Key Points

The conference will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on July 7, in the presence of top military and civilian leadership including Chief of Defence Staff General 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 said Ministry of Defence.

A flagship forum for policy dialogue, strategic review, and institutional innovation, the Controllers' Conference brings together top leadership from DAD, the civil service, 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 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 DAD from a finance & accounts body to a future-ready institution focused on Defence Finance and Economics. This transformation, guided by the strategic vision articulated by the Raksha Mantri on October 01, 2024, is internally driven, inclusive, and aligned with emerging national security imperatives.

The transition is anchored in DAD's new mission statement and 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.

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

The MoD statement stated that over the past year, the department has made significant strides in digital transformation, with flagship reforms such as 'SAMPURNA': an AI-driven, end-to-end automation system for defence procurement and payments, which enhances transparency and agility. 'SPARSH' is now serving over 32 lakh pensioners. This digital platform has redefined pension delivery with transparency and accessibility. 'SPARSH VAN', a mobile outreach innovation launched in Tamil Nadu, delivering pension services directly to veterans' doorsteps and 'e-Raksha Awaas': Automated recovery of over Rs 500 crore in rent, generating Rs 2,700+ crore in rent bills.

Defence Travel System (DTS) and AI-based procurement tools: Building a smarter, data-centric financial network for defence

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

Training and upskilling remain central to the transformation, with institutions like NADFM Pune and CENTRAD Delhi driving officer education in defence economics, data analytics, and digital resource management. 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 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.

- ANI