Rajnath to inaugurate key defence conclave in Delhi on Monday

New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) A key defence conclave that serves as a platform for evaluating challenges, initiating reforms and advancing the role of financial governance in defence preparedness, is slated to be held from July 7-9 in Delhi, officials said on Sunday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 'Controllers' Conference-2025' which will be hosted by the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) at the DRDO Bhawan, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The inauguration ceremony will also be attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, the three service chiefs, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Financial Adviser (Defence Services) S G Dastidar, and Controller General of Defence Accounts, Mayank Sharma, marking it as a key platform for shaping the future of India's defence financial architecture, it said.

A flagship forum for policy dialogue, strategic review, and institutional innovation, the Controllers' Conference brings together top leadership from the DAD, civil services, academia, think tanks, and stakeholders across the defence and finance sectors.

"It serves as a vital platform for evaluating challenges, initiating reform, and advancing the role of financial governance in defence preparedness," the ministry said.

The theme of this year's conference, 'Transforming Financial Advice, Payment, Audit and Accounting through Defence Finance and Economics,' reflects a paradigm shift within the department, repositioning the DAD from a finance and accounts body to a future-ready institution focused on defence finance and economics, it said.

This transformation, guided by the strategic vision articulated by the defence minister on October 1 last year, is internally driven, inclusive, and aligned with emerging national security imperatives, officials said.

The transition is anchored in DAD's new mission statement and the motto -- 'Alert, Agile, Adaptive', which will be formally released during the event.

"The conference will feature eight high-level business sessions ('Manan Satras'), covering areas such as budget and accounts reform, internal audit restructuring, collaborative research, pricing innovation, and capacity building.

"These sessions will explore the evolving role of Integrated Financial Advisors (IFAs) in balancing fiscal prudence with strategic support for a competitive and self-reliant defence industry," it said.

Managing a defence budget of Rs 26.8 lakh crore, including Rs 1.7 lakh crore dedicated to pensions, the DAD plays a pivotal role in payroll, pension disbursement, audit, procurement pricing, and strategic financial advice.

Since the last Controllers' Conference, the DAD has conducted 206 outreach programmes and established more than 200 service centres across India strengthening last-mile delivery and stakeholder engagement, the statement said.

The DAD's audit functions are also evolving into advanced Management Information Systems (MIS) that provide early risk indicators, performance benchmarks, and decision-support frameworks.

Aligned with the MoD's declaration of 2025 as the Year of Reform, the conference is expected to yield actionable outcomes that will fortify India's defence financial architecture, driven by Atmanirbhar Bharat, and committed to maximum governance with minimum government, the ministry said.

"The deliberations will lay a robust fiscal foundation to strengthen national defence capabilities and ensure that financial systems are agile, responsive, and strategically aligned with India's long-term security goals," it said. PTI KND RHL