In India at War decorated soldier and strategic thinker Col. D. P. K. Pillay presents a sweeping yet deeply human account of India’s military past, spanning ancient kingdoms, medieval invasions, colonial campaigns, the World Wars and the conflicts that shaped independent India.
India at War explores how warfare has continually influenced India’s political, cultural and civilizational evolution. It examines not only how kingdoms rose and fell, but why India, unlike many great civilizations, endured. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, the book restores long-overlooked military episodes and forgotten heroes to their rightful place in the nation’s collective memory.
Col. D.P.K. Pillay brings unparalleled authority to this narrative. A third-generation soldier commissioned into one of India’s oldest regiments, he was severely wounded while serving in counter-insurgency operations in Punjab, Kashmir, Assam and Manipur, earning the Shaurya Chakra for his bravery. Following his military service, he played a key role in strategic policymaking within the Ministry of Defence and the National Security Council Secretariat, while also contributing to international humanitarian missions with the International Red Cross in conflict zones including Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
About The Author
Col DPK Pillay, Shaurya Chakra, PhD, is a decorated veteran, military innovator, national security strategist, humanitarian practitioner, international adviser, and distinguished scholar. Commissioned into one of India’s finest regiments, the Brigade of the Guards, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for conspicuous gallantry beyond the call of duty. He pioneered the Indian Army’s first handheld digital battlefield systems and later served in the Ministry of Defence and the National Security Council Secretariat, contributing to key strategic initiatives.
He has served with the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Middle East and North Africa region and is an International Research Advisor to the Korean War Memorial Organization. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and Fordham University, New York. Col Pillay is currently a Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
The official release for the book is in August 2026
