New defence think-tank to hold first meeting in May, military strategy & deals in focus

NEW DELHI: A strategic level body called the Defence Planning Committee created under the chairmanship of the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will hold its first meeting in the first week of May, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return from Germany, government sources said today.

The new body has been created to push forward strategies on national security, international defence engagement, create a roadmap for a defence manufacturing ecosystem and capability development plans.

The matter came to light in a defence ministry notification which lists four subcommittees that could be created under the DPC dealing in policy and strategy, defence diplomacy, defence manufacturing ecosystem and plans and capability development. The first meeting will look into deciding who will constitute these subcommittees.


Besides the NSA, the DPC will comprise of the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, three service chiefs and the defence, expenditure and foreign secretaries with the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chief of the Staff Committee (CISC) being the member secretary and the Headquarter of the Integrated Defence Staff to be the secretariat of the DPC. This means that as the Prime Minister’s Office, the defence ministry, the finance ministry and the three services are part of the same committee, decisions on military purchases could happen faster.

The development is a significant move in India’s defence strategic environment, keeping in mind that the country faces military threats from Pakistan and China, is trying to optimise its limited defence budget while dealing with major acquisitions and is working towards building indigenous defence manufacturing and export capabilities.

The DPC will prepare military doctrines, which will create military objectives for the future. The doctrines will focus on India’s no first use policy and also look at key requirements of the navy and air force.