On August 15, Prime Minister Modi announced the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff – A person who will be above the three Service Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force. 

The case being provided for the appointment of a CDS is simple – the need for a single-point person as an advisor to the government. With Service Chiefs occupied in their operational roles, the CDS will be responsible for an overall long term planning, optimising procurement of the three services and ensuring that high-level decisions are taken consensually.