The Indian National Defence University (INDU) is a proposed central university of India intended to serve as an apex institution for higher education, training, and research in the fields of national security, defence studies, and strategic affairs. It is envisaged to function under the Ministry of Defence and to coordinate the activities of various existing service training establishments in the country.
| Name | Indian National Defence University |
|---|---|
| Acronym | INDU |
| Type | Defence university (proposed) |
| Country | India |
| Proposed location | Binola, Gurugram district, Haryana |
| Affiliation | Ministry of Defence, Government of India |
| Focus areas | National security, defence studies, strategic studies, higher defence management |
The proposal for a national-level defence university in India arose from successive reviews of the country's higher defence education and security architecture. Following the Kargil conflict of 1999, the Kargil Review Committee and the subsequent Group of Ministers report on reforming the national security system recommended the establishment of an integrated institution that would consolidate strategic studies, military training, and research at the highest level.
The university is conceived as an umbrella body that would link together institutions such as the National Defence College, the Defence Services Staff College, the College of Defence Management, and other tri-service training and research establishments, providing them with a unified academic framework while preserving their identities and roles.
The university is planned to comprise multiple constituent schools and centres, with academic activity organised around defence management, strategic and security studies, defence science and technology, and peace and conflict studies. It is expected to offer doctoral and post-graduate programmes, executive courses for serving officers, and short-term capsules for civilian policymakers.
INDU is significant as part of broader efforts at higher defence reform in India, alongside initiatives such as the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs. By providing a common academic platform across the three services and civilian agencies, it is intended to strengthen jointness, build long-term strategic thinking, and create indigenous intellectual capacity in security studies.