Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
मनोहर पर्रिकर रक्षा अध्ययन एवं विश्लेषण संस्थान

D. Padma Kumar Pillay

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Colonel Dr. Divakaran Padma Kumar Pillay (Retd.) has seen action in several disturbed areas of the country. He earned a Shaurya Chakra for gallantry beyond the call of duty in Tamenglong, Manipur where he is remembered for the evacuation of wounded children despite having himself received life threatening injuries. On his retirement, the villagers made him an honorary member of their tribe for his humanitarian actions and in recognition of the development initiatives taken by him in the region including a national highway sanctioned by the Government of India.

Col. Pillay has held several assignments in his 29-year career in the Indian Army. Besides several field assignments, he was selected by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to serve at the Military School, Bangalore to inspire cadets to join the Armed Forces. In 2003, he was selected for Project Beta which delivered a handheld PDA for use by the Infantry in counter insurgency operations. This was a very unique military-funded IT enterprise. For his contribution to the project, he was awarded the COAS Commendation Card in 2005.

In January 2006, he was selected as Planning Officer (Defence) in the Planning and International Cooperation (PIC) Division of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Being the first service officer in the MoD secretariat, he handled issues ranging from defence policy and strategy, implementation of the Group of Ministers report on reform of national security system, defence cooperation with foreign countries, issues of multilateral forum as well as matters pertaining to institutions like the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). He has also represented India at various international forums including the UNOG for CCW conferences, UNGA, Shangri La Dialogue, ASEAN and UNEP, among others

After the tenure at MoD, he served on a yearlong fellowship at MP-IDSA in 2009, where he prepared a report on the benefits of joint exercises with the foreign countries. He was subsequently selected as Senior Defence Specialist in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), where he served from 2010 to 2017. He has been a member of several national level task forces including that on Defence Modernisation and Indigenisation headed by Shri Ravindra Gupta and the Task Force on Defence Diplomacy, which brought about significant changes in policy. He was also a member of the NSCS-nominated Task Force on Environmental Security. 

Currently, Col. Pillay is pursuing research on violent extremism at MP-IDSA as well as a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) project on Action Plan to Counter Radicalisation of Indian Youth. He was nominated as a member of the Advisory Committee for Commemoration of the First War with Pakistan (October 1947-December 1948) by the National Archives of India. He subsequently produced a well-researched exhibition on the accession of Jammu and Kashmir. In December 2018, he was nominated as Brand Ambassador to the Disabled in the Army, having been wounded in action and showing remarkable grit and recovery, by the COAS in a ceremony held at the Northern Command along with living Param Vir Chakra awardees.

In December 2018, he was also deputed as a Military Advisor with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for After Action Review for the wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. He was the first Indian armed forces officer selected as an Armed Forces Delegate with the ICRC. He re-joined MP-IDSA in May 2019.

Col. Pillay holds a Ph.D. from the Panjab University and his thesis deals with the debate between human and national security. Besides university courses, he has attended several military training programmes in India and abroad on diverse subjects relating to conflict resolution, human rights, security sector reform, humanitarian civil-military coordination, strategic negotiations, rehabilitation and relief, disaster risk management and environmental law. Some of the courses attended are: New Issues in Security course at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (2007), Switzerland; the UNOCHA course on Civil Military Cooperation at Bangkok (2014); and International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance, Barcelona, Spain (2014).

He has been invited to present papers at international conferences, notably at the Martens Reading at St. Petersburg, Russia in May 2019 and at the ICRC South Asia in July 2017. He regularly conducts international humanitarian law (IHL) training for the UN missions at courses conducted by the Centre for UN Peacekeeping in New Delhi. He also delivers lectures at universities and colleges including at the UGC-HRD courses. He is a regular strategic affairs commentator on Indian radio and television as well as a motivational speaker, including at TED. He was a recipient of the CNN–IBN Special Achievement Award in 2012.

