Our Terms & Conditions | Our Privacy Policy
NEW DELHI: With the initial success of Operation Sindoor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to continue it, India’s defence strategy has begun focusing on strengthening the jointness and integration of the armed forces, developing a shared understanding of operational needs, and enhancing technological capabilities. Earlier as well, the Ministry of Defence declared 2025 as the “Year of Reforms,” emphasising the promotion of joint operations and the establishment of integrated theatre commands to unify the armed forces.
Advanced Indian weapons, combat aircraft, ships, submarines required for the Air Force and Navy, imports, and digital communication security systems including drones are being reviewed and strengthened. On the other hand, to enhance military strength, special focus is being given to large-scale recruitment, education, and training of youth in various arms of the army. Thousands are also being added to civil security forces in states. The Prime Minister considers the role of superior human resources along with modern technology to be very important in military strength. In this way, new and vast employment opportunities in India’s security system are opening doors for the country’s socio-economic progress.
India’s defence budget is $81 billion, allowing continuous modernisation and upgrades. By 2025, India’s defence and paramilitary forces will showcase strong and diversified strength, placing India among the world’s top military powers. India has approximately 1.46 million active military personnel and an additional 1.15 million reserve personnel. Paramilitary forces add another 2.5 million personnel who contribute significantly to internal security and border management. To augment the active forces, an additional 1.15 million reserves are available.
The Air Force operates over 2,229 aircraft, including advanced fighter jets and support planes. The Navy operates 293 vessels, including two aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, and a large fleet of submarines. The paramilitary forces, numbering 2.5 million, play vital roles in internal security, border management, and anti-terrorism operations. These forces include organisations such as the Central Armed Police Forces, Border Security Force, and Assam Rifles.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation is preparing to achieve excellence in hybrid, kinetic, and non-kinetic warfare. According to Home Minister Amit Shah, India will establish new anti-drone units for border security. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had already instructed in the January meeting that the defence reform programme should focus on emerging areas such as cyber and space, along with artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics, and robotics. Joint service cooperation and training will help develop a shared understanding of operational requirements and joint operational capabilities.
India’s armed forces host several world-class cadet training academies and specialised professional schools, as well as excellent educational institutions to prepare future operational commanders. The National Defence University (NDU), established by the Ministry of Home Affairs, is India’s national security and police university. This year, NDU will have campuses across India, including Lavad-Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), and Shivamogga (Karnataka). Admissions for the academic year 2025-26 are open through the NDU Common Entrance Test (NCET). The university offers various programmes in national security, police technology, and related fields.
NDU now also runs school classes from 8th to 12th following the CBSE 10+2 pattern and acts as a feeder institute to the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla (Pune), where male students who complete 12th grade are selected as cadets for initial training in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Military schools are located in various places for education. The Soldiers’ Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed under the Ministry of Defence by the Soldier School Society. About 33 such schools are operational nationwide, with more planned for the future.
Infantry School: The Infantry School in Mhow is the Indian Army’s largest and oldest military training centre. It is responsible for developing and periodically updating the full spectrum of tactical exercises and concepts related to infantry operations in diverse terrains and environments.
The recruitment scheme introduced by the Modi government involves short-term service in the Indian Armed Forces, where recruits serve for four years. The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force all participate in the Agniveer recruitment process. In 2025, recruitment continues for various roles under Agniveer, including soldier, clerk/storekeeper technical, tradesman, and sailor (MR).
This innovative scheme faced political opposition but was implemented after extensive deliberations by the Army chiefs and the Ministry of Defence, with some amendments and improvements. Training new recruits from the beginning and their subsequent entry into other national services will allow India to benefit from military training at various levels.
Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi recently called the Agnipath recruitment scheme a “big success,” stating that the Agniveers have shown a keen desire to learn and are performing effectively.
“This scheme (Agnipath) is proving very successful, and those who are joining us are comparatively very eager to learn,” he said. “Regarding their capability, we can achieve whatever we want from them in three to four years.”
Currently, only 25% of Agniveers are retained for longterm service, a figure considered low by military experts. According to senior Ministry of Defence officials, the Army has recommended increasing retention to 50% to maintain combat power and ensure continuity in training. The planned annual recruitment of Agniveers for the Indian Army is about 46,000 — 40,000 for the Army and 6,000 combined for the Navy and Air Force. It is expected that in the coming years, India’s military security system will rank among the world’s top.
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Aggregated From –
Comments are closed.