Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, Ph.D. (Retd.), has over 40 years of distinguished service in the Indian Army. Commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles, he has navigated diverse and challenging terrains across the country.

Throughout his career, he has held prestigious staff and command positions, both domestically and internationally, culminating in his role as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command of the Indian Army, where he was entrusted with the critical responsibility of defending nearly half of India`s landmass.

An alumnus of HMI, Darjeeling, he is also a passionate trekker and mountaineer, having successfully scaled Mount Rathong in the Kanchenjunga Massif. Additionally, he is an enthusiastic sportsman with interest in cycling and yoga. A scholar at heart, the General is deeply engaged in Defence Studies, Spirituality, Mythology, History and Nature.

With over three decades of actively pursuing and practising spirituality, he views it as a vital foundation for military leadership, believing that it can enhance the effectiveness of Indian military leaders in profound ways. This was the basis of his first book, Beyond the Battlefield: Spirituality as an Enabler of Indian Military Leadership.

He has authored various articles on leadership and spirituality. Besides, he is a motivational speaker and regularly delivers talks on geostrategic issues, India’s strategic culture, life’s philosophy and spirituality.

Post retirement, Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh is currently a member of the National Security Advisory Board, thanks to his deep insights into India`s strategic challenges.

Rajan Arya is the Founder & CEO of Pentagon Press LLP, one of India’s leading publishing platforms in Defence, Strategic Affairs, and National Security. For over two and a half decades, he has devoted himself to bringing a new perspective on issues and raising the nation’s awareness.

Born with a deep reverence for the olive green and profoundly shaped by the emotions stirred during the Kargil War, he transformed a personal calling into a national mission: to build a more informed, secure, and strategically aware Bharat. Under his leadership, Pentagon Press has become a trusted bridge between the soldier and the citizen, amplifying frontline experiences, military history, and India`s evolving security challenges.

A passionate advocate of youth empowerment, he believes that understanding national security is essential for building a resilient, future-ready Bharat and empowering youth to become the next generation of strategic thinkers, defence scholars, and national security thought leaders.