- By Sarju Saran Tiwari
- Thu, 21 Aug 2025 06:57 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Complete List Of Major Military Exercise Of India: India conduct various military excercises to expands its defence capabilities, sharing knowledge, improve operational readiness for different situations , such as disaster relief, counter- terrorism and peacekeeping missions in order to improve strengthen global ties.
These Exercises of India not only boost defense capabilities of india but at the same time promote friendly relations with partner nations. They play a significant role in keeping the country prepared for any future challenges and maintaining peace in the region.
these excercises are categorised into the three main types; Domestic. Bilateral and Multilateral.
1. Domestic Military Exercise:
This exercise aims to improve internal engagements and these can be inter-services or intra-services depending on nature and their application.
List of domestic military exercises:
-Gandiv Vijay (Army)
-Paschim Lehar (Navy)
-Vayu Shakti (Air Force)
-Vijay Prahar (Army)
2. Bilateral/Joint Military Exercises:
These exercise are conducted between India and one other country to strengthen defense cooperation and interchange knowledge.
Exercise Name | Partner Country | Type/Focus | Frequency | Latest Edition/Year |
YUDH ABHYAS | USA | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 (21st in September 2025) |
VAJRA PRAHAR | USA | Special Forces Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
SHAKTI | France | Bilateral Army Exercise | Biennial | 2025 (8th edition) |
DHARMA GUARDIAN | Japan | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2025 (6th edition) |
LAMITIYE | Seychelles | Bilateral Army Exercise | Biennial | 2024 (10th edition) |
SURYA KIRAN | Nepal | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024-25 (18th edition) |
VINBAX | Vietnam | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 (5th edition) |
GARUDA SHAKTI | Indonesia | Special Forces Exercise | Annual | 2024 (9th edition) |
SAMPRITI | Bangladesh | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
MITRA SHAKTI | Sri Lanka | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 (10th edition) |
MAITREE | Thailand | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 (13th edition) |
HAND IN HAND | China | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
INDRA | Russia | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
AJEYA WARRIOR | United Kingdom | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
NOMADIC ELEPHANT | Mongolia | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2025 (17th edition) |
KHANJAR | Kyrgyzstan | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2025 (12th edition) |
EKUVERIN | Maldives | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2025 |
AL NAGAH | Oman | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 (3rd edition) |
PRABAL DOSTYK | Kazakhstan | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
DUSTLIK | Uzbekistan | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2025 (6th edition) |
SADA TANSEEQ | Saudi Arabia | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
TIGER TRIUMPH | United States | Tri-Service HADR Exercise | Annual | 2025 (4th edition) |
DESERT CYCLONE | UAE | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
CYCLONE | Egypt | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2025 |
BOLD KURUKSHETRA | Singapore | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2025 |
KAZIND | Kazakhstan | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
HARIMAU SHAKTI | Malaysia | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
AUSTRA HIND | Australia | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
IMBEX | Myanmar | Bilateral Army Exercise | Annual | 2024 |
3. Multilateral Military Exercises
These involve more than two countries working together to improve defense strategic co-ordination and co-operation among participating nations.
| Exercise Name | Number of Participant Nations |
| RIMPAC(Rim of the Pacific) | 26 |
| MALABAR | 4 |
| COBRA-GOLD | Asia-Pacific countries |
| Samvedna | South Asian Region Nations |
These exercises, whether focused on naval operations, air combat, or counter-terrorism, play a significant role in order to strengthen military ties and promoting regional stability.