Ministry
Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence is the Government of India's apex body for national defence. It frames defence policy and administers the three armed services, defence research and development, and defence production. Working through its departments — including the Department of Military Affairs headed by the Chief of Defence Staff — it is the civilian authority over India's military.
Updated
- Headquarters
- South Block, New Delhi
- Departments
- 5 (incl. Military Affairs)
- CDS post created
- 2020
- Services
- Army, Navy, Air Force
Role
The Ministry of Defence is the civilian apex over India’s military. It sets defence policy and administers the three services, the defence R&D establishment (DRDO), and defence production. Its Department of Military Affairs, created in 2020 and headed by the Chief of Defence Staff, is the locus of the ongoing push to integrate the services into joint structures. The Indian Army is the largest of the services under its authority.
Desk maintained by IndiaStand editorial cycles. Officeholders are transient; this dossier tracks the institution.
Timeline since 1947
- reference
Ministry of Defence constituted
Took charge of the armed forces of newly independent India.
- reference
Post-war reorganisation
Reverses in the 1962 war drove a major expansion and restructuring of defence policy and spending.
- reference
Chief of Defence Staff and Department of Military Affairs created
A landmark integration reform placing a single-point military adviser and a dedicated department atop the services.
- reference
Agnipath recruitment scheme introduced
A restructured short-service recruitment model for the armed forces, and a significant personnel-policy change.
- gdelt
Operation Sindoor casualty-disclosure dispute
A parliamentary dispute over what was disclosed about military casualties in Operation Sindoor dominated defence coverage (see brief).
Frequently asked
- What is Ministry of Defence?
- The Ministry of Defence is the Government of India's apex body for national defence. It frames defence policy and administers the three armed services, defence research and development, and defence production. Working through its departments — including the Department of Military Affairs headed by the Chief of Defence Staff — it is the civilian authority over India's military.
- When was Ministry of Defence established?
- Ministry of Defence was established 1947.
- What does Ministry of Defence do?
- Its remit covers Defence policy and the armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force), Department of Military Affairs (Chief of Defence Staff), Defence research & development (DRDO), Defence production and procurement, Ex-servicemen welfare.