The Indian Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Republic of India encompassing the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The President of India serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. With an estimated total active force of 1,470,000 personnel, maintains the world's second largest armed forces.
Army operations This includes a list of Army operations, both old one as well as ongoing operations, as well as humanitarian military operations:
Old operations
Sr. No.Names of OperationYearLocationNotes1Operation Bison1948LadakhAssault and capture of Zoji La, Dras and Kargil district in Ladakh during the India–Pakistan war of 1947–19482Operation Peace1948Junagadh StateAnnexation of Junagadh3Operation Polo1948Hyderabad StateIndian armed forces ended the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad and led to the incorporation of the princely state of Hyderabad in Southern India, into the Indian Union4Golden Temple Raid I1955PunjabTo curb the Punjabi Suba Morcha.5Operation Vijay1961Goa, Daman & DiuThe operation by the Military of India that led to the incorporation of Portuguese India (Goa, Daman, and Diu) into India6Operation Ablaze1965Indo-Pak Border (Western sector)Operations by the Indian Army along the western border in May-June 1965, following Pakistani attack in the Rann of Kutch. It took place between the operations in the Rann of Kutch (Operation Kabaddi, April 1965) and Operation Gibraltar by Pakistan.7Operation Riddle1965Punjab sector11 Corps offensive during the Indo-Pakistani War of 19658Operation Nepal1965Sialkot sector1 Corps offensive during the Indo-Pakistani War of 19659Operation Steeplechase1971Red CorridorCombined operation against Naxalites10Operation Cactus Lily1971Indo-Pak BorderIndo-Pakistani War of 197111Amalgamation of Sikkim1975SikkimIndian Army disarmed and disbanded the Royal Guard of the Sikkimese King, after which Sikkim joined India as a State of India.12Operation Blue Star1984PunjabCleanup operation carried out at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab13Operation Woodrose1984Punjab14Operation Meghdoot1984Siachen Glacier, IndiaThe Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas, Ladakh at about 35.421226°N 77.109540°E, just northeast of the point NJ9842.15Operation Shivalik1985Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (mainly Terai Regions)To capture Sikh militant leaders outside the confines of the Punjab state. 1 Sikh militant captured and detained, 38 sympathizers detained.16Operation Black Thunder I1986PunjabCleanup operation carried out at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab17Operation Pacification1986Punjab18Operation Mand1986PunjabTo capture or kill Avatar Singh Bramha, a Sikh Militant. 1 helicopter lost, no militant detained.19Operation Bluebird1987ManipurIndian retaliation operation to the 1987 attacks on the Assam Rifles' outpost20Golden Temple Raid II1987PunjabRumor that Sikh Militant Gurjit Singh was in the Golden Temple complex. Not found.21Operation Pawan1987Sri LankaOperations by the Indian Peace Keeping Force to take control of Jaffna from the LTTE in late 1987 to enforce the disarmament of the LTTE as a part of the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord.Operation Viraat, which occurred in 1988, after Operation Pawan, was an anti-insurgency operation launched by the IPKF against the LTTE in April 1988 in Northern Sri Lanka22Operation Black Thunder II1988PunjabCleanup operation carried out at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab23Operation Night Dominance1990-1994PunjabTo control the landscape of Punjab at night.24Operation Rakshak I1990PunjabTo curb Sikh militancy.25Operation Vadhi Pahar1991PunjabIndian Police and Army operation to kill militant member Seetal Singh Mattewal.26Operation Election1992PunjabTo bring a secure election, did not succeed as militants boycotted election, data suggests only 21% of Punjab voted.27Golden Temple Raid III1992PunjabTo stop commemoration of the assassins of General Arun Shridhar Vaidya. 28Operation Sarp Vinash2003Jammu and KashmirAn assault on the largest system of hideouts used by insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir in which over 60 militants were killed29Operation Black Tornado2008Mumbai, MaharashtraAgainst the 26/11 attacks30Operation All Out2017to flush out militants especially from the Kashmir region of Jammu and Kashmir state of India.312015 Indian counter-insurgency operation in Myanmar2015MyanmarIndian Army allegedly conducted hot pursuit of Naga terror outfit NSCN-Khaplang along the India-Myanmar border.32Operation Calm Down2016Jammu and Kashmir33Operation Randori Behak2020Jammu and Kashmir34Operation Devi Shakti2021Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, AfghanistanTo help fleeing Hindus and Sikhs from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 35Operation Ganga2022UkraineTo evacuate the Indian citizens amidst the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, who had crossed over to neighboring countries.36Operation Sindoor2025POK/PakistanTo take revenge against the 2025 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.37Operation Sindhu2025IranTo evacuate the Indian citizens amidst the 2025 Iran-Israel conflict.
