New Delhi. The Indian Army on July 2 formally initiated the raising of five integrated battle groups (IBGs) along the border with China as part of efforts to enhance operational readiness and improve rapid response capabilities in the eastern sector.
The newly created formations have been tasked with launching operations and striking designated targets within 24 hours of receiving orders, reflecting the Army’s emphasis on speed, flexibility and integrated combat operations.
According to media reports citing sources, each IBG will be commanded by an officer of the rank of major general, with five such officers already posted to take charge of the formations, marking the formal commencement of the raising process.
The move follows the finalisation of the government’s sanction letter for the Mountain Strike Corps’ IBGs on July 1, clearing the way for personnel postings, administrative arrangements and organisational restructuring. The process of raising the units is expected to be completed by mid-2027.
The five IBGs will be deployed in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, the two northeastern states that share borders with China. They will be supported by a dedicated Fire Support Group equipped with long-range artillery guns and other firepower assets.
The Mountain Strike Corps currently comprises two divisions, one oriented towards Ladakh and the other towards the northeastern sector. According to the sources, the present phase of IBG implementation is confined to the Northeast.
Designed to be agile and self-sufficient fighting formations, IBGs integrate infantry, armour, artillery, engineers, signals, air defence and logistics elements under a single commander, enabling quicker decision-making and reducing dependence on larger formations during combat operations.
Each IBG is expected to comprise around 5,000 personnel, making it larger than a conventional brigade, which typically has 3,000 to 3,500 troops, but smaller than a division with a strength of 10,000 to 12,000 personnel.
The concept forms a key component of the Army’s broader restructuring and transformation efforts aimed at creating a leaner, more agile and technology-enabled force. The Army has maintained that formations deployed in the Himalayan theatre require specialised equipment, training and operational doctrines that differ significantly from those employed in the plains.
The IBGs are being created by reorganising and integrating existing resources, including infantry units, tank regiments, artillery, unmanned aerial systems, engineers and signals units, rather than through fresh raisings or additional inductions.
The initiative also stems from the recommendations of a 2022 study on the reorganisation and rightsizing of the Indian Army, which reviewed force structures and operational requirements along the country’s western and northern borders with the objective of making the force more efficient and future-ready.
