Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) marked its Silver Jubilee on October 1, 2026, commemorating 25 years since its establishment on October 1, 2001. The occasion was observed as ‘Tri-Service Day’ and focused on the theme “Future readiness through jointness & Integration”.
As part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations, HQ IDS organised ‘Trishakti Manthan’, featuring addresses by Chief of Defence Staff and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, General N. S. Raja Subramani, and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh.
The deliberations highlighted the contribution of HQ IDS towards operational preparedness through joint operational doctrines, joint training frameworks, integrated exercises and enhanced coordination of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief mechanisms.
The Silver Jubilee celebrations also featured the release of a Silver Jubilee Book chronicling the evolution and achievements of HQ IDS over the past 25 years. A film showcasing key milestones since the establishment of the organisation was also released during the occasion.
In recognition of distinguished contributions towards strengthening jointness and integration, prestigious CDS Unit Citations were conferred on personnel. The citations acknowledged contributions towards advancing the objectives of jointness and integration within the Defence Forces.
A Wreath Laying Ceremony was also conducted at the National War Memorial & Museum to honour the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation.
Over the past two-and-a-half decades, HQ IDS has played a significant role in preparing the Defence Forces for emerging domains, including Cyber, Space and Artificial Intelligence. The organisation has also promoted collaboration with research organisations, academia and industry to accelerate indigenous capability development in line with Atmanirbharta in Defence.
HQ IDS has strengthened institutional mechanisms for jointness through platforms including Ran Samwad, the Joint Commanders’ Conference and the Combined Operational Review and Evaluation Programme. These platforms facilitate structured deliberations on contemporary security challenges and contribute towards enhancing joint warfighting capabilities across land, maritime, air, space, cyber and cognitive domains.
The organisation has evolved over 25 years as an institution focused on strengthening jointness, integration and synergy among the three Services. Its activities have remained focused on capability enhancement and the joint employment of combat power in line with national security objectives.
The Silver Jubilee celebrations provided an occasion to reflect on this institutional evolution while highlighting the continuing emphasis on future readiness through greater jointness and integration.
The theme “Future readiness through jointness & Integration” underscored the focus of the celebrations on preparing the Defence Forces for emerging security challenges and strengthening mechanisms for coordinated action across multiple operational domains.
The 25th anniversary of HQ IDS thus marked two-and-a-half decades of efforts towards enhancing coordination among the three Services, developing joint frameworks and strengthening India’s operational preparedness through greater integration and synergy.
