New Delhi, February 18: The Indian Army hosted a specialized seminar titled Engineering Support for the Indian Army: Smartising the Kill Chain at the AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam. The event brought together senior military leaders, industry professionals, and academics to explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can enhance the operational readiness of legacy platforms through smart upgrades, predictive maintenance, and AI-driven logistics, ultimately improving precision, speed, and mission effectiveness across the kill chain.

The seminar’s keynote address was delivered by Lt Gen Rajiv Kumar Sahni, DG EME, who emphasized how AI can sharpen operational precision by converting large amounts of sensor data into actionable insights, predicting emerging threats, and upgrading legacy weapon systems into intelligent, data-powered platforms. He stressed the urgency of accelerating engineering support using advanced analytics and predictive interventions to power operational logistics, and discussed the integration of AI in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS, and robotic platforms to gain an upper hand in future warfare.

The seminar was structured around four main themes:

1. Smartisation of Legacy Platforms– The integration of sensors, robust data pipelines, and AI layers to modernize existing platforms.
2. AI-Enabled Predictive and Prescriptive Maintenance– Using AI to anticipate failures and optimize repair cycles to minimize downtime.
3. Niche AI Technologies– Deploying technologies like digital twins, anomaly detection, and secure edge analytics in operational environments.
4. Industry-Academia Collaboration– Strengthening partnerships between research institutions and the defense industry to create scalable, secure, and mission-ready AI solutions.

Notable speakers included Mr. Biswajit Biswas from Tata Elxsi, Sreeram Ananthasayanam from Deloitte India, and Prof. Sashikumaar Ganesan from the Indian Institute of Science. They provided valuable insights on scalable AI architectures, governance frameworks, reliability modeling, and the application of AI in mission-critical platforms.

The seminar also discussed how AI could strengthen every stage of the kill chain—from detection to deployment, recovery, and redeployment—by embedding intelligence within engineering and logistics systems. AI-enabled solutions such as real-time condition monitoring, predictive diagnostics, and analytics were highlighted as key to enhancing equipment reliability without excessive capital investment. The integration of these technologies would reduce downtime, accelerate repair cycles, and maintain operational tempo.

Other key points of discussion included:

• Equipment Health Dashboards– Integrating real-time visibility into command decision-making to improve battle awareness and readiness.
• Shift to Predictive Engineering Support– Moving from reactive to proactive repairs with pre-positioned resources, optimized spare part provisioning, and early deployment of technical support.
• AI-Enabled Demand Forecasting– Optimizing logistics through better inventory management, streamlined supply chains, and faster turnaround for repairable components.

The event reaffirmed the Indian Army’s commitment to technological modernization, domestic innovation, and improving operational efficiency in line with national AI goals. It also underscored the importance of a collaborative effort between industry and academia to strengthen engineering support architecture, "smartise" the kill chain, and integrate scalable AI solutions.