‘My dream is that India innovates the next big thing in warfare, revolutionising war as we know it’
​

Lt Ojas Tohra, currently attached to one of Indian Navy’s most advanced warships, embodies the future of a force committed to staying ahead in the constantly evolving field of modern warfare. In this interview, he reflects on a journey that began long before he donned the uniform and talks about dreams — for himself and the nation

As the world geared up to say goodbye to the year on December 31, with countdowns, resolutions, and celebrations, the atmosphere aboard the guided missile destroyer INS Imphal was strikingly different. Moored at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, one of the Indian Navy’s most advanced warships stayed fully operational, serving as a reminder that for those in uniform, duty doesn’t stop for New Year’s Eve or any calendar milestone.

Standing on the deck of the 163-metre-long warship on the last morning of 2025, 27-year-old Lieutenant Ojas Tohra reflected on a journey that began long before he donned the uniform or held command. Born into a family with four generations of military service, his first brush with the armed forces came during a childhood visit to the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, the officer told TOI+ in an insightful conversation.

Commissioned into the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy in November 2020, Lt Tohra’s journey mirrors the evolution of India’s modern military officer: well-versed in academics, seasoned in operations, and increasingly attuned to the demands of technology-driven warfare. His years at both the NDA and the Indian Naval Academy in Kerala’s Ezhimala were transformative — shaping not just his professional skills, but his personal growth.

As India celebrates another Republic Day, this young officer serves as a quiet reminder to what true service means in a changing world. Rooted in tradition, sharpened by discipline, and driven by an unwavering commitment, Lt Tohra embodies the future of a force always looking to stay one step ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of modern warfare. 

Edited excerpts:

At what stage did you decide that the armed forces was going to be your chosen career?

My father is an alumnus of the NDA. I was about three or four years old when he was in Pune for a course. So one Sunday he just took me and my mother to visit the Academy and I just fell in love with all of it. Even to date, I feel the Academy is one of the most magnificent places I’ve ever visited as it has a lot of history and heritage and culture linked with it. My parents tell me that during our very first visit, I said that this was where I wanted to be and that I wanted to join the armed forces.

How did you then prepare to get into the armed forces?

My father guided me a little bit towards it. The game plan was to first clear the written examination and then focus on the Services Selection Board, which is a five-day interview. I appeared out of turn once, I gave the examination when I was in the 11th class. I was not eligible to join, but it gave me a little bit of insight into what the examination was all about. So I doubled down on preparing for mathematics because the greatest amount of weightage is given to that.

A lot of weightage is given to English grammar as well, so I studied that too. I actually got screened out of my first SSB, although I did clear the written examination. It was then that I learned that I do not know how to participate in a group discussion so I asked for help from a lot of my seniors in college. They enrolled me and enlisted me in every single group discussion that was happening on campus, which helped me clear the next SSB the next time. I was not a very athletic child, so I got some help from my father on that as well.

Watch: "My father has been my role model throughout"

So did you always want to be a Navy officer?

I actually joined as an Army cadet; I had opted for the Army. It was when I went to the NDA that I got my first exposure to the Navy. There’s a very mysterious and charming quality to the ocean which I wanted to explore and learn about. When you think about the Navy, you think about ships and submarines and pirates and divers and all of it was a little too romantic to pass upon.

Can you take us through the selection process?

There are different entries to the services. The one that I took was the NDA-INA entry. On completion of 12th standard, you are eligible for the written examination which has two papers. It has one paper dedicated to mathematics and another to general aptitude. On clearing the written, you get a call for the SSB, which is a five-day process. They have various written tests, an interview, group discussions and physical tests. Once you clear the SSB, you go for your medical. Once you’ve cleared the medical, the final merit list is prepared. And if you are in the final merit list, you get a call from the academy.

​

"How rigorous is the training? How long does it take to get commissioned into the services?

The training is designed to transform a college-going/ school-going person into an officer. Again, there are different entries. The NDA-INA entry is a four-year undergraduate programme. So for four years you undertake basic military training and you also undergo a BTech curriculum. The training places a lot of impetus on drill, physical training, sports, academics, both for the BTech as well as academics pertinent to the Navy.

The entire process, like I said, takes about four years. And there is also an entry for postgraduates. The training period for that is between one to one-and-a-half years, depending on the type of entry.

How did your time at the NDA shape you as an individual?

From what I have understood is that the process of the SSB is to select a certain core in an individual. There are certain values that they’re already checking, certain checklists that they have which the individual already ticks off. And at the academy, the entire training is designed to build up from there. So whatever potential a person has, whatever is untapped that is tapped into and then an officer is made out of that. It does transform a person quite substantially.

But I believe that this selection process is what the poster already mentions: Do you have it in you? So I believe that everyone who gets selected already has a certain quality to them.

Watch: "Carpe diem or seize the day is how most of us live"

Any special memories from your days at the academy that you would like to share with us! 

