Army Set To Raise First Integrated Battle Groups Next Month Under Mountain Strike Corps

Last Updated:June 29, 2026, 08:10 IST

Under the restructuring plan, the XVII Corps will have four IBGs along with a dedicated fire support group. Each of these five formations will be headed by a Major General.

The Army is expected to operationalise its first Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) by next month, marking a major structural shift aimed at creating agile, self-contained combat formations for rapid deployment in mountainous terrain, The Indian Express has learnt.

According to sources familiar with the development, the first IBGs will be carved out of the Panagarh-based XVII Corps, the Army’s mountain strike corps tasked with operations along the China front.

The original plan envisaged raising four IBGs under the XVII Corps’ two divisions, the 59 Division and the 23 Division, by September. However, sources said the timeline has now been advanced, with the formations likely to become operational from July 1.

The Indian Express had first reported in January that the Army’s long-pending plan to create IBGs had gathered momentum and was nearing implementation.

Under the restructuring plan, the XVII Corps will have four IBGs along with a dedicated fire support group. Each of these five formations will be headed by a Major General.

Every IBG will comprise more than 5,000 personnel drawn from 12 to 13 units. A Brigadier-rank officer is expected to serve as the Chief Operations Officer of each group.

While the four IBGs will be raised from the corps’ two divisions, the fire support group, consisting of artillery platforms, is likely to function directly under the corps headquarters. The Army’s newly created Divyastra batteries may also be placed under this formation.

Each IBG will include infantry battalions, artillery regiments, units from the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Combat Engineers, the Army Service Corps and a field hospital, making the formations largely self-sufficient.

Designed for operations in mountainous regions, the IBGs are intended to enable faster deployment by eliminating the need to mobilise an entire corps before launching operations.

The creation of IBGs is part of the Army’s broader restructuring initiative, which also includes raising Bhairav battalions, Rudra brigades, Divyastra batteries and Shaktibaan units. Unlike the IBGs, the Rudra brigades, commanded by Brigadiers, will continue to depend on their parent divisions for additional support. IBGs, in contrast, will be larger, more independent and capable of operating as self-contained formations.

These will be the Army’s first Integrated Battle Groups, a concept proposed under one of the four restructuring studies initiated by former Army Chief General Bipin Rawat. Although discussions on the concept have continued for nearly seven years, implementation has been delayed. The capability development plan is based on capacity building rather than on a specific threat model.

The IBGs are expected to undertake both offensive and defensive operations against adversaries.

The concept was first tested by the IX Corps along the western border with Pakistan around 2019, but has not yet been formally implemented. It was also evaluated during multiple exercises in the eastern theatre, including Exercise HimVijay in 2019.

A key advantage of the IBGs is their ability to deploy rapidly in mountainous terrain, significantly reducing mobilisation time compared to a full corps. A corps can comprise up to one lakh troops and requires considerably more time to move into operational positions.

Sources had earlier said that the strength of the IBG model lies in its flexibility and rapid employment, enabling better integration of combined-arms operations. Once operational, the formations could also be assigned to specific theatre commands.

China has also undertaken a similar restructuring over the past decade, replacing traditional divisions with smaller Combined Arms Brigades (CABs) that integrate tanks, artillery, air defence and support units for joint operations.

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