Cold Start is a Concept at this stage. Its a New War fighting concept that India is building towards following the disastorous build up of operation Pakahram in 2001.
That build up was painfully slow and costly and achieved nothing.
India is not looking at a Mass Invasion border war taking swathes of Pak territory and losing lives and costing $billions.
India no1 priority is maintain its impessive Economic growth of last decade and get Indian GDP to $2 trillion by 2015 and $3 trillion by 2020. THE LAST THING INDIA NEEDS IS A WAR to throw its trajectory growth off this course.
BUT it cannot be seen to be a soft touch. THE GOI as to respond to the next terrorist attack because 1.2 billion indians will demand an answer.
Cold START CALLS FOR RAPID SHORT BURSTS of strikes by small forces both on land and in the air WITHOUT comitting MASSIVE build up.
In the WEST they call this punative mlitary action.
LIKE I SAID i repeat this COLD START DOCTRINE is just a concept at this stage but is being worked upon AND OPENLY debated by the indian top brass.
I REPEAT nothing is more important that the indian GROWTH OF ITS ECONOMY...
Cold start Doctrine was dead in 2004 after Congress has arrived along with POTA.