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Strategic Research Centre

Research on India's defence and security

Twelve desks produce peer-verified monographs, policy briefs and the annual India Defence & Strategic Outlook. Every paper passes a five-level verification and national-security review.

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Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh at the 11th ADMM-Plus forum in Vientiane, Lao PDR

Twelve research desks

Each desk covers one part of India's security landscape.

  • Desk 01

    Indian Armed Forces

    Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, strategic forces, tri-service institutions, jointness and training.

  • Desk 02

    Border & Frontier

    Ladakh, Siachen, J&K, Rajasthan, Punjab, the Northeast, Arunachal, coastal borders and island territories.

  • Desk 03

    Strategic Affairs

    Geopolitics, the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean, and India's major-power and regional relationships.

  • Desk 04

    Defence Policy

    Budget, acquisition, military reform, theatre commands, Atmanirbhar Bharat and indigenisation.

  • Desk 05

    Defence Industry

    DPSUs, private companies, MSMEs, startups, corridors, aerospace, shipbuilding, missiles and electronics.

  • Desk 06

    Defence Technology

    AI, autonomy, UAV/UCAV, counter-drone, cyber, electronic warfare, space, quantum and sensors.

  • Desk 07

    Defence Diplomacy

    Agreements, exercises, partnerships, attachés, exhibitions, dialogues and exports.

  • Desk 08

    Military History & Heritage

    1947–48 to Kargil, regimental history, war heroes, museums, memorials and gallantry awards.

  • Desk 09

    Soldier & Veteran

    Soldier Connect: Veer Naris, veterans, families, welfare, transition and border communities.

  • Desk 10

    Strategic Research Centre

    Strategic briefs, policy papers and the annual India Defence & Strategic Outlook.

  • Desk 11

    Multimedia

    Defence Observer TV, podcasts and documentaries built from the desks' research.

  • Desk 12

    Dialogues & Awards

    The Defence Observer Dialogue, summits and national recognition.

Research monographs

Six peer-verified papers. Filter by desk.

Showing 6 records

CDS Gen Anil Chauhan with senior Army, Navy and Air Force commanders at the 35th Tri-Services Training Commanders Conference, Kochi
Monograph 01Military Modernisation

Tri-Service Integration, CDS/DMA Reforms, and the Road to Integrated Theatre Commands

18 Oct 2026 · 16 min read

Since the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), India's higher defence organisation has pursued jointness in planning, procurement, logistics and training. Drawing on the experience of the Andaman & Nicobar Command and the Strategic Forces Command, this paper examines the institutional building blocks that integrated theatre commands require.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh holding bilateral defence talks at the 11th ADMM-Plus in Vientiane, Lao PDR
Monograph 02Defence Diplomacy

The ‘RAKSHA’ Defence Diplomacy Framework: Strategic Partnerships, Joint Exercises & Export Statecraft

15 Oct 2026 · 18 min read

In September 2026 the Raksha Mantri released the ‘RAKSHA’ defence diplomacy document, naming strategic partnerships, capacity building, indigenous defence exports and maritime security as the pillars for the coming decade. This paper examines how bilateral agreements, joint exercises, the defence attaché network and export cooperation reinforce strategic autonomy and regional stability.

INS Vikrant Carrier Battle Group formation in the Indian Ocean Region
Monograph 04Border Security

India's Frontier Architecture: Land Borders, Maritime Bastions & 21st-Century Security Challenges

8 Oct 2026 · 22 min read

India's security rests on a 15,106.7 km land border with seven neighbours, eighteen border States and Union Territories, a coastline revised in 2025 to 11,098.81 km, and a 2.37 million sq km Exclusive Economic Zone. This monograph brings together terrain, the forces that guard each frontier, and the challenges that define border security today.

Raksha Mantri and CDS Gen Anil Chauhan addressing the Air Force Commanders Conference in New Delhi
Monograph 06Defence Policy

India's FY 2026–27 Defence Allocation (₹7.85 Lakh Crore) & Capital Modernisation Trajectory

1 Oct 2026 · 26 min read

In FY 2026–27 the Ministry of Defence received ₹7.85 lakh crore, including capital allocation above ₹2.19 lakh crore, with about 75% of capital acquisition earmarked for domestic industry. This paper examines the composition of defence spending, the balance between revenue and capital across the Services, and what it takes to turn outlays into readiness.

Signature framework

Border to Boardroom™

An analytical method that follows a requirement from the soldier on the frontier through government policy, industry, technology and diplomacy to investment and long-term partnership. It is what sets Defence Observer's research apart from general defence media.

  1. Stage 1 · Border

    Soldiers, forward deployments, terrain and operational realities across mountain, desert, north-eastern and maritime frontiers.

  2. Stage 2 · Policy

    Government strategy: allocations, acquisition rules, theatre command integration and Atmanirbhar mandates.

  3. Stage 3 · Industry

    DPSUs, private primes, MSMEs and corridors driving indigenous production.

  4. Stage 4 · Technology

    DRDO labs, iDEX innovators and startups developing AI, autonomy, counter-drone, EW, space and quantum systems.

  5. Stage 5 · Diplomacy

    Defence agreements, exercises, attachés and exports to 80+ countries.

  6. Stage 6 · Boardroom

    Investment, governance and long-term industrial partnerships.

Publications & series

How the desks' work reaches readers, from the annual Outlook to the bilingual monthly.

  • Annual flagship

    India Defence & Strategic Outlook 2026–27

    The annual assessment of the defence budget, modernisation, production, exports, partnerships, border security, technology, startups, future warfare and the geopolitical outlook.

    Inaugural edition
  • Policy series

    Strategic Briefs & Policy Papers

    Concise, decision-oriented briefs for policymakers and practitioners, governed by a published series charter.

    Ongoing
  • Signature reports

    Border to Boardroom™ Reports

    Studies that follow a requirement from the frontier through policy, industry, technology and diplomacy to the boardroom.

    Ongoing
  • Sectoral reports

    Defence Industry & Technology Reports

    Sector studies on aerospace, shipbuilding, missiles, radars and drones.

    Ongoing
  • Bilingual monthly

    Defence Observer (print & digital)

    The PRGI-registered English and Hindi monthly: 17 permanent sections, 120–160 pages, carrying the desks' research to a wider readership.

    Monthly

Signature content series

  • The Strategic InterviewSenior military and strategic personalities
  • From the FrontierBorder field reports
  • Commanders' ViewSenior military leadership perspectives
  • Defence CEODefence industry leadership
  • War RoomData-driven strategic analysis
  • Battlefield IndiaMilitary history
  • Made in BharatIndian defence technology
  • Soldier StoriesHuman stories of military service
  • Next WarFuture warfare and technology
  • Young StrategistsYoung researchers and defence thinkers