India’s Defense Shake-Up: Rudra Brigades, Sudarshan Chakra & China Talks

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In this episode of Carnegie Insights, we unpack the most significant defence developments from the past two weeks. The Indian Army has begun restructuring with the creation of Rudra Brigades and Bhairav Battalions, designed to provide agile, all-arms formations at the brigade level. We also examine the Prime Minister’s announcement of the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, a 10-year roadmap for building a layered air defence shield tailored to India’s emerging security needs.

On the airpower front, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the procurement of 97 additional Tejas Mk1A fighters, a critical step as the Indian Air Force faces a shrinking squadron strength while preparing for the transition to Tejas Mk2 and AMCA. Finally, we look at the 24th round of India–China border talks, where both sides agreed to explore “early harvest” solutions for boundary delimitation and expand general-level mechanisms across sectors.

Together, these developments highlight how India is recalibrating its defence posture—balancing immediate requirements with long-term capability building, even as the strategic environment on both the western and northern borders remains contested.

Dinakar Peri is a Fellow in Carnegie India’s Security Studies Program. With nearly 11 years as a defence correspondent for The Hindu, and earlier roles at military-affiliated think tanks (CLAWS and CENJOWS), he brings both journalistic insight and policy research experience. A scientist turned strategist, he holds an MSc in Biotechnology and an MBA in Business Sustainability. Dinakar is also an alumnus of the UK’s Chevening program and the U.S. State Department’s leadership course—and regularly appears on TV and in academic forums discussing India’s security landscape.

00:00 – Introduction
01:00 – Army’s Rudra Brigades & Bhairav Battalions
09:00 – Sudarshan Chakra Mission: India’s air defence shield
18:00 – CCS clears 97 additional Tejas Mk1A jets
22:43 – India–China border talks
23:08 – Closing remarks