Research Fellow

Publication

DPK Pillay’s Article ‘The Fast track to first world:  Korea’s lessons for India’s rise’ Published in The Sunday Guardian

Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Col DPK Pillay’s article ‘The Fast track to first world:  Korea’s lessons for India’s rise’ has been published in ‘The Sunday Guardian’ on 20 July 2025.

South Korea’s rapid development through authoritarian-led quality focus contrasts with India’s democratic, pluralistic but steady economic rise and modernization, says Col Pillay.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

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DPK Pillay’s Article ‘India’s Korean War Blueprint: A Path to Global Peacemaking Leadership in Today’s World’ Published by VIF

Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Col DPK Pillay’s article ‘India's Korean War Blueprint: A Path to Global Peacemaking Leadership in Today's World’ has been published by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on 17 July 2025. The moral compass that guides India's policy of non-alignment, sharpened through its hard-earned diplomatic real estate and invaluable capital, now unequivocally demands decisive action, not mere presence. The cost of inaction is not simply a betrayal of India's historical commitment to global peace and a diminishing of its rightful standing; it risks hurtling the world towards unending violence, escalating conflicts, and cascading man-made disasters, says Col Pillay. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

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DPK Pillay’s Article ‘Why India needs to do to recapture the narrative war’ Published in Chakra

Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Col DPK Pillay’s article ‘Why India needs to do to recapture the narrative war’ has been published in Chakra on 07 July 2025.

India is not lacking in stories—we are lacking in storytellers. We do not lack heroes—we lack the will to honor them. Korea holds up a mirror. It shows us the power of remembrance, of narrative, and of sustained engagement. Let us stop being forgotten. Let us start becoming unforgettable, says Col Pillay.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

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DPK Pillay’s Article ‘Col Nayar’s legacy and India’s role in the Korean War’ Published in The Tribune

Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Col DPK Pillay’s article ‘Col Nayar’s legacy and India’s role in the Korean War’ has been published in ‘The Tribune’ on 30 June 2025. For 75 years, the people of Korea have actively cherished Col Nayar’s memory and his memorial at Beomeo Park in Daeguhas, South Korea, has become a sacred site, says Col Pillay. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

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DPK Pillay’s Article ‘From Seoul to Delhi: A shared legacy of freedom and sacrifice’ Published in The Korea Times

Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Col DPK Pillay’s article ‘From Seoul to Delhi: A shared legacy of freedom and sacrifice’ has been published in ‘The Korea Times’ on 29 June 2025. At the War Memorial of Korea, two symbolic clocks stand: one frozen at 4 a.m. on June 25, 1950 — the moment the war began — and the other ticking patiently, awaiting the day the two halves of the peninsula might be reunited. These clocks capture not just loss, but hope. A hope that one day, the Korean people, divided by history, may find unity again. And when that day comes, India will stand with them, just as it did 75 years ago, says Col Pillay. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

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DPK Pillay’s Article ‘Bluff and Bloodshed: Unmasking General Munir’s Kashmir gamble’ Published in Money Control

Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Col DPK Pillay’s article ‘Bluff and Bloodshed: Unmasking General Munir's Kashmir gamble’ has been published in Money Control on 23 April 2025. The Pahalgam massacre bears a chilling resemblance to the Hamas attack on unarmed civilians. It’s a desperate attempt to lure India into a trap. Pakistan anticipates an Indian retaliatory strike. Such a response would be a strategic trap, playing directly into Munir’s hands. India must project strength without succumbing to full-scale war, says Col Pillay. Read Complete Article [+] Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

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DPK Pillay’s Article ‘One Rank One Pension: A Saga of Broken Promises and Hard-Won Battles’ Published in Blitz India

Research Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Col DPK Pillay’s article ‘One Rank One Pension: A Saga of Broken Promises and Hard-Won Battles’ has been published in Blitz India on 13 November 2024.

The journey of OROP reflects India’s commitment to recognizing veterans’ sacrifices, not just lip service during election seasons. Timely revisions and continuous dialogue with veterans are crucial to fulfilling OROP’s true spirit.

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