The United Service Institution of India was founded in 1870 by a soldier scholar, Colonel (later Major General) Sir Charles MacGregor. The story of its growth is the story of the growth of the Indian Armed Forces. It was founded for ‘furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services.’
A Scholars’ Presentation for the Lt Gen Prem Singh Bhagat Chair of Excellence was scheduled at the United Service Institution of India on 17 December 2025, from 1000 to 1115 hours, at Seminar Room 3. The programme began with welcome remarks by Maj Gen RS Yadav, VSM (Retd), Director, Centre for Strategic Studies and Simulation (CS3), USI, who welcomed the attendees and highlighted the importance of the topic.
The presentation was delivered by Lt Gen SS Hasabnis, PVSM, VSM (Retd) on “Technology Absorption in the Indian Army.”, in which he emphasised that operational effectiveness depends not merely on the induction of advanced systems but on their effective absorption and adoption as well. An interactive question-and-answer session followed, during which participants provided their suggestions. Expert comments were offered by Lt Gen Kapil Agarwal, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd), who was the subject matter expert of the project. The event concluded with closing remarks by Maj Gen R S Yadav, VSM (Retd), who thanked the speaker and participants.
