India celebrates Army Day on January 15 every year to commemorate the achievements of the first Indian Commander in Chief of the Indian Army — General (later Field Marshal) K.M. Cariappa.
On this day, Cariappa, who led Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war, took over the command of the Indian Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of Independent India. The Army Day is celebrated every year to honour Cariappa and the defence forces.
Until last year, the main Army Day parade was held at the Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi where Service Chiefs paid homage to the Indian Army. The Army Day Parade showcases the evolution of various weapon systems held in the Indian Army’s inventory. Soldiers are also awareded with Gallantry awards and Sena medals on the day.
Army Day 2023
As part of an initiative to take major events to other parts of the country, away from the national capital region, the 75th Army Day will be held in Bengaluru this year.
The rationale behind the move is to bring about increased visibility of these events and secure greater engagement with the local population.
The parade on Army Day will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony by Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande at Madras Engineer Centre War Memorial. Gen. Pande will then review the Army Day parade. COAS unit citations will also be awarded to units for their exceptional performance.
As many as eight marching contingents including a horse-mounted contingent from the Army Service Corps and a military band comprising regimental brass bands will be a part of this year’s Army parade. The Army Day parade will also be supported by a flypast of Army aviation Dhruv and Rudra helicopters.
As a part of the Army outreach programme to build a better bond with civilians, a run was organised in Hyderabad at Necklace Road where around 1,000 people participated. A blood donation camp was also organsied in which 7,500 units of blood were donated in both Hyderabad and Secunderabad at Military hospitals.
In 2022, the Indian Army’s theme for the event was “In Stride with the Future”. It was seen as an acknowledgement of the “increasingly critical role played by niche and disruptive technologies in modern warfare”.
