A year on, how has Operation Sindoor shaped India’s strategic options vis-a-vis Pakistan? 5 min read May 8, 2026 06:30 AM IST First published on: May 8, 2026 at 06:30 AM IST On May 7, 2025 at 0105 hours, India launched Operation Sindoor with precision strikes on nine terrorist bases in Pakistan, to avenge the brutal killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam. A year on, the operation deserves sober appraisal. Did we achieve our objective of lasting deterrence or did it merely reset the clock on a cycle of violence? More importantly, if Pakistan sponsors another terror attack, how should India respond? What should be the strategy for Sindoor 2.0? Some analysts argue that India should have pressed the advantage further. Sindoor, however, was never intended to be a full-scale war. It was a response short of war — limited in scope, space and intensity, designed to punish the perpetrators of terror while preserving the option to escalate.…