XVII Corps is the first mountain strike
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
of
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
which has been built as a quick reaction force and as well as counter offensive force against
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
along
LAC
Lac may refer to:
Places Africa
* Lac Region, a district in Chad
* Lac Prefecture, a district in Chad
America
* Rivière du Lac, a tributary of the Montmorency River, in Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, Canada
Europe
* Laç, a city in Albania
* Lac ...
. Its headquarters are located at
Panagarh
Panagarh is an industrial village and an Indian Air Force base in the Durgapur subdivision of the Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Location
Panagarh is located at . It is 24 km southeast of Durg ...
in
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
under
Eastern Command. It is also known as Brahmastra Corps.
History
Republic of India shares a boundary (
LAC
Lac may refer to:
Places Africa
* Lac Region, a district in Chad
* Lac Prefecture, a district in Chad
America
* Rivière du Lac, a tributary of the Montmorency River, in Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, Canada
Europe
* Laç, a city in Albania
* Lac ...
) of length 4,057 km
with Tibet autonomous region. The two countries still have not resolved their disagreement about where exactly the border lies; specially over two regions –
Aksai Chin
Aksai Chin is a region administered by China partly in Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, and partly in Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibet, and constituting the easternmost portion of the larger Kashmir regio ...
and
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...
. Intrusion of troops of
PLA
Pla may refer to:
People
* Cecilio Plá (1860–1934), Spanish painter
* Conrad Pla (born 1966), Canadian kickboxer and actor
* Jim Pla (born 1992), French racing driver
* Joan Baptista Pla (ca. 1720–1773), Spanish composer and oboist
* Josefina ...
into Indian territory, construction of watch tower close to the mutually-accepted "border patrolling line" near Burtse, "standardization" of the names of six towns in Arunachal Pradesh (China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is integral part of China) enhanced the tension.
In addition, China has developed a rail network and five fully operational airbases in
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet in English or Xizang in Pinyin, Hanyu Pinyin, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the ...
. Key airfields include those at Hoping, Pangta and Kong Ka.
In Tibet and
Yunan, roads are extended over 58,000 km (in 2010)
up to the border, at an approximate cost of about $325 billion. As a result of all these buildout of infrastructures, China can mobilize 30
divisions
Division may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
* Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...
(over 15,000 soldiers each) aside heading to the LAC within 48 hours. Moreover, about 300,011 PLA troops and six Rapid Reaction Forces are placed at
Chengdu
Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...
.
To reinforce defensive power across the border in Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian Army raised two new infantry divisions (1,260 officers and 35,000 soldiers) at Likapani
and Missamari (Assam)
in 2009-2010. However PLA outnumbered Indian army near border by three to one.
The formation of a Mountain Strike Corps was first proposed in the year 2000.
On 13 January 2013, the Indian Army put forward a proposal to raise the Corps. The proposal also included raising two additional independent infantry divisions as well as two armoured division (including mechanised infantry units) which overall would cost around to be spent within seven years (12th Plan period (2012–17), with a little spillover into the 13th plan if necessary). The 12th Plan had already been allocated for the Corps and the Army had asked for additional in the proposal. The Corps would reportedly give the Army offensive capabilities across the Tibet Autonomous Region. The proposal had been approved by the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC), a committee composed of the chiefs of the
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
,
Navy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
and
Air Force
An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
. The proposal then headed for the
Cabinet Committee on Security
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is a cabinet committee of the Government of India that discusses, debates and is the final decision-making body on senior appointments in the national security apparatus, defence policy and expenditure, and ...
(CCS), headed by the
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
and including the
Defence Minister
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
and the
Finance Minister
A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position .
A ministry of finance's portfoli ...
among others. The Corps was referred to the by the government earlier in 2012 for further thinking and refinement of the proposal. Two high-altitude divisions would be formed under the Corps.
On 13 July 2013, the Cabinet Committee on Security gave the in principle approval for raising of the Corps at the cost of to be spent throughout the 12th Plan period. The overall budget included for capital expenditure. The Corps will have a strength of 90,274 soldiers and based at
Panagarh
Panagarh is an industrial village and an Indian Air Force base in the Durgapur subdivision of the Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Location
Panagarh is located at . It is 24 km southeast of Durg ...
(
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
).
From October 2013, the army started posting key officers in
Ranchi
Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
. On 1 January 2014,
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
Raymond Joseph Noronha, the first commander of 17 Corps, raised the flag of the XVII Corps for the first time in Ranchi, the temporary headquarters. The raising cost was . The headquarters would be permanently shifted to Panagarh in around 2015.