There are too many actually, too many of them. A lot of time spent running around, time spent learning from seniors, a lot of time spent in the camps, a lot of great memories from course mates. All of it stands out and none of it stands out individually as well. I guess the one memory that stands out the most is I was not the best runner when I was in academy, but the camaraderie and the ethos is such that we have a 12km cross-country. Somewhere during the sixth kilometre I wanted to stop, so I just told one of my seniors, I really can’t make it. He said, “Just give me your hand, we’ll get through the rest of it.” And he literally held on to my hand and made me run the remaining six. Since then I’ve actually done a lot better.

The armed forces is the only job in the world, where dying in the line of duty is a professional ask. How did your parents react when you told them you wanted to join the armed forces?

I am very fortunate because a lot of people in my family are actually in the military. I’m a fourth-generation officer. My great grandfather, my grandfather and my father were all in the Army. And speaking of my mother, my maternal grandfather was an officer in the Border Roads Organization (under the Ministry of Defence). So my family has always been very supportive. My father has been a role model and inspiration throughout. So I’m actually very proud that I get to follow in his footsteps.

I’m sure that you have a lot of friends who are into different professions, but you probably command a different level of admiration and respect when you meet in a group. How is that feeling?

It feels good. But the admiration and the adulation is all for the uniform and what the service represents. It is because of the sacrifice of all the people who’ve come before us and the sacrifices that they’ve made because of which you and I are able to have this conversation right now. So all of that respect and admiration, it’s all been earned by our seniors. We’re just trying to do our bit to live up to it.

Could you share one or two highlights from the missions you have undertaken so far?

We have been deployed for anti-piracy and anti-narcotics operations off the Gulf of Aden and we have also undertaken several multinational exercises in which we’ve undertaken cross-deck exercises with navies of other countries. (Cross-deck exercises are a common activity in bilateral and multilateral naval exercises. These drills involve helicopters from one ship landing on the deck of a partner nation’s ship).

​

Operation Sindoor offered a glimpse into future high-tech warfare due to its successful integration of indigenous, cutting-edge military technology, drones and electronic warfare systems. Your comment!

War and skirmishes have always driven technological innovation throughout history. Op Sindoor was no different. We were able to display a lot of our capabilities, including as you mentioned, the cutting edge indigenous technologies we’ve developed and the high precision vectors we hold. It also gave us a lot of perspective as to how information can be used to control narratives and I think it was a watershed moment for us because we were able to display credible deterrence using the technology that we had and the tri-service action that was undertaken.

India is the 4th most powerful military of the world, according to the 2025 Global Firepower Index. How prepared are we to counter a two-front war threat?

[Today] we are better prepared than we’ve ever been, but we can never be prepared enough, which is why we continue to train. We continue to push for innovation both within the service and from our civilian partners. The Navy is commissioning more ships and submarines than it has ever done before. There is a massive push for innovation with respect to directed energy weapons, drones, and electronic warfare.

But like you mentioned, on one of the fronts [China], the military that you’re talking about is the third largest in the world and the coefficient actually ranks them second. They have a Navy which has three times the assets that we do. So yes, we have a lot of ground to cover, but we are getting there.

A career in the military is essentially a 24/7 commitment. How do you guys unwind? Do you get to spend quality time with your family?

We read, we play sports. A lot of people paint, some write. You’ll be surprised at the number of poets and artists that are there in the military. And as you mentioned, we have a lot of value for time. Most of the people over here live by the motto of: Carpe Diem which translates to seize the day. Like you mentioned, we have a lot of value for time and when your life is on the line everything becomes all the more precious.

And when it comes to the family, I feel that because time is of the essence, each experience becomes all the more cherished and all the more beautiful.

Watch: "War and skirmishes have always driven technological innovations..."

What career advice would you give to the youngsters who tend to opt for professions other than the armed forces and for those who are considering a career in the military?

For those who want to join the armed forces, I will tell them that it is the best thing that you could possibly do. It is a great service, possibly one of the greatest you could be giving to your country. So definitely, if you haven’t made up your mind, it is an adventurous life. It is amazing, do come over to this side. You will live a life unlike any you've ever lived before.

And for those who are wavering, I feel that every job and every profession has its value and has a lot to contribute to the nation. I feel that we’re a very young country and that we will make mistakes, our ecosystems are not perfect. But [that’s] all the more reason for us to strive for excellence and greatness because institutions and nations take a long time to build. So probably those who are going outside just be patient with our country and do a good job.

What are some of the characteristics that the youth must cultivate to have a career in one of the three armed services?

I don't think there is any particular trait that one needs to have. I feel we are a melting pot of all different sorts of personalities and characters. Everybody who comes here has a certain aura about them and their own style of leadership. I would not tell anyone to be a certain way, just be yourself. But yes, I guess the only thing that we are looking for probably is honesty of action and integrity of thought. So just inculcate that from the word go.

What is your dream for yourself? And what is your dream for India?

My dream for myself and for the country is the same. We've spoken a bit about drone warfare, electronic warfare, and yes, that is the present, but we have to get ahead of the curve. So my dream is that India is the country which manages to innovate the next big thing in warfare, which revolutionises both the world as well as warfare as we know it. And I would love to be part of the team that does that.

Also read this R-Day special: ‘I got a chance to fight in Op Sindoor and that’s the biggest award’