General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), today virtually addressed the 3rd Land Forces Summit hosted by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). The summit was attended by Chiefs of Armies and senior military leaders from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia and the United States.
During his address, General Dwivedi postulated the ‘IKIGAI’ Framework as a comprehensive roadmap for enhancing Indo-Pacific land power cooperation. The framework underscores a shared and structured approach to strengthening multilateral military collaboration across the region. The IKIGAI Framework encompasses:
•I – Interoperability and Information Sharing
•K – Knowledge and Professional Military Education
•I – International Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
•G – Generative Technological Partnerships
•A – Assurance for Security Partnerships
•I – Integrated Logistics and Sustainment
The COAS further highlighted the three key pillars of convergence underpinning effective cooperation - Shared Diagnosis, Shared Principles, and Shared Actions. He emphasised that the IKIGAI Framework reflects a common purpose among Indo-Pacific nations to harness collective land power in support of regional peace, stability and prosperity.
The Land Forces Summit serves as an important multilateral platform aimed at strengthening Army-to-Army defence cooperation through senior leadership engagements and structured Land Forces Dialogue, fostering deeper understanding and collaboration among participating nations.
