Project ‘Udbhav’: Incorporating strategic brilliance of Mauryas, Guptas, and Marathas to be future-ready

On Tuesday, May 21st, 2024, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said that as part of the Project ‘Udbhav’ the Indian Army has investigated the great battles of the Mahabharata, the valiant deeds of notable military leaders, and India’s rich statecraft legacy to broaden the country’s perspective in the defence sector.

The Indian army has “explored epic battles of the Mahabharata” and also the “strategic brilliance” of the “Mauryas, Guptas, and Marathas” that have shaped “India’s rich military heritage” as part of an initiative called Project Udbhav (evolution) that aims to make the force “progressive and future-ready, by drawing insights from the nation’s historical military wisdom”, army chief Manoj Pande said.

Unveiling India’s Military Evolution: Project ‘Udbhav’ Explores Ancient Wisdom

Project ‘Udbhav’ was started last year and has studied extensively in ancient literature including the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, and Arthashastra. Renowned Indian and Western intellectuals have shown significant intellectual convergences as a result, according to the PTI news agency.

Speaking at a conference titled “Historical Patterns in Indian Strategic Culture“ organised by United Service Institution (USI), the oldest think tank in India, which was founded in 1870, he discussed the Indian Army’s Project Udbhav, which was introduced by defence minister Rajnath Singh last year and sought to integrate lessons from the Mahabharata, Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, and Arthashastra. This, he said, is being done with a focus on making the force “future-ready.”

“The project has delved deep into ancient texts such as Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads and Arthashastra, which are rooted in inter-connectedness, righteousness and ethical values,” said Army Chief Pande.

“Furthermore, it has explored the epic battles of the Mahabharata and the strategic brilliance during the reigns of Mauryas, Guptas and Marathas, which has shaped India’s rich military heritage,” he added.

“It has revealed substantial intellectual convergences between eminent Indian and Western scholars,” he continued to say of the initiative. In cooperation with the army, Singh introduced Udbhav during the Indian Military Heritage Festival in October 2023.

Project Udbhav, according to the defence ministry last year, aims to create a conceptual framework and strategic lexicon that are profoundly ingrained in India’s philosophical and cultural legacy. According to strategic affairs specialist Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), India has a long history of great warrior monarchs who have shown outstanding leadership and warfighting ability, ranging from Maharaja Ranjit Singh to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

“For long, India has been studying warfighting concepts proposed by the West and those may not most relevant in our region and context. Our rich legacy will play a great role in guiding us and strategising for the future,” Chopra added.

The initiative has shown significant conceptual overlaps between renowned Indian and Western academics, according to the army chief. He claimed that this was significant because it demonstrates the “resonance between their thoughts, philosophies, and perspectives.”

The second-largest army in the world, the Indian Army, learns tactics, strategy, diplomacy, and combat from ancient Indian philosophy found in texts like the Arthashastra by Kautilya, the Nitisara by Kamandaka, and the Thirukkural by the Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar.

“The ancient Indian wisdom is rooted in a 5,000-year-old civilizational legacy, where immense value is attached to knowledge. This legacy is exemplified by a vast repository of intellectual literature, the world’s largest collection of manuscripts and nurturing of a multitude of thinkers and schools, across various domains,” said Pande.

“The project strengthens the whole-of-nation approach, by fostering civil-military collaboration among academia, scholars, practitioners and military experts.”

“Such collective efforts broaden the scope of study of ancient India’s defence and governance, and enrich the nation’s strategic outlook.”

He said that by exhibiting India’s tribal customs, the Maratha naval heritage, and the valiant accomplishments of military people, particularly women, has also contributed to the exploration of new lands.

“As we explore more into our military heritage, we understand that undertaking such projects remains a continuous endeavour. The vast experiences, sacrifices and triumphs of battle-hardened Indian armed forces will continue to shape our strategic culture,” said the army chief.

“I am confident that the project’s findings in the form of Udbhav Compendium shall benefit the Indian Armed Forces to remain progressive and future-ready, by drawing insights from the nation’s historical military wisdom,” he emphasised.

Speaking at the same function, Ajay Bhatt, the state minister for defence, praised the USI and the army for their efforts. “The geopolitical landscape is ever evolving, and it is imperative for our armed forces to be adaptive and innovative in their approach. By delving into our ancient texts and traditions, projects like Udbhav not only enrich our understanding of strategic culture, but also provide valuable insights into unconventional warfare strategies, diplomatic practices and ethical considerations in warfare,” Bhatt added.

A previous attempt involving compiling Indian stratagems from ancient literature was backed by the army. This gave rise to two publications: Traditional Indian Philosophy — Eternal Rules of Warfare and Leadership (Paramparik Bhartiya Darshan — Ranniti aur Netritva ke Shashwat Niyam) and a book on seventy-five aphorisms. All ranks in the army are being encouraged to read this book.

The action is being done concurrently with the armed services’ efforts to eradicate colonial traditions and to indigenize military norms. “I am sure this will help create a deeper understanding of our past, as also the Indian Army’s position in the global arena,” the Army chief said at the exhibition.

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