The Indian Army commands are functional military formations, commanded by an officer of Lieutenant General rank. Owing to their significance, the interviewing officer takes particular interest in grilling candidates on these. Therefore, we share about the major commands of Indian Army that you must know about.
Indian Army Commands
There are a total of seven Indian Army commands, out of which six are operational and one is a training command. Each command has its area of responsibility, logo, and HQs and is commanded by a Lieutenant General of the Indian Army. Hence, SSB candidates must go through these details before their personal interview.
| Command | HQs |
| Northern | Udhampur, J&K |
| Eastern | Fort William, Kolkata |
| Southern | Pune, Maharashtra |
| South-Western | Jaipur, Rajasthan |
| Western | Chandimandir, Haryana |
| Central | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
| Training (ARTRAC) | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh |
List of All Indian Army Commands
Now, let us look into all Indian Army commands that exist for the security of our nation, and coordination among troops.
Northern Command
This is the first of the six operational commands and is located at Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. Its GOC-in-C is Lt. General Pratik Sharma, PVSM, SYSM, AVSM, SM, while its area of responsibility includes:
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Ladakh
- Parts of Himachal Pradesh
The northern command is also called the Dhruva Command, and goes by its motto, “Always in Combat”. It also comprises I Corps, XIV Corps, XV Corps, and XVI Corps.
Eastern Command
The Eastern Command is situated at Fort William, Kolkata and led by Lt. General VMB Krishnan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM. Its area of responsibility includes the eastern and north-eastern states of India:
- Sikkim
- West Bengal
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Mizoram
- Meghalaya
- Manipur
- Tripura
- Nagaland
This is the second of the six Indian Army commands, and its motto is, “Warriors of the East”. The Eastern Command has III Corps, IV Corps, XVII Corps, and XXXIII Corps.
Southern Command
This command of Indian Army is at Pune, Maharashtra and its GOC-in-C is Lt. General Rajesh Pushkar, AVSM, VSM. It handles several states and union territories of India:
- Maharashtra
- Goa
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
- Kerala
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
The Southern command’s motto is, “Saga of Courage, Valour, and Wisdom,” and it includes XII Corps, and XXI Corps, as well as the Dakshin Bharat and Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa area.
South-Western Command
Next in the list of Indian Army commands is the South-Western command, which is located at Jaipur, Haryana and was raised in 2005 as a response to the threat on the western front. Its GOC-in-C is Lt. General Mohit Malhotra, AVSM, SM. Its area of responsibility includes:
- Parts of Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Gujarat
Their motto is, “Sarvada Vijayee Bhava,” and is also called the Sapta Shakti Command. This command encompasses the X Corps (Chetak).
Western Command
The Western command of Indian Army is at Chandimandir, Haryana and is led by Lt. General Pushpendra Pal Singh, AVSM, SM. Their area of responsibility includes:
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Parts of Jammu
Being the fifth of the six operational Indian Army commands, it encompasses the II Corps, IX Corps, and XI Corps. Its motto is, “Ever Westward”.
Central Command
This is the last of the six operational Indian Army commands and is located at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Its GOC-in-C is Lt. General Anindya Sengupta, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, while its area of responsibility includes:
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- Himachal Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- Odisha
The central command is also called the Surya Command, and goes by its motto, “The Epitome of Eternal Energy”. It also comprises two corps or areas: the Uttar Bharat area, and the Madhya Bharat area.
ARTRAC
The Army Training Command or ARTRAC is at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh and is the training command of Indian Army. Its GOC-in-C is Lt. General Devendra Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, SM. Its motto is, “Mind over Matter,” and the insignia of this command comprises two crosses swords in front of a flame torch.
Indian Army Commands: Final Thoughts
All the seven Indian Army commands function in their respective areas of responsibility, and ensure the safety and security of India’s territory. Despite being divided into regions, their goal is the same: Seva Paramo Dharma.
