Structure of Indian Army , Formation and Structure of Indian Army | Indian Army Command Headquarters

The Indian Army is like the biggest part of the Indian military that stays on the land. The big boss of the Indian Army is the President of India, and the main leader is called the Chief of Army Staff. The Indian Army started on April 1, 1895. Before that, there were smaller armies from different parts of India, and they all came together to make the Indian Army in 1903.

The main job of the Indian Army is to protect the country and make sure it stays together. They defend India from enemies outside and inside, and they also keep peace and safety within the country. Sometimes, they help during natural disasters like earthquakes or floods, and they can be asked by the government to deal with problems inside the country. The Indian Army is a big part of the country’s strength, along with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.

Formation and Structure of Indian Army

The Indian Army is the second-largest army in the world and the biggest part of the Indian Armed Forces. It’s something India is really proud of. Right now, there are 1.2 million soldiers in the Indian Army, and they also have 1 million backup soldiers.

The main office of the Indian Army is in New Delhi, and it’s led by the Chief of Army Staff, who is currently General Manoj Pande.

• The Indian Army has its main headquarters in New Delhi, led by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS). The President of India is the overall commander-in-chief.
• The General in charge of the Indian Army serves for a tenure of 2.5 years and holds the rank of a 4-star commander.
• The Indian Army operates through 7 operational commands, each headed by a Lieutenant General. These commands are:
• Central Command in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• Eastern Command in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Western Command in Chandi Mandir.
• Southern Command in Pune, Maharashtra.
• Northern Command in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir.
• South Western Command in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• Training Command in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

Field Formations of Indian Army

Here’s a breakdown of how the Indian Army is structured:

Command: Several corps come together to form a command. The Indian Army has six operational commands and one training command. Each command is led by a top-ranking officer called the “army commander.”

Corps: A corps is made up of three or four divisions. There are 14 corps in the Indian Army, and each is led by a senior officer known as the “corps commander,” who holds the rank of Lieutenant General. There are three types of corps: Strike, Holding, and Mixed. The corps headquarters is the highest field formation in the army.

Division: A division consists of three or four brigades. Each division is headed by a major general and currently, the Indian Army has 40 divisions, including different types like Infantry, Mountain, Armoured, and Artillery divisions, among others.

Brigade: A brigade is made up of about 3,000 combat troops along with supporting elements. In addition to the brigades within various army divisions, the Indian Army also has several independent brigades, including Armoured, Artillery, Infantry, Parachute, Air Defence, and Engineer Brigades. These independent brigades report directly to the corps commander.

Battalion: A Battalion is made up of four rifle companies. It’s led by a Colonel and is the primary fighting unit in the infantry. Each infantry battalion also has a special Ghatak Platoon.

Company: A Company consists of three platoons and is commanded by a Major or Lieutenant Colonel.

Battery: In artillery and air defense units, a Battery is made up of either 3 or 4 sections. Each battery has two officers, with the senior one serving as the Battery Commander.

Platoon: A Platoon is composed of three sections and is led by a Platoon Commander, who is typically a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO).

Section: The smallest military unit is a Section, consisting of about 10 personnel. It is commanded by a Section Commander with the rank of Havaldar.

READ HERE – Facilities Given To Officers Of Indian Army, Know Salary, Perks, And Other Facilities.

Indian Army Command Structure

The Indian Army is organized into 7 commands, each led by a high-ranking officer known as the Army Commander. These commands report directly to the Army Headquarters in New Delhi. Let’s take a look at each of these commands:-

1. Central Command:

• Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Subordinate Unit:
  • I Corps — Currently assigned to South Western Command

2. Eastern Command:

• Headquarters: Kolkata
• Subordinate Units:
  • 23rd Infantry Division headquartered at Ranchi
  • III Corps, headquartered at Dimapur, Nagaland
  • IV Corps, headquartered at Tezpur, Assam
  • XXXIII Corps, headquartered at Siliguri, West Bengal

3. Northern Command:

• Headquarters: Udhampur
• Subordinate Units:
  • XIV Corps, headquartered at Leh, Jammu and Kashmir
  • XV Corps, headquartered at Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
  • XVI Corps, headquartered at Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir

4. Southern Command:

• Headquarters: Pune
• Subordinate Units:
  • 41st Artillery Division, headquartered at Pune, Maharashtra
  • XII Corps, headquartered at Jodhpur, Rajasthan
  • XXI Corps, headquartered at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

5. South Western Command:

• Headquarters: Jaipur
• Subordinate Units:
  • 42nd Artillery Division headquartered at Jaipur
  • I Corps, headquartered at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
  • X Corps, headquartered at Bhatinda, Punjab

6. Western Command:

• Headquarters: Chandimandir
• Subordinate Units:
  • 40th Artillery Division headquartered at Ambala
  • II Corps, headquartered at Ambala, Haryana
  • IX Corps, headquartered at Yol, Himachal Pradesh
  • XI Corps, headquartered at Jalandhar, Punjab

7. Army Training Command

• Headquarter– Shimla

Basic Organizational Structure

1. Combat Arms:

• Infantry
• The Armoured Corps
• The Mechanized Infantry
• The Regiment of Artillery
• Corps of Army Air Defence
• Army Aviation Corps

2. Combat Support Arms:

• Corps of Engineers
• Corps of EME (Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)
• Corps of Signals
• Army Ordnance Corps
• Army Supply Corps
• Army Medical Corps

3. Supporting Arms:

• Intelligence Corps
• Corps of Military Police
• Territorial Army
• Judge Advocate General’s Department
• Remount and Veterinary Corps
• Army Education Corps
• Army Dental Corps
• Military Nursing Service
• Army Postal Service Corps
• Pioneer Corps
• Defence Security Corps
• Military Farms Services

Queen of Battle : Infantry

Certainly, the Infantry plays a crucial role in any war, serving as the backbone of the entire army. The Indian Army’s Infantry is organized into various regiments, and each regiment is made up of multiple battalions or units. These battalions are typically organized based on their establishment date. Here are the names of some of the infantry regiments along with their regiment headquarters and related information:

Regiment	Active From	Regimental Centre	Motto	War Cry
The Brigade of the Guards	1948	Kamptee, Maharashtra	“Pahla hamesha pahla” (“first always first”)	“Garud ka hun bol pyare” (“I am the son of Garuda, Say O my friend”)
Madras Regiment	1758	Wellington ,Tamil Nadu	“Swadharme nidhanam shreyaha” (“it is a glory to die doing one’s duty”)	“Veera Madrassi, Adi Kollu, Adi Kollu” (“Brave Madrassi, Strike and Kill, Strike and Kill!”)
Rajputana Rifles	1775	Delhi Cantonment , Delhi	“Veer bhogya vasundhara” (“the brave shall inherit the earth”)	“Raja Ramachandra ki jai” (“victory to King Ramachandra”)