- Driving Strategic Dialogue Through Military Literature Festivals
- Champions Military Literature as a Catalyst for Defence Reform
By Sangeeta Saxena
New Delhi. 14 April 2025. In an era where strategic clarity is as vital as operational capability, think tanks like the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) have emerged as key drivers of civil-military dialogue. Their role in propagating and supporting military literature festivals is both profound and purposeful—acting as intellectual bridges that connect the armed forces, policymakers, academia, and the general public. As the countdown begins for Kalam & Kavach 2.0, co-organised by CENJOWS, Pentagon Press LLP, and DOAP on April 15, 2025, the spotlight turns to how institutions like CENJOWS are shaping India’s strategic discourse beyond battlefield doctrines—by influencing minds, mentoring thought leaders, and igniting conversations that define the future of national security.
The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) was established on 27 August 2007 at the initiative of the Ministry of Defence and is registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. Its vision is to be India’s premier think tank promoting jointness, integration, and transformation in the armed forces. Rising above sectoral and departmental silos, CENJOWS provides a holistic platform to examine issues of joint warfare and synergy across services. It serves as a vital interface between the government, armed forces, public and private sectors, academia, NGOs, and civil society. Through independent and unbiased debate, the centre facilitates the emergence of well-rounded, pragmatic alternatives on matters of national security. With a mission to drive India’s comprehensive national power through synergistic jointness, it offers focused research and informed debate to aid doctrinal and policy formulation.
CENJOWS plays a critical role in nurturing military scholarship and supporting forums like military literature festivals, where strategic dialogue and civil-military synergy are brought to the forefront. As a referral and support think tank to the Ministry of Defence and HQ IDS, CENJOWS undertakes in-depth research on geo-strategic and joint warfare issues, offering policy inputs across the tri-services domain. It fosters collaboration with global institutions, harnesses veterans’ expertise, and promotes knowledge-sharing through its journals, monographs, and online platforms. Its involvement in literature festivals ensures that military discourse reaches a broader audience, bridging operational insights with public understanding. By shaping informed narratives and providing domain expertise, CENJOWS not only enriches strategic culture but continues its pursuit of becoming a think tank of global repute.
CENJOWS is focused on jointness, integration and joint war fighting towards which it has accorded special focus on Year of Defence Reforms in 2025 as declared by the Government.
Here’s how CENJOWS contributes to military literature festivals:
Strategic Curation of Content
CENJOWS helps frame the narrative by identifying contemporary and forward-looking themes—from joint warfare and indigenous defence capability to cyber warfare and strategic autonomy. Their involvement ensures that the festival’s discourse aligns with national defence priorities.
Knowledge Amplification
As a premier defence think tank, CENJOWS curates, commissions, and disseminates high-quality research and publications. By promoting such literature through festivals, they amplify military thought, doctrine evolution, and policy debates, making them accessible to a wider audience.
Platform for Veterans and Scholars
CENJOWS brings together veterans, scholars, analysts, and practitioners, creating a robust ecosystem for experience-based and research-backed discussions. Military literature festivals become platforms for these voices to engage with audiences, media, and policymakers.
Encouraging Civil-Military Synergy
Through its engagement, CENJOWS fosters civil-military dialogue by bringing strategic discussions out of closed-door environments into more inclusive forums. This demystifies defence for civilians and highlights the importance of national security in everyday discourse.
Mentoring and Partnerships
CENJOWS supports and often mentors emerging defence writers, strategic thinkers, and defence journalists by offering them a stage to showcase their work, gain feedback, and network. It also partners with publishers, educational institutions, and platforms like Kalam & Kavach to co-create meaningful content.
Institutional Credibility
Their endorsement lends credibility and gravitas to literature festivals, attracting top-tier speakers, defence officials, and media coverage, thus elevating the festival’s stature nationally and globally.
In essence, think tanks like CENJOWS are not just participants in military literature festivals—they are co-creators of thought leadership, ensuring that such platforms go beyond ceremonial events to become spaces for strategic dialogue, intellectual innovation, and public engagement in national security.
Kalam & Kavach 2.0 will be bringing together multiple stakeholders on a common platform to spear head the thought and action plans for defence production in the country as it’s the key for ensuring strategic autonomy both during peace and war.
CENJOWS exemplifies the evolving role of military think tanks in India’s defence ecosystem. By curating knowledge, fostering partnerships, mentoring new voices, and amplifying civil-military synergy, it ensures that platforms like Kalam & Kavach are more than ceremonial gatherings—they become vibrant arenas of strategic reflection and national introspection. As India celebrates the Year of Defence Reforms in 2025, CENJOWS continues to reinforce its mission of promoting jointness, integration, and transformative capability-building across the services. With its growing role in military literature festivals, CENJOWS is not just shaping narratives—it is scripting a stronger, more informed, and strategically sovereign India.
