This conference was chaired by Gen VP Malik, Chief of the Army Staff. He delivered the opening address and the welcome address was delivered by Lt Gen Shankar Prasad, Director General Infantry. All Infantry General Officer Commanding in Chiefs of Commands, Principal Staff Officers at Army HQ and a large number of senior infantry field force Commanders attended the conference.

The conference is held once in two years to deliberate on issues pertaining to infantry. Infantry is the largest and the most committed combat arm of our Army, defending our national integrity in some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. Infantry has also been at the fore-front in providing relief to our distressed citizens during natural calamities.

The conference provides an apt forum for senior Infantry Commanders and the infantry fraternity to interact and address major issues affecting infantry including measures to improve the combat effectiveness, modernisation and evolving a long term perspective in order to retain the combat edge over our adversaries.

The conference was held at Som Hall which is named after the famous war hero Maj Som Nath Sharma, who was posthumously awarded the first Param Vir Chakra, the highest military decoration for gallantry, for his supreme sacrifice during 1947-48 J&K operations soon after independence. The hall today adorns itself with portraits of the Param Vir Chakra awardees and the scenes of valour of the 1999 Kargil war.