Ministry
Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence is the Government of India's apex civilian authority over the armed forces. It frames defence policy and administers, through five departments, the three services, defence research and development, defence production and ex-servicemen welfare. It commands the single largest share of the Union Budget of any ministry, which makes it both the guardian of the military and the state's biggest capital purchaser and industrial patron.
Updated
- Headquarters
- South Block, New Delhi
- Departments
- 5 (Defence, Military Affairs, Defence Production, R&D, Ex-Servicemen Welfare)
- Budget (FY2026-27)
- ₹7.85 lakh crore — the largest of any ministry
- Defence exports (FY2025-26)
- ₹38,424 crore, a record
Role
The Ministry of Defence is the civilian apex over India’s military. It sets defence policy and administers, through five departments, the three services; the Department of Military Affairs, created in 2020 and led by the Chief of Defence Staff, which drives the integration of the services into joint structures; the Department of Defence Production, which owns the public-sector defence undertakings and the indigenisation programme; the Department of Defence Research and Development (DRDO); and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force all sit under its authority.
Because it holds the single largest slice of the Union Budget of any ministry, the Ministry of Defence is not only the guardian of national security but the state’s biggest capital buyer and industrial patron. Its procurement rules, its indigenisation lists and its export clearances shape an entire domestic defence industry — which is why the live contest around defence self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) runs through this desk.
Desk maintained by IndiaStand editorial cycles. Officeholders are transient; this dossier tracks the institution.
Timeline since 1947
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Ministry of Defence constituted
The ministry took charge of the armed forces of newly independent India, establishing civilian authority over the military.
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Post-war reorganisation
Reverses in the war with China drove a major expansion and restructuring of defence policy, spending and higher-defence organisation.
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Defence production opened to the private sector
The defence-manufacturing sector, previously reserved for the state, was opened to private Indian firms with foreign direct investment capped at 26 per cent.
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Chief of Defence Staff and Department of Military Affairs created
A landmark integration reform placed a single-point military adviser and a dedicated fifth department atop the three services.
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Atmanirbhar Bharat push and Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020
The ministry reoriented policy toward self-reliance, raised FDI in defence to 74 per cent, launched the SRIJAN indigenisation portal and issued DAP 2020 with an indigenous-content mandate.
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Ordnance Factory Board corporatised into seven defence undertakings
The two-century-old ordnance-factory system was dissolved and reconstituted as seven government-owned corporate entities to make production commercially accountable.
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Agnipath recruitment scheme introduced
A restructured short-service recruitment model for the armed forces, and a significant change to military personnel policy.
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Record self-reliance figures for FY2025-26 released
The ministry reported indigenous defence production of about ₹1.78 lakh crore and record defence exports of ₹38,424 crore, up 62.66 per cent on the previous year.
Frequently asked
- What is Ministry of Defence?
- The Ministry of Defence is the Government of India's apex civilian authority over the armed forces. It frames defence policy and administers, through five departments, the three services, defence research and development, defence production and ex-servicemen welfare. It commands the single largest share of the Union Budget of any ministry, which makes it both the guardian of the military and the state's biggest capital purchaser and industrial patron.
- 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 three armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force), Department of Military Affairs and the Chief of Defence Staff (jointness/integration), Defence research and development (DRDO), Defence production, procurement and the public-sector defence undertakings, Ex-servicemen welfare and defence pensions.
- What is the latest on Ministry of Defence?
- As of 2026-07-06: Record self-reliance figures for FY2025-26 released. The ministry reported indigenous defence production of about ₹1.78 lakh crore and record defence exports of ₹38,424 crore, up 62.66 per cent on the previous year.
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