ASCEND 2025 Seminar: Southern Command Drives National Strategic Communication Strategy
The Southern Command Headquarters recently held a notable two-day seminar titled ASCEND 2025 – "Aligning Strategic Communication for Enduring Narrative Dominance" on October 10-11, 2025, at RSAMI, Pune. This event marked a significant step towards institutionalizing India's narrative dominance in the information age.
The seminar gathered an esteemed assembly of senior defense officials, policymakers, veterans, academicians, media professionals, and industry leaders to discuss the importance of Strategic Communication as a crucial component of national power.
In his Keynote Address, Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, AVSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, emphasized that Strategic Communication has become a core pillar of national security. He stated that India's narrative must be rooted in truth, anchored in values, and aligned with decisive actions to ensure lasting influence and credibility.
Shri Alok Joshi, Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), attended as the Chief Guest. During a fireside chat with senior journalist and defense strategist Shri Nitin Gokhale, Shri Joshi underscored the need for a Whole-of-Government approach and a clear roadmap to enhance India's Strategic Communication capabilities and address emerging information threats.
Dr. Mayank Sharma, Financial Advisor for Defense Services, shared insights from his research on Strategic Communication, providing a financial and structural perspective on developing sustainable institutional mechanisms to bolster India's narrative capabilities.
Panel discussions, chaired by national security experts Shri Vikram Sood, former R&AW Chief, and Lt Gen Gautam Moorthy (Retd), centered on Winning the Strategic Communication Domain and Institutionalising Strategic Communications. The sessions featured eminent panelists who discussed the urgent need for a Unified National Strategic Communication Framework, the integration of technology, fostering synergy among institutions, and invoking national resolve to achieve cognitive and narrative superiority.
The seminar addressed several critical themes:
| Theme |
|---|
| Institutionalising Strategic Communication within national frameworks |
| Strategic Communication as part of national security doctrine |
| Countering disinformation, misinformation, and hostile propaganda |
| Leveraging technology for narrative shaping and outreach |
Organized in collaboration with the Pune International Centre (PIC) and the Centre for Advanced Studies in Current & Strategic Affairs (CASA), the seminar concluded with a consensus on the importance of institutionalizing Strategic Communication as a core element of India's national power.
ASCEND 2025 represents a pivotal moment in developing India's Strategic Communication framework. It aligns with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and reaffirms the Indian Army's commitment to narrative resilience, cognitive preparedness, and whole-of-nation synergy.
