Bengaluru: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan said Thursday that the proposal for theaterisation is being finalised, and that he will share it with the defence ministry for approval in a “week or so”. Once implemented, theaterisation, which aims to divide the forces into three theatres with specific areas of responsibility, will become the single most far-reaching reform the Indian military has witnessed since Independence.
Speaking at a fireside chat here on the sidelines of the Ran Samvad, Gen Chauhan said that all three services are in 100 percent agreement on the concept of theaterisation but there are slight differences when it comes to manifestation—how it will be implemented.
The CDS explained that multiple discussions have taken place on the theaterisation proposal within the services and at the Chiefs of Staff Committee-level involving him and the three service chiefs.
He revealed that the whole process has been dubbed “Operation Tiranga” and each point was discussed and finalised before moving on to the next one. “From our side, it is done. Now we have to move it to the defence minister and then to the Cabinet Committee on Security. I should be able to complete the report operation in a week or so,” he said.
Sources in the defence and security establishment explained that differences in the manifestation part of ‘Operation Tiranga’ relate to how it should be implemented in terms of pace and sequence, adding that it is for the government to review the proposal and decide on how it should be implemented.
The defence ministry will review the proposal, accept it, or ask for changes which will then be undertaken before it can finally be sent to the CCS, sources added.
It was not yet clear how long the whole process will take, though sources indicated that the whole process could take time.
Gen Chauhan is retiring at the end of May, upon the completion of the six-month extension granted to him on 24 September 2025 to see through the theaterisation process he initiated.
ThePrint reported Wednesday that the broad contours of theaterisation have been agreed upon with a plan to set up three theatre commands, focused on China, Pakistan and the seas.
The Western Theatre, focused on Pakistan, will be headed by an Air Force officer while the Northern Theatre, focused on China, will be headed by an Army officer. The Maritime Theatre will be headed by a Navy officer.
Each theatre will have deputy theatre commanders who will be from another service.
The proposal includes creation of a post of Vice Chief of Defence Staff, who will be a four-star officer along with the service chiefs, the CDS and also the theatre Commanders.
The Air Force, while supporting joint planning and operations, had objected to dividing the various fronts into theatres citing lack of required number of air assets and also their accumulated experience of controlling air assets centrally when it comes to operations.
Per the understanding reached, Air Headquarters will control the strategic air assets.
Sources explained to ThePrint that strategic air assets mean refuellers, transport aircraft, airborne early warning and control aircraft, and that any electronic intelligence aircraft acquired in the future, as well as space assets, will remain under the command of the Air Headquarters. As far as fighters are concerned, sources said various commands already have the assets and they will come under the respective theatre commands.
“As more fighters come in, the whole question of division of small assets will no longer be relevant. However, strategic air assets will remain under the disposal of the Air Headquarters,” a source had told ThePrint earlier.
ThePrint had first reported in July 2023 that Jaipur, home to the Army’s South Western Command (SWC), will be the headquarters for the theatre command focused on Pakistan.
The other theatre command to focus on the borders with China will come up in Lucknow, which currently is the headquarters of the Central Command. The Army’s South Western, Western and Southern Commands and elements from the Northern Command will come under the Jaipur-based theatre command, apart from the IAF’s Western and South Western Air Commands and elements from the Central and Southern Commands.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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