The United Service Institution of India (USI) hosted the Third Annual Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) on November 14-15, 2025, at its New Delhi campus. The festival, which was inaugurated by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth and saw the participation of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, brought together senior military leaders, policymakers, diplomats, scholars, authors, think-tanks, industry representatives, and the public. The event featured an exhibition of iconic military paintings by Lt Col Arul Raj (Retd) and the release of publications, including The Sukraniti: Statecraft and Warcraft by Col PK Gautam (Retd), Honours and Awards of the Indian Armed Forces by Dr AK Mishra, and 75 Years of India's Contribution to UN Peacekeeping by Maj Gen PK Goswami, VSM (Retd). Day 1 sessions included discussions on Operation Sindoor, the War India Forgot, India's Strategic Autonomy, Future Conflicts, Contested Partitions, and Adapting Warfare for the Future, followed by a conversation between Ms. Suhasini Haidar and Ambassador Rajiv Sikri. Day 2 sessions covered Great Indian Military Leaders and Systems, Taming the Waves, Military Biographies, Tussles over Tibet, Assam's Modern Journey, BSF and Bangladesh, Valour and Honour: Indian Army through the Ages and Lessons from the 1965 Indo-Pak War, heritage conservation at Raigad, judgments on women in the armed forces, Asian strategic thought and fiction as a tool of historical memory. The festival concluded with addresses by the CDS and the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, publication releases, and a band presentation. Further details can be found at https://usiofindia.org/milfest/. The release ID is 2190508, and the visitor counter is at 621. The release is also available in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, and Tamil.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF): Annual festival hosted by the United Service Institution of India showcasing India's military heritage and engaging on strategic and security issues.
United Service Institution of India (USI): The organization hosting the Indian Military Heritage Festival.
New Delhi: Location of the Indian Military Heritage Festival.
Ministry of Defence
USI Hosts Third Annual Indian Military Heritage
Festival in New Delhi
Two-Day IMHF Strengthens Public Understanding of
India’s Military Heritage and Security Thought
Posted On: 16 NOV 2025 3:02PM by PIB Delhi
The United Service Institution of India (USI) hosted the Third Annual Indian Military Heritage
Festival (IMHF) at its New Delhi campus on November 14-15, 2025, bringing together senior
military leaders, policymakers, diplomats, scholars, authors, think-tanks, industry representatives and
the public. The festival was inaugurated by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth and saw the
participation of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. The festival provided a vibrant space
to showcase India’s military heritage, engage on contemporary strategic & security issues and
highlight emerging ideas shaping the country’s defence ecosystem.
The Third Annual Edition featured an exhibition of iconic military paintings by Lt Col Arul Raj (Retd) and the release of
notable publications, including The Sukraniti: Statecraft and Warcraft by Col PK Gautam (Retd), Honours and Awards of
the Indian Armed Forces by Dr AK Mishra, and 75 Years of India’s Contribution to UN Peacekeeping by Maj Gen PK
Goswami, VSM (Retd). Distinguished dignitaries such as the Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri R.N. Ravi and Shri Sambhaji
Raje Chhatrapati also graced the occasion.
Across Day 1, sessions delved into themes including Operation Sindoor: Catalysing Aatmanirbhar Bharat, The War India
Forgot, The Foundations of India’s Strategic Autonomy, Future Conflicts and Strategic Horizons, Contested Partitions and
Technology and Strategy: Adapting Warfare for the Future. The day concluded with a special conversation between senior
journalist Ms Suhasini Haidar and Ambassador Rajiv Sikri, IFS (Retd), on India’s evolving foreign policy in Rising India
Engages the World.
On Day 2, sessions explored Great Indian Military Leaders and Military Systems, Taming the Waves, Military Biographies,
Tussles over Tibet, Assam’s Modern Journey, BSF and Bangladesh, Valour and Honour: Indian Army through the Ages
and Lessons from the 1965 Indo-Pak War. Discussions also covered heritage conservation at Raigad, landmark judgments
on women in the armed forces, Asian strategic thought and fiction as a tool of historical memory. The festival concluded
with closing addresses by the CDS and the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, publication
releases and a band presentation.
Since its inaugural edition in 2023 at the Manekshaw Centre, the 2025 edition continued the tradition in strengthening its
role as a premier platform celebrating India’s military heritage. For further details, please visit: https://usiofindia.org/
milfest/
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VK/SR/KB
(Release ID: 2190508) Visitor Counter : 621
Read this release in: Urdu , ही , Marathi , Punjabi , Tamil