Civil-Military Fusion as a Metric of National Power and Comprehensive Security

by Lt Gen Raj Shukla

For decades, democracies including India have kept the civil and military spheres apart—out of fear of militarization, competition for resource allocation from a common pool, even to privilege business & commerce over security. The results, however, has often been sub-optimal in terms of delivery.

In sharp contrast, China went the other way. Through its doctrine of Military-Civil Fusion (MCF), it has seamlessly linked civilian capacities and military prowess—in shipbuilding, semiconductors, AI, and the emerging storm of technologies—using commercial scale and capital to fuel its strategic-military ascendancy. The United States once practised civil-military integration with great agility, only to retreat into silos, and is now struggling to rebuild lost synergies.

As India re-imagines its national security frame, the question should it craft its own model of Civil-Military Fusion (CMF)? What principles, priorities, and safeguards would make CMF work in a democratic setting?

This book explores the above and much more, drawing lessons from China’s MCF, the American experience, and India’s evolving trajectory—inviting readers to join an exciting conversation on security, innovation, and possible pathways that could shape India’s strategic-military futures. Leveraged with wisdom and resolve, CMF could become the ‘secret sauce’ to fuel, fortify and secure India’s rise.

104 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Walter Sylesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great conversation opener. Lt Gen Raj Shukla provides a thrust of ideas for the policy makers and my generation to execute a Civil - Military Fused Nation.