Indian army.

The Indian Army (IA;Devanāgarī: भारतीय थलसेना, Bhāratīya Thalsēnā) is the largest branch of the Indian Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military operations. Its primary mission is to ensure the national security and defense of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security within its borders. It also conducts humanitarian rescue operations during natural calamities and other disturbances.

The Indian Army is one of the three services of the Indian Armed Forces which are under the Ministry of Defence. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, and thus of the Indian Army. The highest ranking military officer is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is also a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

The Indian Army came into being when India gained independence in 1947, and inherited most of the regiments and infrastructure of the British Indian Army that were located in post-partition India. It is a completely voluntary service and although a provision for military draft exists in the Indian constitution, it has never been imposed.

With about 1,325,000 soldiers in active service^[1] and about 1,800,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's second largest army.^[2] By 2020, the Indian Army plans to have 2,000 upgraded T-72s, over 1,500 T-90s, and few hundred other tanks (probably including some Arjuns). According to some analysts^[who?], this will be the largest armored force in Eurasia, unless China moves ahead with upgrades to its tank force.^[3]