In response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India’s Jammu and Kashmir on April 22nd, 2025, India launched a military campaign codenamed Operation Sindoor on May 7th, 2025.
As a marketer, I cannot overstate how apt the codename was. This was indeed unprecedented, marking an end to decades of strategic restraint by the Indian state.
The goal is to present curated strategic insights examining what happened, what changed, and what the implications might be, drawing from defense and strategy experts rather than engaging in immediate political commentary.
While researching strategic defense analysis on Op Sindoor, I discovered an eBook by India’s World magazine, titled “Operation Sindoor & India’s New Doctrine of Deterrence.”
This proved to be a comprehensive resource, and I’d recommend it for anyone interested in strategic affairs.
For busy professionals seeking key insights, I’m sharing my top 10 takeaways from this 117-page analysis.
10 Key Takeaways from Operation Sindoor: India’s New Doctrine of Deterrence
1. Fundamental Shift from Strategic Restraint to Deterrence by Punishment
"Operation Sindoor marked a decisive departure in India's approach to terrorism emanating from Pakistan. In previous instances—such as the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes—India, whilst clearly indicating its threshold of tolerance, exercised restraint and symbolic resolve, by avoiding striking deep into Pakistan's mainland. This time, however, the response was fundamentally different."- Brig Arun Sahgal & Ambuj Sahu
India has moved away from the logic of “strategic restraint” to embracing deterrence by punishment, striking deep into Pakistan with unprecedented precision.
2. The Three Pillars of India’s New Response Doctrine
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's articulation of the 'new normal' after the strikes clarified the doctrine in no uncertain terms. Any act of terror will be met with a strong and resolute response, India will not be intimidated by nuclear threats, and no distinction will be made between terrorists and their state sponsors." - Lt Gen D S Hooda
Modi’s doctrine establishes assured retaliation for terrorist attacks, no deterrence by nuclear blackmail, and no differentiation between terrorists and their state sponsors.
3. Successful Challenge to Pakistan’s Nuclear Deterrence Strategy
"However, the most significant achievement of Operation Sindoor has been posing a fundamental challenge to Pakistan's nuclear doctrine. By treating terrorist attacks originating from Pakistani soil as acts of war, India signaled its intent not to allow Pakistan's nuclear capability deter it from using force restrained by its self-perceived thresholds."- Brig Arun Sahgal & Ambuj Sahu
India called Pakistan’s nuclear bluff, exposing the limitations of nuclear deterrent as a shield for terrorism prosecution.
4. First Non-Contact War in the Subcontinent
"Operation Sindoor was unique in many ways. It was the subcontinent's first non-contact war, marked by technology-driven kinetic activity involving missiles and drones. Neither side physically crossed the other's territorial space." - Brig Arun Sahgal & Ambuj Sahu
This technological warfare approach avoided traditional border crossings while achieving strategic objectives through precision strikes.
5. Muted Pakistani Nuclear Signaling Represents Strategic Shift
"Unlike past crises—Kargil (1999), the 2001–02 terror attacks, Mumbai terror attacks (2008), or Balakot (2019)—this confrontation was also marked by the conspicuous absence of the 'N' word from Pakistan's senior leadership until fairly late into the conflict." - Hely Desai
Pakistan’s delayed and muted nuclear signaling suggests awareness of mutual vulnerability or recognition that nuclear threats have lost their deterrent value.
6. Precision Targeting of Terror Infrastructure Across Pakistan
"Sites like Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur and Markaz Taiba in Muridke were not arbitrary targets—they were the nerve centers behind some of the most heinous attacks on India, including the IC814 hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack, and the 26/11 Mumbai carnage." - Brig Arun Sahgal & Ambuj Sahu
India’s targeting was systematic, focusing on dismantling Pakistan’s terror factories across the entire operational chain rather than symbolic strikes.
7. Shift from Deterrence to Compellence Strategy
"The volume also addresses a growing tension in India's doctrine - the shift from deterrence to compellence. While deterrence seeks to prevent hostile action, compellence aims to induce a change in behaviour. Many of the authors argue that India's long-term objective should not merely be to deter the next attack but to compel Pakistan to dismantle its proxy networks altogether." - Lt Gen D S Hooda
This represents a strategic evolution from preventing attacks to forcing Pakistan to abandon terrorism as state policy.
8. Integration of Military and Non-Military Pressure Tools
"Alongside military, the non-military thresholds of Pakistan's full-spectrum doctrine have also been breached. Both the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty as well as other economic measures taken by India after the Pahalgam attacks, remain." - Brig Arun Sahgal & Ambuj Sahu
Operation Sindoor combined military action with economic and diplomatic tools, including IWT suspension, creating comprehensive pressure.
9. Escalation Dynamics Have Fundamentally Changed
"Sindoor has shifted the goalposts, but it has not eliminated risk. The next confrontation is likely to begin at a higher threshold, with reduced warning time and compressed decision cycles. Escalation ladders are now steeper and more uncertain." - Lt Gen D S Hooda
The operation has raised the baseline for future conflicts, creating new escalation dynamics that require careful management.
10. Demonstration of India’s Strategic Autonomy and Resolve
"Operation Sindoor was not born out of adventurism but rooted in strategic clarity. India has asserted its sovereignty, its autonomy, and resolve—on its own terms, and without recourse to third-party mediation. The rules of engagement in the Indian subcontinent have changed." - Brig Arun Sahgal & Ambuj Sahu
India demonstrated its willingness to act independently on national security matters, establishing new rules of engagement without external mediation dependency.
Musings by Madhav 
Leave a comment