By: Brigadier Anil John Alfred Pereira, SM (Retd)

Just as we pledge never to lose an inch of our territory, we must now resolve never to lose a single byte of our data.

“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”
This quote, often attributed to Mark Twain, has travelled far and wide ironically embodying its own message. The quote itself is a lie that has been accepted as fact for decades. And in that paradox lies the perfect entry point to understanding the age-old, ever evolving weaponization of information. Long before the internet, tweets, or deepfakes, ancient rulers mastered the art of manipulating information. The divine right to rule claimed by pharaohs, emperors, and kings was often a well-spun fiction to consolidate power. In the Artha Shastra, Chanakya systematically detailed how misinformation could be used in espionage, warfare, and governance. Sun Tzu, in The Art of War, famously wrote: “All warfare is based on deception.” These civilizations understood what we are only now being forced to confront: the control of information is the control of minds.

Digital Vulnerability

In today’s social media era, information has been weaponized in unprecedented ways. Every decision we make from what to eat, whom to vote for, to what we believe about global events is influenced by what we see, hear, and share online. Algorithms amplify content not for truth, but for engagement. This creates echo chambers where facts bend to bias. One of the biggest challenges is that humans are psychologically wired to believe information that aligns with their existing worldview. Disinformation campaigns exploit this cognitive bias. Repetition creates familiarity, which we often mistake for truth. In the digital era, this process is accelerated. With deepfakes, AI-generated images and voice clones, it is nearly impossible to distinguish reality from fabrication. The battlefield of truth is now personal.

Rewriting Reality

Information warfare is not merely about spreading lies, it is about shaping perception. Pakistan has long understood this and deployed it consistently as a core element of its strategic doctrine, often with considerable tactical success in shaping international narratives. During the Kargil Conflict in 1999, despite initiating the intrusion, Pakistan attempted to frame it as a spontaneous uprising by Kashmiri ‘freedom fighters’, even as Indian Army recovered bodies of Pakistani soldiers complete with military IDs. Similarly, after the Indian Air Force struck Jaish-e-Mohammed terror training camp in Balakot, Pakistan immediately pushed global narrative that ‘no damage’ was done and that the strike was a ‘political stunt’. During Operation Sindoor,Pakistan suffered severe setbacks: its forward airbases were struck, terror infrastructure was degraded, and key military installations were neutralized. But within hours, a parallel digital war was launched with fake videos, distorted casualty reports, and selective footage rapidly disseminated via social media and sympathetic global influencers to downplay the extent of the damage and project India as the aggressor.

A coordinated global narrative has increasingly emerged with the aim of portraying India in a negative light, often by selectively highlighting internal challenges while ignoring context, constitutional safeguards, or ground realities. This narrative is perpetuated through a network of ideologically aligned NGOs, think tanks, international media outlets, and activist scholars who frame India as an illiberal democracy. Social media further amplifies this narrative, with hashtag campaigns and viral misinformation frequently originating from adversarial countries and sympathetic diaspora groups. These efforts, subtle and sustained, seek to undermine India’s democratic image, erode its diplomatic credibility, and influence global policymaking by weaponizing perception.

Defending the Information Frontier

To counter this threat, India must embed information dominance into its national security doctrine. A National Information Warfare Command should be established, bringing together military, intelligence, diplomatic, and media experts to lead coordinated narrative responses. A 24×7 Narrative Management Cell must monitor global and domestic trends, rapidly debunk misinformation, and disseminate verified counter-narratives. Indian embassies abroad must be equipped with localized digital content and trained personnel to counter false narratives in real time. We must also promote credible Indian voices in international media and academia; scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals who can articulate India’s perspective with clarity and credibility. The Armed Forces must institutionalize Information Operations as a key operational domain alongside land, air, sea, cyber, and space. Dedicated information warfare units should be tasked with offensive and defensive narrative-building, especially during cross-border operations, insurgency control, or hybrid conflicts. Strategic partnerships with global tech platforms like Meta, X, and YouTube are essential to track and dismantle coordinated influence operations. Equally critical is a nationwide media literacy movement that trains citizens especially youth to identify fake news, deepfakes, and propaganda. Finally, as responsible citizens, it is our moral duty to indulge in responsible sharing, critical thinking, and digital hygiene to be the first line of defence in this information warfare.  

Way Forward: Sovereignty of Information

Information warfare today is not fought on the battlefield but in browsers, news feeds, and comment sections. Just as we pledge never to lose an inch of our territory, we must now resolve never to lose a single byte of our data. In the digital age, sovereignty extends beyond borders, it includes the integrity of our information.