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{{Short description|Senior decision making body of GoI in defence matters}}
{{For|the NATO decision-making body|Defence Planning Committee (NATO)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name = Defence Planning Committee
| native_name =
| type = Committee
| seal =
| logo =
| formed = {{start date and age|df=yes|2018|04|19}}
| jurisdiction = India
| headquarters =
| employees =
| budget =
| minister1_name = [[Rajnath Singh]]
| minister1_pfo = [[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]]
| deputyminister1_name = [[Sanjay Seth (Jharkhand politician)|Sanjay Seth]]
| deputyminister1_pfo = [[Minister of State]] for Defence
| chief1_name = Ajit Doval, [[Indian Police Service|IPS]]
| chief1_position = [[National Security Advisor (India)|National Security Adviser]] and ''[[ex-officio]]'' chairperson
| chief2_name =
| chief2_position =
| chief3_name =
| chief3_position =
| chief4_name =
| chief4_position =
| chief5_name =
| chief5_position =
| chief6_name =
| chief6_position =
| chief7_name =
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| chief8_name =
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| parent_department = [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]], [[Government of India]]
| website =
}}

The '''Defence Planning Committee''' is a senior decision-making organisation created on 19 April 2018 by the [[Government of India]].<ref name="IE_DPCfirst2">{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/may/04/defence-planning-committee-holds-first-meeting-decides-to-make-action-plan-to-deal-with-security-ch-1809890.html|title=Defence Planning Committee holds first meeting; decides to make action plan to deal with security challenges—The meeting, chaired by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, also discussed ways to expedite modernisation of the armed forces and evolving a security strategy for the country|date=4 May 2018|work=The Indian Express|agency=[[Press Trust of India]]}}</ref>

==History==
The Defence Planning Committee was notified by the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) in April 2018, the [[National Security Advisor (India)|National Security Adviser]] (NSA) was appointed as the chairperson of the committee, with the chairperson, [[Foreign Secretary of India|Foreign Secretary]], [[Defence Secretary (India)|Defence Secretary]], [[Chief of Defence Staff (India)|Chief of Defence Staff]], [[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]], [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]], [[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]], and expenditure [[Secretary to Government of India|secretaries]] of [[Ministry of Finance (India)|Ministry of Finance]] being its members and the chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (CIDS) being its member-secretary,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/nsa-will-chair-panel-set-up-for-new-security-roadmap-foreign-defence-secys-its-members-5143179/|title=NSA will chair panel set up for new security roadmap; Foreign, Defence Secys its members|last=Singh|first=Sushant|date=19 April 2018|work=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=6 June 2018|publisher=[[Indian Express Group]]|publication-place=[[New Delhi]]|oclc=70274541}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nsa-headed-committee-for-higher-defence-management/article23599248.ece|title=NSA-headed committee for higher defence management|date=19 April 2018|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=6 June 2018|publisher=[[N. Ram]]|publication-place=[[New Delhi]]|issn=0971-751X|oclc=13119119}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ahmed|first=Ali|date=26 May 2018|title=The Doval Scorecard|url=https://www.epw.in/journal/2018/21/strategic-affairs/doval-scorecard.html|journal=[[Economic and Political Weekly]]|publisher=Sameeksha Trust|volume=53|issue=21|issn=0012-9976|lccn=sa67002009|oclc=46735231}}</ref> the NSA was also given the mandate to co-opt members as they see fit. The Integrated Defence Staff headquarters at [[Kashmir House]], [[New Delhi]] was to serve as the committee's secretariat.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

NSA [[Ajit Doval]] chaired the committee's first meeting on 3 May 2018, which was attended by the three chiefs of staff, and defence, foreign and expenditure secretaries.<ref name="Hindu_DPCfirst2">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/doval-chairs-first-meet-of-defence-panel/article23765476.ece|title=Doval chairs first meet of defence panel|date=4 May 2018|access-date=4 May 2018|work=The Hindu}}</ref> The first meeting discussed the topics under mandate of DPC.<ref name="IE_DPCfirst2" />

