[Updated] Complete List of Defence Ministers of India

The Ministry of Defence is one of the most important branches of the Government of India which provides the country with its safety, sovereignty and strategic preparedness. The core of this potent organisation is the Defence Minister of India, a figure who has the huge responsibility of managing the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force besides formulating the defence policies, modernisation plans and the security policies of the country.

India has had various Defence Ministers who have served as the most instrumental in fortifying the defence system of the country and steered it through wars, reforms and fast-tracked technological changes. Every leader has come in his/her own unique way; starting with Baldev Singh, the first Defence Minister of India, who established the platform of a new independent nation and progressed towards self-sufficiency in terms of defence production, to the present minister Rajnath Singh, who is bringing India to the next level of self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

The Defence Ministers list is a representation of the political and strategic course of India during decades. During the early years, the country’s best interest was in the creation of a strong military force to rule out the residual effects of colonial rule. The 1960s and 1970s were the time when the defence leadership in India was challenged with war against its neighbours, which demanded good decision-making and military reforms. Later on, modernisation, indigenisation, and international defence partnership were the topics of interest for the ministry to make sure that India was prepared in the shifting world order.

There are many leaders who have been at the helm in various historic times in Indian history, be it during the Indo-China war, the Indo-Pak conflicts, the Kargil War, or the major policy reforms. Every Defence Minister has played a part in enhancing the morale, discipline and operational capability of the armed forces in India in his or her own way.

India is today the most powerful and one of the largest defence forces in the world. This has been accomplished due to the strategic orientation, decisions in policy and visionary leadership by its Defence Ministers. 

This detailed list of Defence Ministers of India is not only a reminder of their term of service and success but also an indication of the way India was able to achieve self-reliance, national power and its presence in the world arena. As a student, defence fanatic or just a citizen with an interest in the political history in India, the knowledge of these leaders offers a better insight into the history of development of defence in India and the people who influenced it.

List of Defence Ministers of India [1947-2025]

The current Defence Minister of India is Rajnath Singh. He resumed his Second Term on 9 June 2024. Here is the complete list of Defence Ministers of India.