700,000[3] (reserve personnel) (2023) The Ministry of Defence (MoD) or Raksha Mantralay is charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian Armed Forces.

As per Statista, MoD is the largest employer in the world[11] with 29.2 lakh (2.92 million) employees.

The Ministry organises and runs Republic Day celebrations and parade every year in January at Rajpath, hosting a chief guest.

[18] A Military Department was created in the Supreme Government of the English East India Company at Kolkata in the year 1776, having the main function to sift and record orders relating to the Army issued by various Departments of the Government of East India Company.

[19] The supreme authority over the Indian Army was vested in the Governor General-in-Council, subject to the control of the Crown, which was exercised by the Secretary of State for India.

"[19] The Defence Ministry is responsible for "obtaining policy directions of the Government on all defence and security related matters" and communicating these directions to "Services Headquarters, Inter-Services Organisations, Production Establishments and Research and Development Organisations".

The functions of MoD which in 1947 was mainly logistic support to the armed forces, have undergone far-reaching changes.

In the latter tasks, the financial advisor is assisted by the Controller General of Defence Accounts.

It was created on 1 October 2001 based on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers which was set up in 2000 (post-Kargil) to review India's defence management.

[30] It acts as the point organisation for integration of policy, doctrine, war-fighting and procurement by employing best management practices.

The chairman of Integrated Defences Staff is a 4-star General (or his equivalent in the Air Force or the Navy).

[31] "Chiefs of Staff are the authority for advising the Defence Minister and normally through him the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on all military matters which require ministerial consideration".

The heads of the three services of Indian Armed Forces are: The SRIJAN is a portal launched by MoD to take up the products imported for indigenisation.