The biggest shake-up of India's defence structure since Independence.
The post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was created in 2019, following a long-pending recommendation (originally from the Kargil Review Committee, 1999). The CDS acts as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister, heads the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), and is tasked with promoting jointness among the Army, Navy and Air Force. General Bipin Rawat was India's first CDS.
India is moving toward creating integrated theatre commands — unified commands combining Army, Navy and Air Force assets under a single commander for a specific geographic theatre (e.g., a Northern theatre facing China, a Western theatre facing Pakistan, a Maritime theatre) — replacing the current system of 17 single-service commands. The goal is better jointness, resource optimisation, and faster response times, though the transition has faced inter-service coordination challenges.
Launched in 2022, the Agnipath Scheme recruits soldiers ("Agniveers") for a four-year tenure, after which about 25% may be retained for a full career while the rest exit with a lump-sum "Seva Nidhi" package. It aims to lower the average age profile of the armed forces and reduce long-term pension liabilities, but has drawn criticism over job security concerns.
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