The College of Defence Management (CDM) is a tri-services training establishment of the Indian Armed Forces, headquartered in Secunderabad, Telangana. It functions as the premier institution for instruction and research in management studies for officers of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, and applies management theory and practice to defence-specific contexts.
| Name | College of Defence Management |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | CDM |
| Type | Tri-services military training institution |
| Location | Secunderabad, Telangana, India |
| Affiliation | Ministry of Defence, Government of India |
| Focus | Defence management, higher direction of war, strategic studies |
The College of Defence Management was established to provide officers of the three services with formal grounding in management sciences, decision analysis, organisational behaviour, and the management of defence resources. The institution operates under the broader training framework of the Indian Armed Forces and is administered with the Indian Army as the lead service.
The campus is located in the Secunderabad cantonment area, which has historically housed several major defence training and headquarters establishments.
CDM conducts a range of courses oriented towards mid-career and senior officers. These include long-duration programmes in defence management as well as shorter capsule courses on specialised themes such as strategic management, human resource management, financial management in defence, systems analysis, and operations research as applied to military problems. Officers from friendly foreign countries also attend selected programmes.
The college supports applied research in areas relevant to military organisation and decision-making, and brings out periodic publications and journals related to defence management thought.
As the only tri-services management institution of its kind in India, CDM plays a role in preparing officers for higher staff and command appointments by exposing them to contemporary management practices and analytical techniques. Its alumni serve across the three services in operational, staff and policy-making appointments.