==Mandate==
The mandate of DPC is manifold; the committee is empowered to "analyse and evaluate all relevant inputs relating to defence planning", which consists of—amongst others—"national defence and security priorities, foreign policy imperatives, operational directives and associated requirements, relevant strategic and security-related doctrines, defence acquisition and infrastructure development plans, including the 15-year Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP), defence technology and development of the Indian defence industry and global technological advancement".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://idsa.in/idsacomments/creation-of-defence-planning-committee-lkbehera-190418|title=Creation of Defence Planning Committee: A Step towards Credible Defence Preparedness {{!}} Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses|last=Behera|first=Laxman Kumar|date=2018-04-19|website=[[Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses]]|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/43496-scraping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel-budgets-organisation-and-leadership-in-the-indian-defence-system/|title=Scraping the bottom of the barrel: Budgets, organisation and leadership in the Indian defence system|last=Joshi|first=Manoj|date=2018-08-22|publisher=[[Observer Research Foundation]]|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-to-create-super-committee-for-defence-planning/story-PQSPeTpZ8Xm2QKjINXzxnK.html|title=India to create super-committee for defence planning|last=Gupta|first=Shishir|date=2018-04-19|website=Hindustan Times|publication-place=[[New Delhi]]|issn=0972-0243|oclc=231696742|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref>

The committee is also vested with the power of preparing different drafts, including—but not limited to—drafts on: "national security strategy, strategic defence review and doctrines; international defence engagement strategy; roadmap to build defence manufacturing eco-system; and prioritised capability development plans for the armed forces over different time-frames in consonance with the overall priorities, strategies and likely resource flows."<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />

The DPC answers to—and submits its reports to—the ''Raksha Mantri'' ([[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]]), currently [[Rajnath Singh]].

According to the notification issued by Indian Government the DPC will have several mandates namely to<ref name="Hindu_DPCfirst2" />

# Prepare a draft [[National Security Strategy (India)|National Security Strategy]].
# Develop a capability development plan.
# Work on defence diplomacy issues.
# Improving defence manufacturing ecosystem in India.<ref name="IE_DPCfirst2" />

==Organisation==
Four sub-committees on: policy and strategy, plans and capability development, defence diplomacy and defence manufacturing ecosystem come under the DPC; the terms of reference and membership of the sub-committees are finalised separately. Specific issues are managed by the committee through its sub-committees.

DPC is chaired by the [[National Security Advisor (India)|National Security Adviser]], with the service chiefs, [[Defence Secretary (India)|defence]], expenditure and [[Foreign Secretary (India)|foreign]] [[Secretary to the Government of India|secretaries]] being its members and the IDS chief being its member-secretary. The Integrated Defence Staff headquarters in New Delhi serves as the secretariat for the committee. The DPC submit its reports to the ''Raksha Mantri'' ([[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]]).<ref name="Hindu_DPCfirst2" />

===Members===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
Members of the Defence Planning Committee
! Position
!Incumbent
!Portrait
!''[[Ex-officio]]'' status
|-
|[[National Security Advisor (India)|National Security Adviser]]
|[[Ajit Doval]], [[Indian Police Service|IPS]] (retd.)
|[[File:Ajit Kumar Doval.jpg|171x171px]]
|{{Center|Chairperson}}
|-
|[[Chief of Defence Staff (India)|Chief of Defence Staff]] and <br/>[[Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee|Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee]]
|[[General (India)|General]] [[Anil Chauhan]]
|[[File:Anil Chauhan Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).jpg|145x145px]]
| rowspan="7" |{{Center|Member}}
|-
|[[Chief of the Army Staff (India)|Chief of the Army Staff]]
|[[General (India)|General]] [[Upendra Dwivedi]]
|[[File: General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM (2024).jpg|145x145px]]
|-
|[[Chief of the Naval Staff (India)|Chief of the Naval Staff]]
|[[Admiral (India)|Admiral]] [[Dinesh Kumar Tripathi]]
| [[File:Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, PVSM, AVSM, NM.jpg|151x151px]]
|-
|[[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]]
|[[Air chief marshal (India)|Air Chief Marshal]] [[Amar Preet Singh]]
|[[File:Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh - 2024.jpg|145x145px]]
|-
|[[Defence Secretary (India)|Defence Secretary]]
|[[Rajesh Kumar Singh (civil servant)|Rajesh Kumar Singh]]
|[[File:Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary.jpg|frameless|161x161px]]
|-
|[[Secretary to Government of India|Expenditure Secretary]]
|Manoj Govil
|[[File:Manoj_Govil,_IAS.jpg|frameless|139x139px]]
|-
|[[Foreign Secretary (India)|Foreign Secretary]]<td>[[Vikram Misri]]
|[[File:The_Ambassador-designate_of_India_to_People's_Republic_of_China,_Shri_Vikram_Misri_meeting_with_the_President_of_India,_Shri_Ram_Nath_Kovind,_at_Rashtrapati_Bhavan_on_January_01,_2019_(cropped).jpg|137x137px]]
|-
|[[Chief of Integrated Defence Staff]]
|[[Air marshal (India)|Air Marshal]] [[Ashutosh Dixit]]
|[[File:Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit.jpg|145x145px]]
|Member Secretary
|}