Ongoing operations Sr. No.Name of OperationYearLocationNotes1Operation Rakshak II1991–PresentJammu and Kashmir, PunjabCurb militancy.2Operation Goodwill1998–presentJammu and KashmirHumanitarian tasks.3Operation Good SamaritanManipur/NagalandHumanitarian tasks.4Operation All Out Kashmir2017Jammu and KashmirCurb militancy.5Operation Snow Leopard2020LadakhControl key heights along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
Navy operations Operation Vijay (1961) - Annexation of Goa Operation Trident (1971) - an offensive operation launched on Pakistan's port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Operation Python (1971) - Follow-up to Operation Trident on Karachi, Pakistan's port city in 1971. Operation Cactus (1988) - Against the coup to overthrow the Government of Maldives. During Operation Restore Hope (1992–2003) - Operation Talwar (1999) - Blockage of Karachi Port Operation Parakram (2001) During Operation Enduring Freedom (2001) During 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (Operation Madath, Operation Sea Waves, Operation Castor, Operation Rainbow, Operation Gambhir & Operation Rahat-II) Operation Sukoon (2006) - a relief operation to evacuate Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepalese nationals, as well as Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006 Lebanon War Operation Searchlight (2014) -The Search Operation Undertaken by Indian Navy to find the missing Boeing 777 M.H 17 Malaysian Flight Operation Raahat (2015) - Operation by the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens and other foreign nationals from Yemen during the 2015 military intervention by Saudi Arabia and its allies in that country during the Yemeni Crisis. Operation Nistar(India) (2018) - Operation by the Indian Navy using INS Sunayna to evacuate Indian citizens from Yemen Island of Socotra who were stranded by Cyclone Mekenu. Operation Madad (2018) - Indian Navy had launched Operation Madad, major rescue, and relief operation in flood-hit Kerala. The operation was launched to assist state administration and undertake disaster relief operations due to flooding in many parts of Kerala. Operation Samudra Setu (2020) - This operation was launched to bring back Indian citizens struck at overseas during COVID-19 pandemic. Operation Surya Hope (2013) - was the Indian Army's Central Command's response to the devastating floods in Uttarakhand in June 2013 Operation Sankalp - Anti piracy patrols Operation Urja Suraksha (2026) - Protection of energy supplies during 2026 Iran war.
Air Operations During World War II (1939–1945) (Main article- India during World War 2) During First Kashmir War (1947) During Congo Crisis (1961) During Sino-Indian War (1962) During Second Kashmir War (1965) During Bangladesh Liberation War (Operation Meghna Heli Bridge) (1971) Meghna Heli Bridge (1971) Tangail Airdrop (1971) Operation Meghdoot (1984) Operation Poomalai (1987) Operation Cactus (1988) Operation Safed Sagar (1999) Atlantique incident (1999) Operation Rahat (2013) in Uttarakhand floods Operation Megh Rahat (2014) in Jammu and Kashmir floods Operation Maitri (2015) Indian Military's rescue and relief mission in quake-hit Nepal Operation Sankat Mochan (India) (2016) An operation of the Indian Air Force in view of 2016 Juba Clashes to evacuate Indian Citizens and other foreign nationals from South Sudan during the South Sudanese Civil War. Operation Insaniyat (2017) a humanitarian assistance aimed to supply relief packages to Bangladesh for migrant Rohingya Muslims. Operation Bandar (2019) Operation launched by IAF to bomb the biggest Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot to avenge the Pulwama terror attack. In this operation almost 170-200 terrorists were killed and 45 terrorists were severely injured. Operation Ganga (2022) An operation by Government of India to evacuate the Indian citizens (mainly students) from Ukraine amidst the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine with the help of Indian Air Force and a few private airlines. Operation Dost (2023) Turkey and Syria earthquake. Operation Kaveri (2023) evacuation of Indian citizens from Sudan Operation Ajay(2023) evacuation of Indian national from Israel and Palestine Operation Sindoor(2025) was a coordinated military strike launched by India on May 7, 2025, targeting Pakistan-based terrorist camps in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
See also Indian Army Indian Navy Indian Air Force Indian Armed Forces
References