India is forging forward with the theater command idea, a major institutional change that aims to merge the Army, Navy, and Air Force under unified command structures. The purpose is to ensure that operations in a certain geographical theatre are carried out in total harmony, utilizing the combined strengths of all three services.
The argument over Theaterisation gained traction in 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of seamless cooperative operations among the three services during his Independence Day speech. Later that year, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) position was established, with the purpose of promoting integration and overseeing the Department of Military Affairs (DMA). Since then, theaterisation has become a key reform priority for India’s defense system.
The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control, and Discipline) Act of 2023 gave the process a significant boost by granting commanders of tri-service organisations control over troops from all three services. This stage, critical for operational efficiency, provided the groundwork for projected theatre commands that would go beyond coordination to genuine integration.
The 2019 Balakot air strikes remain a prime example of why integration is necessary. While the Air Force successfully completed the mission, follow-up deployments of Army and Navy assets occurred in parallel silos rather than as part of a coordinated operation. This demonstrated that India’s services could act simultaneously but not synergistically, a weakness that enemies such as China were keen to exploit by establishing unified theater commands years before.
Currently, the Army and Air Force each have seven commands, while the Navy has three. Along with it, there are two tri-service commands: the Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Strategic Forces Command, which manages the nuclear arsenal. The Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQIDS), established following the Kargil conflict, coordinates higher defense management. However, despite these techniques, functional integration is restricted.
Several preparations are currently underway. This includes:
Standardisation of equipment to ensure interoperability.
Common supply chains for logistics and procurement.
Joint training activities and cross-posting at all levels.
Expansion of a tri-service communication network to enable seamless data sharing.
Integration of repair and maintenance facilities, with platforms such as Apache attack helicopters, ALH Dhruv, and AK-203 rifles already supported by common systems.
Tri-service education reforms are also being pursued, with new joint military stations opening in Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam, and Gandhinagar. Training curricula are being updated to promote cross-service understanding and operational consistency.
According to defense planning:
A Western Theatre Command in Jaipur will concentrate on Pakistan.
A Northern Theatre Command in Lucknow will address threats from China and the northern border.
A Maritime Theatre Command commanded by the Navy would be established in Thiruvananthapuram to address India’s maritime domain and security problems.
These will be supported by ongoing reforms under the DMA’s 150+ integration measures, which aim to harmonize traditions, operational theories, and evaluation procedures.
Despite the momentum, differences exist. While Army and Navy chiefs have indicated complete support, the Air Force has advised caution. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh urged against rushing theatreisation, emphasizing that India must personalize the structure to its specific needs rather than replicating other models such as the United States. He advocated establishing a Joint Planning and Coordination Centre in Delhi to systematically strive toward synergy.
However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stated that a consensus is gradually building and that the process is moving along slowly.
Retired military leaders insist that India cannot afford to delay integration any longer. China moved to theater commands in less than two years, although India has been debating the matter for over two decades. Experts such as Major General Harsha Kakkar (Retd) point out that Indian forces continue to operate in silos, with minimal interoperability, duplicate logistics, and manpower-intensive structures. He contends that flawless integration is critical not only for efficiency but also for survival in multi-domain battles spanning cyber, space, and conventional battlefronts.
As India moves closer to theatre commands, the reforms seek to foster a cohesive warfighting mentality, replacing segregated service-centric tactics. Greater interoperability, coordinated planning, and unified command are planned to ensure that future military operations are not a series of parallel deployments, but rather a single, decisive strike capability.
