Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 1 : The Army Training Command (ARTRAC), the Indian Army's 'Strategic Think-Tank' for doctrine and training, concluded its 35th Raising Day celebrations on Wednesday, said an official release.
The momentous occasion underscored the Command's pivotal role in military preparedness and its profound engagement with the civilian community.
ARTRAC was raised on October 1, 1991, at Mhow to meet the critical requirement of a centralised agency focused exclusively on all aspects of training and formulating concepts of modern warfare. Since its move to Shimla on March 31, 1993, this role has expanded significantly.
ARTRAC now provides relentless oversight to enable the highest standards of institutionalised training across its 34 Category 'A' training establishments nationwide. Other important roles include providing doctrinal support to the Indian Army and bringing an adversarial perspective to operational planning.
Addressing all ranks and Civil staff on this occasion, Lieutenant General Devendra Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief ARTRAC, congratulated all ranks for their professionalism and dedication. He emphasised that ARTRAC's all endeavours are fully aligned with the Indian Army's 'Decade of Transformation' and 'Year of Technology Absorption' initiatives.
Highlighting major achievements, the Army Commander noted that ARTRAC is on track to integrate 34 niche technologies into its curriculum by 2030, having provided advanced training to over 18,000 soldiers this year, with a plan for 12,000 more in the coming year.
The Command has also accelerated the rollout of Drone Training, aiming to train combatants in accordance with the vision of 'Drones as Eagle on the Arm of every Soldier.' He further added that the periodicity of the COAS Training Directive has been revised from biennial to quadrennial, ensuring longer-term coherence.
The first COAS Quadrennial Training Directive (2025-29), prepared by ARTRAC, was issued on April 1.
In pursuit of greater technology absorption, ARTRAC has signed multiple Memorandums of Understanding with leading institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology, promoting joint research and innovation. To refine the planning process, the concept of Red Teaming, which is a contrarian tool, has been institutionalised, and the expertise gained over the past year is being shared with the other two Services.
Lt Gen Sharma highlighted the successful conduct of the inaugural Tri-Services Seminar, RanSamwaad 2025, at Army War College, Mhow, in August 2025, wherein Tri-Services participants deliberated upon next-generation warfare and strategic construct in the Indian context.
This year also saw the commencement of Strategic Fusion and Convergence Capsule for middle-level leadership of the Indian Army, which was attended by officers undergoing Higher Command Course as well as officers from different Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India, CAPF and members from reputed academic institutions, think tanks and industry; thereby exposing the Course participants to the whole-of-the-nation approach.
To modernise professional education and prepare officers for specific roles, Project Eklavya, a cutting-edge online learning platform, was launched in November 2024.
Reaffirming ARTRAC's enduring commitment, Lt Gen Sharma concluded that the Command's relentless pursuit of excellence ensures the Indian Army remains future-ready, upholding the principles of Jointness, Atmanirbharta, and Innovation -- essential building blocks for achieving the National vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The celebrations also saw Lt Gen Sharma presenting GOC-in-C ARTRAC Commendations to 18 distinguished achievers, as well as the GOC-in-C Sports Banner and Financial Excellence Award to three Training Establishments for the year. The 24th edition of ARTRAC's annual professional journal, Pinnacle, dedicated to contemporary and futuristic warfare, was released on this occasion.