Army, Navy chiefs set for major headquarters shift from South Block by November-end

New Dehi: The Indian Army and Navy are planning to shift some offices of their top brass from South Block, indicating a radical shift in the administrative structure of India’s armed forces. This exercise will be completed by the end of November.

The chief of the Army staff, General Dhiraj Seth, along with the vice-chief of Army staff and seven principal staff officers (PSOs), will be transferred to Shaurya Bhavan in the Delhi Cantonment. Similarly, the chief of the Naval staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, with his senior officers will be transferred to Sena Bhavan.

Changes will be made even in the operational offices. The war room of the Army and that of the director general of military operations (DGMO) will shift as well. Officers who work under the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) such as the director general of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DG DIA) will leave South Block.

The location of the war room of the Navy remains unknown. Relocation of the building would require other facilities, such as security communications network, special infrastructure and technologies, the Print noted.

There is already an operating Navy Headquarters based at Nausena Bhavan in Delhi Cantonment, which was commissioned in 2024. There were plans for a separate Navy Headquarters to be established close to the DRDO headquarters building. However, the site is no longer available to the Navy.

However, the defence ministry has temporarily moved to Kartavya Bhavan 2. It has been observed that the CDS is the sole military head who has an office in the building. Hence, it has been concluded that till the second phase of the move has not been completed, Gen Seth will have to make a trip from Shaurya Bhavan for meeting the defence minister, Rajnath Singh, and other officials.

It is estimated that Kartavya Bhavan 6 and 7 will accommodate the permanent offices of the Ministry upon completion of construction. The complexes will also provide space for additional offices of the three service chiefs.

The defence ministry’s relocation began in April, when Rajnath Singh and his secretariat moved to Kartavya Bhavan 2. Other ministry branches, including service public relations officers (PROs), have subsequently shifted as part of the phased transition.

The changes are taking place alongside the government’s wider Central Vista project, which includes the construction of new administrative complexes and the relocation of government offices. However, there has been no official confirmation that the Army and Navy headquarters’ move from South Block is directly linked to the Central Vista redevelopment.

The departure of the two service chiefs will bring their long-standing presence at South Block to an end. Their relocation will also shift several senior military and operational offices to separate locations across the capital.