The recent Combined Commanders’ Conference in Kolkata marks a historic turning point for the Indian Armed Forces. The decisions made at this forum are not just routine adjustments but strategic milestones. The establishment of three new joint military stations on the mainland, the creation of a common Education Corps, and a commitment to transformative reforms across the Army, Navy, and Air Force represent a deliberate move away from service-specific silos toward true jointness. For decades, the Andaman & Nicobar Command has been the sole tri-service experiment, often more symbolic than structural. The expansion of joint stations to the mainland is not just a logistical change; it signals that India is ready to reorganise its warfighting infrastructure for the 21st century.
Jointness is no longer just a buzzword; it has become a crucial element of warfighting. In an era where battles occur across multiple domains, land, sea, air, space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum, India’s military must be able to integrate its strengths smoothly.
The creation of a tri-service Education Corps, for example, goes beyond workforce rationalisation; it acknowledges that intellectual capital must be shared, standardised, and aligned with national goals. The next logical step is to expand this integration into operations, logistics, and training, ultimately leading to fully operational theatre commands.
Why Theatre Commands Matter
The concept of theatre commands is rooted in the principle that wars are fought by missions, not by individual services. The current structure, where each service operates its own regional commands, creates duplication of effort, slows decision-making, and fragments the kill chain. In modern high-tempo warfare, these inefficiencies can be fatal.
A theatre command system allows for unity of command, economy of force, and concentration of effort. Each theatre commander would have operational control over all forces, land, air, and naval within the theatre, enabling integrated planning and execution. This is particularly crucial for India, which faces three active fronts: the northern and western borders with China and Pakistan, respectively and in the East, Bangladesh. The simultaneous and coordinated employment of air power, artillery, ground manoeuvre, and maritime assets could provide a decisive advantage.
Moreover, theatre commands are not just about kinetic warfighting. They are about deterrence signalling. A unified, combat-ready posture across services is a message to adversaries that India can impose costs swiftly and proportionately across multiple domains. This strengthens strategic stability by making any misadventure prohibitively expensive.
The Emerging Mainland Joint Commands
While the exact locations and mandates of the proposed mainland joint stations have not yet been made public, their potential roles are promising. They are likely to serve as hubs for: –
- Joint planning and force integration. Aligning operational plans across services and building interoperable doctrines.
- Training and education. The Education Corps houses the tri-service and conducts a joint curriculum for officers and enlisted personnel.
- Technology and innovation centres. Incubating solutions in cyber, space, AI-enabled decision-making, and networked warfare.
- Logistics and sustainment nodes. They are becoming focal points for inventory pooling, repair & recovery, and supply-chain resilience.
These stations could act as precursors to full-fledged theatre headquarters, allowing India to transition incrementally without disrupting existing command hierarchies overnight.
Tri-Service Education Corps: Building Intellectual Jointness
The merger of the Army Education Corps into a tri-service Education Corps is a visionary move. Education is where culture is shaped – and culture has been one of the most significant barriers to jointness. Officers and soldiers traditionally grow up thinking in service-specific terms, with limited cross-domain exposure until higher command courses. By introducing joint training early, particularly for Agniveers and junior leaders, India can foster a generation that thinks purple (joint) rather than olive, white, or blue.
Joint education should include: –
- Common foundational training for Agniveers, focusing on discipline, physical conditioning, and basic military skills before branching into specialised service training.
- Tri-service tactical exercises at the sub-unit level to inculcate habits of inter-service cooperation.
- Shared professional military education with standard modules on strategy, logistics, cyber, and information warfare.
- Exchange postings for instructors to break down silos and cross-pollinate expertise.
The long-term payoff will be an officer corps capable of seamlessly integrating air, land, and maritime power in planning and execution.
Logistics and Resource Synergy: The Hidden Force Multiplier
Operational success in modern war is as much about logistics as about tactics. India’s current system still maintains separate supply chains, depots, and maintenance echelons for the three services. This results in duplication of inventories, slow response times, and underutilisation of resources. A theatreised logistics system could create a single window for demand forecasting, procurement, stocking, and distribution.
