In a significant development for the Indian Armed Forces, the government announced the establishment of the country’s first joint military stations and the creation of a unified Tri-Services Education Corps. This decision was unveiled during the final day of the three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025, which took place in Kolkata and was attended by high-ranking military officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The initiative to set up joint military stations marks a historical step toward enhancing integration within the Defence Forces. Three military stations are planned to be established in various locations across India, with potential cities under consideration including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Gwalior, Pune, and Secunderabad. The concept of these stations revolves around the synergy of resources from all three services—Army, Navy, and Air Force—bringing together logistics, maintenance, infrastructure, and other operational elements under a single lead service.
For example, if Mumbai is confirmed as a joint military station, the Navy would likely take the lead role. This strategy is aimed at optimizing manpower, minimizing the redundancy of resources, and strengthening joint operational capabilities, setting the stage for broader initiatives like the formation of integrated theatre commands in the future.
Additionally, the merger of the education branches of the three services into a Tri-Services Education Corps signifies another major reform. This consolidation is intended to streamline training and education across the military, bolster cross-service collaboration, and make more efficient use of manpower and administrative resources.
As India continues its discourse on theaterisation—a reform aimed at forming unified commands for distinct geographical areas—these steps come at a crucial time. The Army and Navy have largely supported the theatreisation plan, while the Indian Air Force has shown hesitance, primarily due to apprehensions regarding the distribution of its combat assets. Recently, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh underscored the need for a cautious approach, proposing the establishment of a Joint Planning and Coordination Centre in Delhi to pave the way for better coordination among the services. In contrast, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi have reinforced their belief that theatreisation is an unavoidable progression for modernizing the forces.
The CRC 2025 conference not only highlighted these structural changes but also focused on addressing emerging threats and technology-driven warfare. The CDS presented a comprehensive review of the reforms undertaken over the past year, aligning action plans with directives from the Prime Minister and Defence Minister.
Further discussions at the conference emphasized the importance of enhancing jointness and interoperability among the services, refining decision-making processes, and reforming structures concerning space, cyber, information, and special operations. A technology-driven approach to modern warfare was also a key topic of conversation.
Overall, the announcements made during CCC 2025 are positioned as crucial steps towards transforming the Indian Armed Forces into a more integrated, technologically adept, and operationally agile entity, fully prepared to confront multi-domain threats and uphold national security while contributing to global peace and stability.
