This post is held by a senior Indian Administrative Service of the rank of secretary to the Government of India.

The current Defence Secretary is Shri.

[7] As a secretary to the Government of India, the Defence Secretary ranks 23rd on Indian order of precedence, along with all other Secretaries to the Government of India, and Lieutenant Generals in the grade of Army Commander.

The official earmarked residence of the Defence Secretary is 7, New Moti Bagh, New Delhi, a Type-VIII bungalow.

[1] The salary and emolument in this rank is equivalent[12] to chief secretaries of state governments and to Vice Chief of the Army Staff/GOC-in-C and its equivalents in the Indian Armed Forces.