The principal task of the Defence Ministry is to obtain policy directions of the Government on all defence and security related matters and communicate them for implementation to the Services Headquarters.
Departments
The Ministry of Defence consists of four Departments:
- Department of Defence,
- Department of Defence Production,
- Department of Defence Research & Development,
- Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare
Functions
- The Department of Defence deals with the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), the three Services and various Inter-Service Organisations.
- It is also responsible for the Defence Budget, establishment matters, defence policy, matters relating to the Parliament, defence co-operation with foreign countries and co-ordination of all activities.
- The Department of Defence Production is headed by a Secretary and deals with matters pertaining to defence production, indigenisation of imported stores, equipment and spares, planning and control of departmental production units of the Ordnance Factories Board and for Defence Public Sector Undertakings (HAL, BEL, BEML, BDL, MDL, GSL, GRSE, Midhani).
Officials
Ministerial Team
The ministerial team at the M.o.D. is headed by the Union Cabinet Minister for Defence, who is supported by one Minister of State and civil servants.
- Union Cabinet Minister for Defence — Manohar Parrikar (BJP)
- Minister of State for Defence — Rao Inderjit Singh, MP (BJP)
Defence Secretary and other senior officials
The Defence Secretary as head of the Department of Defence is the senior most civil servant and is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the four Departments in the Ministry.
- Defence Secretary — G Mohan Kumar
- Chief Scientific Advisor and Director General DRDO — G.Satheesh Reddy
Chiefs of the Tri-Services
The professional heads of the three services of Indian Armed Forces are:
- Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) — General Dalbir Suhag
- Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) — Admiral Robin Dhowan
- Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) — Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha
