List of Defence Ministers of India
The Defence Minister of India is responsible for safeguarding the country’s military interests, defense policy, and armed forces. Discover the complete list of India’s Defence Ministers from 1947 to 2025, including their tenures and the Prime Ministers they served under.
Here is the complete list of Defence Ministers of India from 1947 to present:
Name | Duration | Prime Minister |
Rajnath Singh (Current Defence Ministers) | 31 May 2019 – Present | Narendra Modi |
Nirmala Sitharaman | 3 Sep 2017 – 30 May 2019 | Narendra Modi |
Arun Jaitley | 13 Mar 2017 – 3 Sep 2017 | Narendra Modi |
Manohar Parrikar | 9 Nov 2014 – 13 Mar 2017 | Narendra Modi |
Arun Jaitley | 27 May 2014 – 9 Nov 2014 | Narendra Modi |
A. K. Antony | 26 Oct 2006 – 26 May 2014 | Manmohan Singh |
Pranab Mukherjee | 22 May 2004 – 26 Oct 2006 | Manmohan Singh |
George Fernandes | 21 Oct 2001 – 22 May 2004 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
Jaswant Singh | 16 Mar 2001 – 21 Oct 2001 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
George Fernandes | 19 Mar 1998 – 16 Mar 2001 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
Mulayam Singh Yadav | 1 Jun 1996 – 19 Mar 1998 | H. D. Deve Gowda, I. K. Gujral |
P. V. Narasimha Rao | 25 Jun 1993 – 10 May 1996 | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
Sharad Pawar | 25 Jun 1991 – 18 Mar 1993 | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
Chandra Shekhar | 21 Nov 1990 – 21 Jun 1991 | Chandra Shekhar |
V. P. Singh | 2 Dec 1989 – 10 Nov 1990 | V. P. Singh |
K. C. Pant | 15 Apr 1987 – 2 Dec 1989 | Rajiv Gandhi |
P. V. Narasimha Rao | 25 Sep 1982 – 15 Apr 1987 | Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi |
R. Venkataraman | 15 Jan 1982 – 2 Aug 1982 | Indira Gandhi |
Indira Gandhi | 14 Jan 1980 – 15 Jan 1982 | Indira Gandhi |
C. H. Bhabha (MoS) | 24 Mar 1977 – 28 Jul 1979 | Morarji Desai |
Jagjivan Ram | 13 Mar 1967 – 24 Mar 1977 | Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai |
Y. B. Chavan | 14 Nov 1962 – 13 Mar 1967 | Nehru, Shastri, Indira Gandhi |
V. K. Krishna Menon | 17 Apr 1957 – 31 Oct 1962 | Jawaharlal Nehru |
Pandit Nehru (interim) | 31 Jan 1957 – 17 Apr 1957 | Jawaharlal Nehru |
Kailash Nath Katju | 10 Jan 1955 – 31 Jan 1957 | Jawaharlal Nehru |
Baldev Singh | 15 Aug 1947 – 10 Jan 1955 | Jawaharlal Nehru |
FAQs on Defence Minister of India
- Who is the current Defence Minister of India in 2025?
Rajnath Singh is the Defence Minister of India, serving under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Who was the first Defence Minister of independent India?
Baldev Singh was the first Defence Minister of India, serving from 15 August 1947 to 13 May 1952.
- What are the responsibilities of the Defence Minister of India?
The Defence Minister heads the Ministry of Defence and is responsible for formulating defence policy, overseeing the armed forces, managing defense production, and ensuring national security.
- How many Defence Ministers has India had since 1947?
India has had over 30 Defence Ministers since independence, some of whom held the position more than once.
- Who served the longest term as Defence Minister of India?
A. K. Antony served one of the longest terms as Defence Minister, from 2006 to 2014, under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
- Which Prime Ministers also served as Defence Minister?
Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, and Manmohan Singh temporarily held the Defence portfolio during their tenure as Prime Ministers.
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