New Delhi, 27 October 2026: The Indian Army on Tuesday observed the 80th Infantry Day, also known as Shaurya Diwas, honouring the courage, sacrifice and enduring legacy of its infantry soldiers. Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth and all ranks of the Indian Army extended warm greetings and best wishes to serving personnel, veterans and families of the Infantry on the occasion.
Infantry Day commemorates a defining moment in independent India’s military history. On 27 October 1947, troops of the 1st Battalion of The Sikh Regiment were airlifted by the Indian Air Force in Dakota aircraft and landed at the Srinagar (Budgam) airfield. This followed Maharaja Hari Singh’s signing of the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947. The rapid deployment secured the airfield and helped repel Pakistan-backed tribal raiders advancing under Operation Gulmarg, preventing the fall of Srinagar. The operation marked independent India’s first military action and its first civil-military victory, safeguarding Jammu and Kashmir’s territorial integrity.
The day pays tribute to the Infantry—the largest and premier fighting arm of the Indian Army, often called the “Queen of the Battle”—and to the generations of soldiers who have upheld the values of Naam, Namak and Nishan. Heroes of the 1947 operations, including Major Somnath Sharma (the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, awarded posthumously), Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai and Brigadier Rajinder Singh, remain central to the observance. From the 1947–48 operations through subsequent conflicts, counter-insurgency missions and high-altitude deployments, the Infantry has formed the backbone of India’s land forces.
Across the country, units marked the 80th anniversary with tributes and commemorative activities. In one such initiative, soldiers of the 7th Battalion of The Dogra Regiment, under the Tiger Division, conducted a 1,064-kilometre cycling expedition from 10 to 27 October 2026. The team cycled from Damana Military Station in Jammu through challenging terrain in Jammu, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to Kullu, before returning toward the headquarters of the 26 Infantry Division, paying homage to the sacrifices of infantry soldiers.
Various Army commands, including the Army Training Command and Spear Corps, issued greetings highlighting the Infantry’s historic role and continued professionalism. The Indian Air Force also extended best wishes to Army personnel and their families on the occasion of the 80th Shaurya Diwas.
Observed every year on 27 October, Infantry Day (Shaurya Diwas) reaffirms the nation’s gratitude to the soldiers who stand at the forefront of India’s defence. It underscores the Infantry’s enduring contribution to sovereignty, unity and operational readiness in an evolving security environment.
The official Indian Army message carried the theme “Infantry – The Ultimate,” reflecting the arm’s central place in the force’s war-fighting capability.
