The academy is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, about 8 km west of Dehradun in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. The campus is on National Highway 72, which separates the North and South Campus. The campus of the academy originally spanned 206 acres which was transferred to the academy along with existing buildings from the Railway Staff College.

A trainee on admission to the IMA is referred to as a Gentleman Cadet. One reason for this is that the academy expects its graduates to uphold the highest moral and ethical values. Cadets undergo training at the IMA for one year. An exception are trainees selected via the Combined Defence Services Exam of UPSC. These cadets who are graduates of a non-military college undergo training for one and a half years.

With the purpose of grooming future military leaders of the Indian Army, the training regime at IMA moulds the physical and mental attributes and sharpen the leadership skills of cadets. Physical training, drills, weapons training, leadership development and practices form the focus of the training.

Training in Indian Military Academy