Shekhar Gupta briefs Army War College officers on information and cognitive warfare in Mhow
Journalist and author Shekhar Gupta addressed officers attending the Higher Command Course at the Army War College (AWC), Mhow, on October 16, 2026, with a lecture titled “Information and Cognitive Warfare: Implications and Way Ahead for India.” The session examined how information-related threats are increasingly shaping modern conflict and what this means for India’s national security environment.
According to the account, Gupta’s lecture centred on the expanding role of information warfare, psychological operations and emerging digital technologies in contemporary military and strategic competition. He told the officers that warfare is no longer limited to conventional military action alone, but is rapidly moving into the information and cognitive domains, where perceptions, decision-making and strategic outcomes can be influenced without direct kinetic engagement.
He also drew attention to the growing risks associated with the weaponisation of information and the use of advanced technologies to shape human behaviour, public opinion and cognitive processes. The discussion, the source said, highlighted how digital platforms and information networks are now central to the strategic environment in which states operate.
Gupta underlined the importance of building an information-resilient, technology-enabled and digitally empowered nation to support long-term security and stability. His remarks placed particular emphasis on the need for awareness of how information can be manipulated and how digital tools can be used to influence both civilian and military audiences.
The lecture was aimed at officers undergoing the Higher Command Course, a programme designed to prepare senior military officers for higher command responsibilities, operational planning and strategic leadership. The session was described as giving participants a clearer understanding of digital proficiency, information awareness and cognitive warfare as an increasingly important element of contemporary military strategy.
The Army War College, based in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, is among the Indian Army’s premier military education institutions. It is responsible for developing military leadership and enhancing officers’ operational and strategic understanding, and the Higher Command Course is part of that professional training pipeline.
The interaction, as presented, reflects the Indian Army’s focus on preparing future senior leaders for emerging security challenges, including those linked to technological change, information manipulation and the wider influence of cognitive warfare in modern conflicts.
