Indian Army

Indian Army
भारतीय सेना
Founded26 January 1950 (1950-01-26) (in current form)
Country India
TypeArmy
RoleLand warfare
Size
  • 1,248,000 active personnel[1]
  • 900,000 reserve personnel[2]
    ~310 manned aircraft
Part of India Armed Forces
HeadquartersIntegrated Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
Motto(s)Sevā Paramo Dharmaḥ (ISO)
transl. 'Service Before Self' lit.'Service is the eternal dharma.'
ColoursGold, red and black
     
March
  • Quick: Qadam Qadam Badhaye Ja
    (Keep stepping forward)
  • Slow: Samman Guard
    (The Guard of Honour)
AnniversariesArmy Day: 15 January
Engagements
See list:
Websiteindianarmy.nic.in
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief President Droupadi Murmu
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi
Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani
Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (DCOAS)Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma
Notable
commanders
  • Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa
  • Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw
  • General K. S. Thimayya
Insignia
Flag
Aircraft flown
Attack helicopterHAL Rudra, HAL Prachand
Utility helicopterHAL Dhruv, HAL Chetak, HAL Cheetah

The Indian Army is the part of the Indian Military which operates on land. It is the largest part of the Indian Military. The Presidency armies were merged to create the British Indian Army in 1895. This became the army of independent India in 1947.

In 2010, Indian Army had 1,128,000 active personnel and 960,000 personnel.[3] It has more soldiers than any other nation except China, the United States, and Russia. Majority of the Indian Army's forces are currently stationed in the northern region of Kashmir.[4]

References

  1. "Army facing shortage of over 1 lakh personnel amid border tensions: Government". India Today. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  2. The Military Balance 2017. Routledge. 2017. ISBN 978-1-85743-900-7.
  3. IISS 2010, pp. 360
  4. "General V K Singh takes over as new Indian Army chief - Times of India ►". The Times of India.