New CDS Gen N S Raja Subramani to brief Rajnath Singh on theatre commands plan

India’s newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General N S Raja Subramani, is expected to make a detailed presentation to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh by the end of this month on the proposed military theatre commands, a key reform aimed at integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force.

The proposal, finalised by former CDS General Anil Chauhan before he retired on May 31, is now set to be reviewed by all stakeholders under Gen Subramani’s leadership. Once approved by the defence minister, the plan will be forwarded to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final clearance by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The long-pending reform has been under discussion since 2022.

The proposal envisages the creation of three integrated theatre commands—a Northern Command focused on China, a Western Command for Pakistan, and a Maritime Command incorporating the Andaman and Nicobar region. It also recommends creating four new four-star appointments, including the Vice Chief of Defence Staff (VCDS), with each theatre command led by a four-star officer.

Under the new structure, operational control during conflicts would shift from the individual service chiefs to the theatre commanders, while the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs would primarily oversee training, force generation and sustainment.

Although the government strongly supports the reform, differences remain within the armed forces. The Army and Navy have broadly backed the proposal, while the Indian Air Force has expressed concerns over dividing its limited air assets across multiple theatre commands and the potential impact on operational flexibility.

Gen Subramani now faces the task of building consensus and steering one of India’s biggest military reforms toward implementation after years of deliberation.