One lakh to reduce troop numbers in Indian Army: General Rawat

New Delhi, April 6, 2021

The Indian Army plans to reduce the number of troops by one lakh in the next three to four years.

"When VP Malik was the general, he thought of reducing the number of troops by 50,000 but we are considering reducing the number of troops by one lakh in the next three to four years," Chief of India's Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat told a parliamentary standing committee. The money saved will be used to enhance technology.

The Indian Army is currently undergoing a restructuring process, including a plan to reduce the number of officers from Army headquarters to the field. General Rawat told the standing committee that the Indian Army currently has about 1.4 million troops and one lakh troops in the next three to four years. The goal is to reduce it. However, this is an ongoing process. The Army is currently focusing on infantry, as it is in charge of border surveillance. It is a priority to provide them with state-of-the-art rifles as well as sophisticated surveillance systems.

The Integrated Battle Group concept is being implemented to reduce the Army's supply wing. It will have smaller detachments. They will be less dependent on logistics. In addition, some operations will be outsourced to those who have less reliance on logistics.