many years of experience in CI operations. The British Indian Army followed the tactics of punitive expeditionary operations in the northeastern region of the country as well. In order to address the limitations of infantry battalions, primarily for J&K, the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Battalions were raised, drawing their men and officers from the Indian Army. The evolution of the Iron Fist and Velvet Glove doctrine shaped the institutionalization of the army's attempts at ensuring people-friendly operations. The army's fundamental direction in CI operations came from political decision-makers and the top of the military hierarchy.
