The Indian Army officially declared 2026 as the 'Year of Networking and Data Centricity' as part of its Decade of Transformation initiative. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi made the announcement in his New Year message, emphasizing that jointness, self-reliance, and innovation form the core pillars of India's military modernization.

The initiative aims to achieve real-time situational awareness across all theatres, faster decision-making at tactical and strategic levels, enhanced combat effectiveness through data-driven operations, and greater resilience against cyber and electronic warfare threats. The 2026 declaration builds upon 2024-25's 'Year of Technology Absorption', which focused on integrating newly developed technologies into operational use.