In 2015, the raising of the Corps came to a halt due to financial constraints. As the government reportedly allocate the required funds for raising the Corps while the plans were approved in 2013. The final Corps size was planned to be "trimmed" as this was not a financially viable project. The Army had to utilise funds from its critical War Wastage Reserves (WWR) due to lack of funds.
As of May 2017, the Army had started raising of the second division (72 Division) under the XVII Corps after the formation of 59 Division was almost completed. The new Division, to be based at
Pathankot
Pathankot () is a city and the district headquarters of the Pathankot district in Punjab, India. Pathankot is the sixth most populous city of Punjab, after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala and Bathinda. Its local government is a municipal ...
, would initially consist of one Brigade with plans to increase the strength to three Brigades. Raising of the Division was o be completed in three years.
The corps was relocated from Ranchi to Panagarh in 2019.
As of 2021, only one Division was raised under 17 MSC with a strength of 16,000 personnel while the raising of another division at Pathankot was shelved. After
2020–2021 China–India skirmishes
Beginning on 5 May 2020, People's Liberation Army, Chinese and Indian Army, Indian troops engaged in aggressive melee, face-offs, and skirmishes at locations along the Sino-Indian border, including near the disputed Pangong Lake in Ladakh and t ...
, 10,000 soldiers were reportedly added. The Corps Area of Responsibility was restricted to
Sikkim
Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...
and the
Northeast India
Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
from the earlier responsibility if entire Northern borders. This was as part of Army's overall restructuring after the clashes.
As of April 2024, the raising of the 72 Division was stopped midway due to "paucity of funds". In March 2025, a report suggested that the 72 Division was now being raised under the aegis of
XIV Corps and would support the existing
3 Division with the Area of Responsibility of Eastern
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...
. The HQ along with one Brigade was already deployed while the larger elements were being trained in western parts of India.
Order of Battle (ORBAT)

The initial plan at the time of raising was to have the corps with two infantry divisions, two independent armoured brigades and artillery, engineer, air defence and aviation brigades. Because of budgetary constraints, the raising was halted in 2018, leaving a truncated force comprising the Corps HQ, one infantry division and specific other combat and combat support elements. The 17 Corps was also expected to have 30 infantry brigades and 2
Para SF
The Para (Special Forces), informally referred to as Para SF, is a group of special forces battalions of the Parachute Regiment in the Indian Army. These units specialise in various roles including counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, dire ...
brigades.
The Corps consists of -
*
23 Infantry Division - The division has been moved from
I Corps to XVII Corps. As I Corps moved to
South Western Command, the division is situated at
Ranchi
Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...
.
*59 Infantry Division - Established at
Panagarh
Panagarh is an industrial village and an Indian Air Force base in the Durgapur subdivision of the Paschim Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Geography
Location
Panagarh is located at . It is 24 km southeast of Durg ...
. It consists of six Brigades, of which three are Infantry and one each of Engineers, Air Defence and Artillery.
*17 Artillery Brigade - Raised in 2020-21. Includes multiple guns including
M777 howitzer
The M777 howitzer is a British towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the United States. It was first used in combat during the Wa ...
(Ultra Light Howitzers).
The Corps also deploy 5 Integrated Battle Groups (IBG) as of 2024.
Integrated Battle Groups
The concept of Integrated Battle Groups (IBG) was introduced in 2018 by the then
Chief of the Army Staff
Chief of the Army Staff or Chief of Army Staff, which is generally abbreviated as COAS, is a title commonly used for the appointment held by the most senior staff officer or the chief commander in several nations' armies.
* Chief of Army Staff ( ...
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Bipin Rawat
Bipin Rawat (16 March 1958 – 8 December 2021) was an Indian military officer who was a Four-star rank, four-star General (India), general of the Indian Army. He served as the first Chief of Defence Staff (India), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS ...
.
The Integrated Battle Groups are Brigade-sized, self-sufficient
combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects—for example, using infantry and armoured warfare, armour in an Urban warfare, urban environment in ...
formations commanded by an officer of the rank
Major General. The IBGs are meant to transform the overall field formation of the Indian Army. As of July 2019, the new concept of formations has been test-bedded with the
IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to:
France
* 9th Army Corps (France)
* IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...
and were being reorganised based on the basis of feedbacks. The formation of a specific IBG shall depend on three T's – Threat, Terrain and Task. The resources will be allocated based on the same conditions. The formations will be organised so that they can be mobilised within 12-48 hours of notice. The traditional field formation of the Indian Army includes Commands (largest static formation spread across a defined geography) which consists of
Corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
(largest mobile formation). A Corps typically consists of 3
Divisions
Division may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
* Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...
which in turn is composed of 3 or more
Brigades
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
...
