Top 14 Defence Training Institutions & Military Academies In India (Part 1)

India is one of the countries in the world which have a lot of defence training institutions and military academies. Many of these colleges and academies in the nation have been training professional soldiers in both techniques and strategies, as well as in many military-related fields such as technology, sciences or warfare command.

For those who desire to be a soldier at least once in their life or become a member of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force, or the Indian Navy, here are the top 14 defence training institutions and military academies you can consider.

1. Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC)

Located in Dehradun, this military school was initially known as the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College. It was founded in 1922 and has been run by the Indian Government. After India won the independence in 1947, it changed its name into Rashtriya Indian Military College.

The school only focuses on training boy students and until now, its graduates have mainly taken part in the Indian Armed Forces. The ratio between teachers and students in RIMC is 1:12. RIMC organizes the Entrance Exam two times a year to select the qualified candidates.

2. Indian Military Academy (IMA)

The second name in the list of the top defence training institutions and military academies in India is the Indian Military Academy (abbreviated as IMA). Founded in Dehradun in 1932, it belongs to the officer training academies for the Indian Army.

If it had only 40 male cadets for a class during the first years after its establishment, IMA has now trained more than 400 ones in a batch. The number of students reaches up to 1200. After a one-year training course, these cadets must hold a rank as a Lieutenant. In addition, each cadet receives a Rs 56,100 stipend per month while taking part in the course.

The Indian Military Academy doesn't just produce many prestigious graduates but it also allows good male cadets from foreign friendly countries including Malaysia, Zambia, Singapore, and Afghanistan to join its training programs.

3. Army Cadet College (ACC)

If you want to become a part of the Indian Army, you should consider the Army Cadet College in Dehradun. Established in 1929, the institution has trained and offered professional soldiers for the air force, navy, and the regular army.

The training method of the ACC is similar to that of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in India. That means students have to join a 3-year course in humanities and science. Graduates from the ACC who become officers in the Indian Army often get the deep awareness of the soldier’s life, as well as the services of each Indian man.

4. High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS)

Formerly known as The 19 Infantry Division Ski School, the High Altitude Warfare School was established on December 1948 in Gulmarg. After many years, it has been among the most prominent warfare academies in the whole world. As a piece of evidence, many nations like Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States send their selected soldiers to this school to participate in specialist training courses.

There are 02 training programs in HAWS including the Winter Warfare course and the Mountain Warfare course. The first course is held in Gulmarg between January and April, while the second course takes place in Sonamarg between May and October. More notably, the armed forces from friendly countries can freely learn from its training programs.

5. National Defence Academy (NDA)

Founded in Maharashtra in 1954, the National Defence Academy (NDA) provides training programs for all cadets from the Air Force, the Navy, and the Army before they move to appropriate service academies to receive pre-commissioning training. One of the most notable thing in NDA is that it is known as the first tri-service academy in the whole world.

In addition, there have now been up to 27 service Heads Of Staff coming from the National Defence Academy. Especially, current Heads of Staff of the Navy, the Air Force, and the Army are graduates of this academy.

6. Officers Training Academy (OTA)

The next military academy in this list is the Officers Training Academy which includes two academies: the first one was established in Chennai in 1963, and the second one was set up in Gaya in 2011. OTA trains both male and female cadets. On September 1992, the OTA Chennai produced the first 25 female officers for the Army.

In terms of the OTA Gaya, the academy is equipped with modern training facilities and is capable to train up to 350 capets. A lot of excellent officers and war heroes come from the OTA. After they leave the Indian Army, many have worked for corporations.

7. National Defence College (NDC)

Located in New Delhi, the NDC is the college all officers from the Civil Services of India and the Indian Armed Forces desire to come and learn strategies. Only a few thoroughly selected one-star defence officers and civil servants as Joint secretary of the Indian Government are allowed to join prestigious courses in this college.

Also, the National Defence College annually welcomes about 25 officers from friendly countries including the UK, the USA, Germany, Vietnam, Canada, UAE, Sri Lanka, and many others to take part in its courses. Whenever there is any international or national security matter, it always offers the Indian Government strategic leadership.

Till now, the NDC founded in April 1960 has operated as a think tank concerning defence matters. It has taken an important part in building up the defence viewpoint of the Indian military. The NDC’s faculty is based on the Air Force, Navy, Civil, and Army services. Besides, its students will have a chance to approach lectures from ministers (from both India and other countries), think tanks, defence heads, ambassadors, as well as business leaders.