First batch of 40 'Purple officers' completes joint training

The batch included 20 Army officers and 10 each from the Navy and the Air Force, along with four officers from the United States, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Australia—nations where jointness in military operations is more advanced, Times Now reported.

Their participation was intended to enrich the learning experience by offering insights and best practices from integrated systems already in place abroad.

These 40 officers underwent specialised training that covered various aspects of tri-service functioning.

Their curriculum included visits to the Andaman and Nicobar Command—the country’s only joint command—as well as the Integrated Defence Staff headquarters in New Delhi and the Maritime Control Centre.

They also received briefings on joint operations involving logistics, intelligence, and cybersecurity.

While only 10% of their training was focused specifically on these joint or “purple” issues, the passing-out marks a significant step in preparing ground for a fully integrated command structure.

For now, however, the officers will be posted in conventional roles as the integrated systems are still being developed.

The move is part of broader military reforms that have been prioritised in 2025, declared as “the year of reform.”

The final roadmap and timeline for full-scale integration will be decided by the government, but efforts to build necessary structures are already under way.

The appointment of General Bipin Rawat as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff in 2019—before his untimely death in a helicopter crash near Wellington in December 2021—was seen as a foundational moment in this direction.

At the passing-out ceremony, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh invoked Swami Vivekananda’s words—“the world is a gymnasium”—to inspire the officers.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan was also present at the event.