. This structure is to be replaced by IBG structure. Each IBG, as of 2019, deploys 5,000 troops and includes
infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
,
armoured
Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat ...
,
artillery
Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
and
air defence
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
units. The composition of IBG also depends on its nature – offensive or defensive. While Offensive IBG will be designed to be mobilised instantly and thrust into enemy territory for strike operations, the Defensive IBG will be tasked to hold ground at vulnerable points where enemy action is expected.
In October 2019, the
XVII Corps conducted the first edition of Exercise Him Vijay which included three Integrated Battle Groups from the 59 Infantry Division each including 5,000 troops along with a combination of tanks, artillery and other assets. This was the first field implementation of such a formation. The new restructuring will further reduce the 72-hours response time determined in the
Cold Start Doctrine to under 24 hours.
As of May 2022, the IBGs were test-bedded by IX Corps and further validated by the XVII Corps. The Army identified these Holding Coprs in the Western Front and the Strike Corps in the Northern/Eastern Front for total 'IBG-isation'. The 'IBG-isation' is being done parallel to the formation of
Integrated Theatre Commands to integrate the Armed Forces into larger theatres. The IBGs will replace the traditional Brigades (3,000-3,500 troops) and Divisions (10,000 to 12,000 troops) existing in the Army.
As of June 2024, 2 IBGs under 9 Corps and 5 IBGs under 17 Corps has been raised under Phase-1 and 2, respectively. These formations were war-gamed and validated in multiple exercises. The Army HQ had earlier submitted the report on Phase-1 of 'IBG-isation' to the
Defence Ministry
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
while the same for Phase 2 is to be submitted before issuing the official Government Sanction Letter (GSL). The original plan was to first carve out 8-10 IBGs (5,000 to 6,000 troops each) initially and then create more over the years. As of now, the Army has 14
Corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
(40,000 to 70,000 troops each), with four of them being strike formations.
By November 2024, the Army submitted a draft Government Sanction Letter seeking official approval for the establishment of these IBGs. The issuing of the GSL will imply the approval for the implementation of IBGs. Post approval, the Army aims to have the IBGs operational by 2025.
During the annual press conference on 15 January 2025, on the occasion of the
Army Day
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...
, the
Chief of the Army Staff
Chief of the Army Staff or Chief of Army Staff, which is generally abbreviated as COAS, is a title commonly used for the appointment held by the most senior staff officer or the chief commander in several nations' armies.
* Chief of Army Staff ( ...
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
Upendra Dwivedi
General (India), General Upendra Dwivedi, (born 1 July 1964) is a serving four-star general officer of the Indian Army. He is the current and 30th Chief of the Army Staff (India), Chief of the Army Staff. He took over as the 30th COAS succeedin ...
said that the Integrated Battle Groups will be either implemented if approval is granted in 2025 else the project will be totally abandoned. The proposals are in the final stages of approval and has financial as well as equipment and human resources implications. "It is the first
Special Purpose Vehicle
A special-purpose entity (SPE), also called a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) or a financial vehicle corporation (FVC), is a legal entity (usually a limited company of some type or, sometimes, a limited partnership) created to fulfill narrow, speci ...
(SPV) as far as the restructuring is concerned. If it goes through, others will also follow suit," as per the COAS stated by a report. Some top-of-the-rack changes in the
Northern Theatre Command
The Northern Theater Command () is one of the five theater commands of the People's Liberation Army, founded on 1 February 2016. Its predecessor is the Shenyang Military Region, Jinan Military Region and Beijing Military Region. Its headquarte ...
has been identified to implement the IBGs and will incorporate lessons learnt from Exercise Himvijay 2019. The IBGs will be equipped to lead
surgical strike
A surgical strike is a military attack which is intended to damage only a legitimate military target, with no or minimal collateral damage to surrounding structures, vehicles, buildings, or the general public infrastructure and utilities.
Desc ...
-like operations in case of a war unlike the current structure of the Army where the same role is carried out by Strike Corps.
Mascot
The corps mascot is the
Snow leopard
The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia'') is a species of large cat in the genus ''Panthera'' of the family Felidae. The species is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because ...
, signifying strength, resolve and bravery - traits associated with the predator, with which it shares its geographical habitat.
Exercise
List of General Officers Commanding
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{Active_corps_of_the_Indian_Army
017 017 may refer to:
* DOL-017, GameCube console
* '' Global Underground 017'', DJ mix album
* Road FC 017, 2014 Mixed Martial Arts event
* Swift 017.n, racing car
* Tyrrell 017, Formula One racing car
See also
* 17 (disambiguation)
Seventeen o ...
Military units and formations established in 2013