Key reforms could include:
Joint Logistics Nodes (JLNs). Each theatre should have JLNs responsible for all classes of supply – fuel, ammunition, spares, and rations.
Integrated Maintenance Facilities. Cross-training technicians to maintain common platforms (e.g., trucks, light weapons, communications equipment) regardless of service origin.
Standard Inventory Management Systems. Utilising AI-enabled predictive algorithms to minimise waste and ensure timely delivery.
Centralised Procurement. Leveraging economies of scale to negotiate better rates for spares, lubricants, and consumables.
Such reforms will not only improve wartime readiness but also free up significant budgetary resources that can be diverted to capability enhancement, ensuring a more robust and modernised armed forces in the future.
Joint Training of Agniveers: A Logical Next Step
With the Agnipath scheme (a recruitment and training program in the Indian military) reshaping the recruitment landscape, India has a unique opportunity to standardise initial training across services. A Joint Agniveer Training Centre (JATC) could impart: –
- Common military orientation. Drill, weapons handling, fieldcraft, and values training.
- Exposure to all service environments. Allowing recruits to make informed choices about service allocation.
- Early indoctrination into joint operations. Familiarity with the idea that in battle, they will fight alongside airmen and sailors.
This would not only improve cohesion during future joint operations but also build a sense of shared purpose among the next generation of soldiers.
Operational Synergy: From Tactical to Strategic Level
Integration must go beyond logistics and education to operational planning and execution. Theatre commands should have dedicated Joint Operations Centres (JOCs) equipped with real-time ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) feeds, AI-based decision support, and secure communications linking all echelons. This will enable: –
- Faster decision-making cycles, compressing the OODA (Observe-Orient-Decide-Act) loop.
- More effective use of scarce assets, for example, optimising the use of AWACS, mid-air refuellers, and missile regiments.
- Coordinated fire plans, ensuring artillery, air strikes, and naval gunfire are synchronised for maximum impact.
- Flexible force allocation reallocates reserves and resources between sectors based on real-time threat changes.
Challenges on the Road to Jointness
Transformations of this scale are never frictionless. Some challenges include: –
Service Rivalries. Each service fears losing its identity and operational independence.
Command & Control Concerns. Questions remain about who will lead theatre forces – a rotational model or a permanent joint staff?
Legislative Backing. Clear legal frameworks may be needed to define authority, budget control, and accountability.
Infrastructure Costs. Establishing new joint commands, logistics hubs, and training facilities requires significant capital investment.
Mindset Change. Perhaps the most challenging aspect is that jointness must be viewed not as a zero-sum game but as a force multiplier.
These challenges are surmountable with political will, empowered leadership, and phased implementation.
Recommendations for the Way Forward
Appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) led Joint Implementation Authority with a fixed timeline for rolling out theatre commands.
Start with Low-Hanging Fruit. Joint logistics and training can be implemented relatively quickly to build confidence.
Pilot Projects. Create one theatre command on each front (Northern, Western) and refine the model before nationwide rollout.
Invest in Technology. A robust digital backbone is critical for seamless information flow across services.
Legislate Joint Doctrine. Ensure that jointness survives changes in leadership and political cycles.
Conclusion: Towards a Joint Warfighting Culture
India’s military stands at the cusp of a generational transformation. The decisions taken at the Kolkata Combined Commanders’ Conference are more than administrative announcements; they are the foundation stones of a future-ready joint force. Creating theatre commands, integrating logistics, and training the next generation of soldiers together will create a military machine capable of delivering decisive outcomes in war – and maintaining credible deterrence in peace.
The road will be long, and there will be institutional resistance. But the prize is worth it: a leaner, meaner, and more agile Indian Armed Forces, capable of defending the nation across multiple domains with seamless synergy. As military professionals, defence analysts, and strategic planners, it is incumbent upon us to champion these reforms, critique them where necessary, and help shape a joint warfighting culture that reflects the demands of the modern battlefield.
India’s tryst with jointness has begun. The steel must now be forged.