Narender Kumar , SM, VSM, is an Infantry Officer, with close to 12 years experience in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations. He has been part of United Nations Peace-Keeping Missions in North Africa and was a part of the Indian Training Team in a foreign country. He has served as an operational planning officer at the Brigade level; as Colonel Administration of a Division; and as Brig. General Staff in an Operational Area. His command tenures have been in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism areas. He has vast experience of operations in deserts, high altitude areas and amphibious operations. Brig. Narender Kumar is a former Senior Fellow, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), and he also held the Chief of the Army Staff Chair of Excellence from 2013 to 2014. He has authored a book on Challenges in the Indian Ocean Region and Response Options. He has written more than 140 research papers/chapters for books/ articles for various journals and web portals. His areas of interest are Internal Security, Indian Ocean Region, Military Reforms and China. He is also the founder editor of the Indian Army Veterans magazine Sammaan. He has been speaking at various forums on subjects related to internal security, the threats and challenges to India in the Indian Ocean Region and the conflict in West Asia. He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the United Service Institution of India (USI), where he is working on internal security issues.