Why cyber power matters for India’s future deterrence

India’s future conflicts are unlikely to begin with visible mobilisation or overt military strikes. Instead, they are more likely to unfold quietly through cyber intrusions that disrupt power grids, paralyse railway networks, compromise military communications and manipulate information flows. In contemporary warfare, cyber operations have become central to deterrence, shaping strategic outcomes well before kinetic force is employed. Yet India’s military cyber posture remains structurally misaligned with this reality.