== Reception ==
Former [[Chief of the Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Air Staff]], Air Chief Marshal [[Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy]]—who was a part of the [[Naresh Chandra]] task-force—praised the move, calling it "an outstanding move";<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/current/2018/05/25/defence-planning-committee.html|title=Committed to synergy|last=Sagar|first=Pradip R|date=3 June 2018|work=[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]]|access-date=6 June 2018|publisher=Jacob Mathew}}</ref> but, criticised the government's decision to not include the Defence Production Secretary and [[Defence Research and Development Organisation]] (DRDO) chairperson in the committee, dubbing them "key players" in the government's flagship [[Make in India]] initiative.<ref name=":2" />

Amit Cowshish, a former Financial Adviser (Acquisition) in the Ministry of Defence, criticised the committee's "wide mandate", calling it an obstacle from "swift reform".<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/narendra-modi-government-defence-planning-committee-nsa-general-elections-5188758/|title=A blunt instrument|last=Cowshish|first=Amit|date=2018-05-24|website=[[The Indian Express]]|oclc=70274541|access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> Cowshish also criticised the timing of DPC's creation, calling it a step taken "four years too late",<ref name=":6" /> further adding that the creation of the committee called "into question the relevance of the existing long-term, five-year and annual plans of the armed forces".<ref name=":6" />

Mohinder Puri, a former deputy chief of the army, praised the government's decision, saying, "on the face of it, the DPC looks good, as it takes the overall view of national and international security".<ref name=":2" /> A ''[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]]'' column questioned the decision of naming the NSA as DPC's chairperson, arguing that NSA is already overworked as it is being the PM's special representative on border issues with China and chief of the executive council of [[Nuclear Command Authority (India)|Nuclear Command Authority]].<ref name=":2" />

==See also==
; Integrated entities
* [[Integrated Defence Staff]], tri-services command at strategic level composed of MoD, MEA and tri-services staff
* [[Defence Cyber Agency]], tri-services command
* [[Armed Forces Special Operations Division]], tri-services command at operational level
* [[Defence Space Agency]], draws staff from all 3 services of Indian Armeed Forces
* [[Strategic Forces Command]], nuclear command of Indiad
** [[Nuclear Command Authority (India)|Indian Nuclear Command Authority]], Strategic Forces Command
** [[Special Forces of India]], tri-services, RAW and internal Security each has own units
* [[Andaman and Nicobar Command]], first operational tri-services command

; Assets
* [[List of Indian Air Force stations]]
* [[List of Indian Navy bases]]
* [[List of active Indian Navy ships]]
* [[List of countries with overseas military bases#India|India's overseas military bases]]

; Other nations
* [[Special Operations Forces (Russia)|Special Operations Forces Command (KSSO)]] - Russian equivalent command
* [[Joint Special Operations Command|Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC)]] - U.S. equivalent command

; General concepts
* [[Joint warfare]], general concept
* [[Minimum Credible Deterrence]]
* [[List of cyber warfare forces]] of other nations

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Indian Armed Forces}}

[[Category:Ministry of Defence (India)]]
[[Category:21st century in India]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 2018]]
[[Category:Defence agencies of India]]
[[Category:2018 establishments in India]]

Defence Planning Committee - Revision history

CleanupBot at 04:11, 22 March 2026