Smt. Alka Nangia Arora, a 1991-batch Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) officer, assumed charge as the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) on 1 August 2026, taking over the leadership of the Department of Defence Accounts, the organisation responsible for managing the financial and accounting framework of the Ministry of Defence.
A distinguished civil servant with more than three decades of experience in public finance and administration, Smt. Arora has held several key leadership positions across the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Ministry of Textiles, contributing significantly to policy formulation, financial management and governance reforms.
Throughout her career in the Indian Defence Accounts Service, she has played an important role in strengthening financial accountability, improving defence procurement processes and supporting reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency within India’s defence financial ecosystem. Her extensive experience spans budgeting, expenditure management, audit, financial advisory and institutional reforms across multiple sectors of the Government of India.
As the Controller General of Defence Accounts, Smt. Arora will head the Department of Defence Accounts, which functions under the Ministry of Defence and is responsible for providing financial advice, maintaining defence accounts, processing pay and pensions for serving and retired defence personnel, conducting internal audits and ensuring financial oversight of defence expenditure.
The Department of Defence Accounts plays a critical role in supporting the operational readiness of the Armed Forces by ensuring timely financial management, transparent accounting systems and efficient disbursement of salaries, pensions and other financial entitlements. It also provides integrated financial advice for defence acquisitions, capital projects and modernisation programmes.
Smt. Arora’s appointment comes at a time when the Ministry of Defence is accelerating financial reforms, digital transformation and modernisation initiatives to support India’s expanding defence capabilities and the government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Her broad administrative experience across multiple ministries is expected to strengthen institutional efficiency and further improve financial governance within the defence establishment.
With her proven track record in public finance, defence administration and policy implementation, Smt. Alka Nangia Arora is well positioned to lead the Controller General of Defence Accounts organisation in ensuring robust financial management, greater transparency and continued support to the operational and strategic objectives of the Indian Armed Forces.
