Second visit to Kolkata in less than a month, PM Modi to inaugurate 3-day armed forces' conference

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a three-day Combined Commanders' Conference of the armed forces at the Eastern Command headquarters here on September 15.

Focusing on reforms, transformation and operational preparedness, the theme for this year's conference is 'Year of Reforms - Transforming for the Future'.

"The focus of the conference reflects the armed forces' commitment to institutional reforms, deeper integration and technological modernisation, while sustaining a high level of multi-domain operational readiness," an official said.

Modi will reach Kolkata on Sunday evening from Jorhat in Assam and spend the night at the Raj Bhavan here.

Visiting Kolkata for the second time in less than a month, Modi will inaugurate the conference on Monday morning at the Indian Army's Eastern Command headquarters, Vijay Durg, the erstwhile Fort William, the official said.

The PM will depart from Kolkata on Monday afternoon for Purnea in Bihar, he said.

The conference in Kolkata comes after Operation Sindoor in May, which was launched in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians.

Operation Sindoor, which was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan, showcased a calibrated, tri-services response embodying precision, professionalism and purpose, the official said.

The function will be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, among others.

The Combined Commanders' Conference (CCC) serves as a brainstorming forum for the armed forces, bringing together the nation's top civil and military leaders to exchange views at the conceptual and strategic levels.

The CCC was last held in Bhopal in 2023, which was inaugurated by the prime minister.

A defence statement said that the three-day deliberations from September 15 will seek to further strengthen the armed forces, "which are agile and decisive in an increasingly complex geo-strategic landscape".

It stressed that the conference, continuing with the tradition of inclusive engagement, will feature interactive sessions with officers and personnel of various ranks from the armed forces, ensuring that field-level perspectives enrich the discussions at the highest level.

Modi, during his last visit to Kolkata on August 22, laid the foundation stone for and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over Rs 5,200 crore in West Bengal.