Researchers from the University of Liverpool's Heritage Institute and ArCHIAM research centre have joined Indian academic and military historians to advance new research frameworks for the study and stewardship of India's military cultural heritage.
Earlier this month, the Indian Institute of Heritage, Delhi hosted Imagining the Indian Military Cultural Heritage Hub: Frameworks, Futures & Possibilities, a one-day symposium convened by Liverpool's Heritage Institute and ArCHIAM Centre in partnership with the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies at the United Service Institution of India (USI-CMHCS). The event brought together scholars, museum professionals, heritage practitioners and senior military representatives to explore more systematic and internationally informed approaches to documenting and interpreting India's layered military past.
India's military heritage extends beyond monuments and memorials. Historic cantonments, engineering works, regimental institutions, archives and surrounding communities form complex, living landscapes that remain operational and institutionally sensitive. Participants emphasised that moving past battle-centred narratives requires interdisciplinary frameworks integrating architectural history, landscape analysis, archival research and new institutional practices.
In her opening remarks, Professor Manvi Seth, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Heritage, highlighted the importance of documentation, museology and professional training in addressing complex heritage domains. Lieutenant General Vikas Rohella underscored the need for rigorous methodological approaches that respect service ethos, operational realities and institutional memory. Early sessions led by Professor Raman Suri, Dr Martin Gofriller and Ms Anisha Shekhar Mukherjee foregrounded core principles including documentation before intervention and situating military heritage within broader cultural and environmental histories.
Drawing on his interdisciplinary practice with ArCHIAM Centre, Heritage Institute Director Professor Soumyen Bandyopadhyay outlined how phased survey work, analytical drawing and archival mapping can build an evidence base for responsible conservation and interpretation. Case studies from South Asia and the Middle East demonstrated how research-led approaches can strengthen heritage management without disrupting contemporary use.
International contributions broadened the discussion. Julian Farrance from the National Army Museum, UK shared insights into professional support structures for regimental museums, while Dr Dominiek Dendooven of the In Flanders Fields Museum reflected on interpretation of shared and difficult wartime histories, including the presence of non-European troops on the Western Front. These perspectives positioned Indian military heritage within wider global debates on memory, diversity and long-term stewardship.
During his visit to Delhi, Professor Bandyopadhyay also participated in Creative Convergence: Growth Reimagined, a high-level forum convened by the British Council to foster UK-India collaboration across the creative economy. The event explored innovation, inclusion and cross-sector partnerships, offering insight into international research networks, cultural policy frameworks and collaborative funding landscapes - strengthening the strategic context for initiatives such as the proposed Indian Military Cultural Heritage Hub.
A key outcome of the symposium was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between USI-CMHCS and the University of Liverpool. Anchored through Heritage Institute, the agreement establishes a flexible framework for sustained collaboration in historical research, site documentation, heritage interpretation and capacity building. Rather than focusing on a single project, the partnership enables pilot initiatives and shared methodological development across multiple contexts.
For Liverpool's Heritage Institute, ArCHIAM and their Indian partners, the symposium marks an important milestone in advancing collaborative, impact-oriented research, by reinforcing the value of careful, evidence-led practice in managing complex heritage landscapes where history, institutions and living environments intersect.
