NDA
NDA & NA Examination
The National Defence Academy exam is the primary route for 12th-pass candidates to become officers in all three services after three years at Khadakwasla and a year at the respective service academy.
Force profile
NDA & NA Examination Combined Defence Services Examination Agniveer — Indian Navy (SSR & MR) Indian Navy SSC Officer (Executive, Technical, Education) 10+2 (B.Tech) Cadet Entry — Indian Navy Agnipath Scheme Explained — Pay, Seva Nidhi, Retention and W India vs China — A Sober Reading of the Military Balance Two Carriers, One Ocean — INS Vikrant and India's Carri
Indian Navy
A blue-water navy of ~150 ships and submarines and ~300 aircraft, organised into Western, Eastern and Southern Naval Commands with two carrier battle groups.
| Strength | ~70,000 personnel |
|---|---|
| Fleet | 2 carriers, 12 destroyers, 13 frigates, 18 submarines (incl. 2 SSBN), 20 corvettes, P-8I & MH-60R aviation |
| Commands | Western (Mumbai), Eastern (Visakhapatnam), Southern (Kochi), Andaman & Nicobar (tri-service) |
| Entries | NDA, CDS (INA), 10+2 B.Tech Cadet, SSC Officer (all branches), Agniveer SSR/MR |
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How to join the Indian Navy
All entries →CDS
Combined Defence Services Examination
CDS is the graduate-entry gateway to permanent commission via IMA, INA and AFA, and short service commission via OTA Chennai.
Agniveer Navy
Agniveer — Indian Navy (SSR & MR)
Senior Secondary Recruit (SSR) and Matric Recruit (MR) entries for sailors under Agnipath; women are inducted in both.
Navy SSC
Indian Navy SSC Officer (Executive, Technical, Education)
The Navy's graduate short-service commission covering General Service, Pilot, Observer, ATC, Naval Armament Inspection, Logistics, Education and Technical branches.
Navy B.Tech Cadet
10+2 (B.Tech) Cadet Entry — Indian Navy
Four-year B.Tech at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, leading to permanent commission in Executive or Technical branches.
Key equipment
Database →Related reading
Careers
Agnipath Scheme Explained — Pay, Seva Nidhi, Retention and What Happens After Four Years
Everything a 17-to-21-year-old needs to know about the Agnipath model before registering — the money, the odds of retention, and the exit options.
Analysis
India vs China — A Sober Reading of the Military Balance
Headline comparisons mislead. Terrain, deployment and doctrine narrow the gap on land; the Indian Ocean widens it at sea. A domain-by-domain look.
Navy
Two Carriers, One Ocean — INS Vikrant and India's Carrier Strategy
Why India builds carriers when its neighbours build submarines, what Vikrant can and cannot do, and the third-carrier debate.