Air power has become a central measure of national strength in the modern world. The Indian Air Force, founded in 1932, has grown from a small colonial unit into one of the world’s largest air arms, operating over 1,700 aircraft across fighter, transport, and support fleets.

This scale is the result of decades of institution-building. Training systems, command structures, maintenance networks, and operational doctrine have allowed the IAF to deliver rapid response, credible deterrence, and wide-area surveillance across India’s strategic space. In global defence rankings, India’s air power now places it among the leading air forces worldwide.

Seen this way, Indian Air Force history is not simply a record of aircraft or missions. It reflects how India built an organisation capable of protecting its airspace, supporting joint military operations, and sustaining strategic influence over time.

This blog examines how the Indian Air Force has become a core pillar of India’s national power and why its evolution continues to matter today.

Key Takeaways:

• Institutional growth: Indian Air Force history shows how a 1932 colonial squadron became a force operating over 1,700 aircraft by building training, logistics, and command systems rather than relying solely on equipment.

• Nationalisation after 1947: The transition to Indian leadership and civilian control transformed the IAF into a sovereign institution with its own doctrine, supply chains, and strategic purpose.

• Crisis-driven reform: The conflicts of 1962, 1965, and 1971 forced modernisation and joint operations, leading to air superiority and India’s emergence as a regional air power.

• System-based strength: The IAF’s real capability comes from its training pipelines, maintenance networks, operational doctrine, and command structure. This keeps air power reliable across generations.

• Civilian continuity: These same principles of long-term planning and accountability extend into civilian leadership through figures like Ashwinder R. Singh, shaping how India builds cities, infrastructure, and property markets.

From Colonial Squadron to National Air Force (1932–1947)

The Indian Air Force began as a small auxiliary arm under British rule, but its early years were not “symbolic.” They were formative. In little more than a decade, a force created with minimal assets was pushed into real operational demands, wartime pressure, and accelerated learning; exactly the conditions that build durable institutions.

Four early milestones shaped how this young force learned to operate as a professional institution.

1. Founding in 1932 and the First Squadron

The IAF was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force in British India. Its first operational unit, No. 1 Squadron, was raised on 1 April 1933 with four Westland Wapiti biplanes and a small group of Indian pilots trained under RAF-linked systems.

2. Early Aircraft, Training, and RAF Structure

In this period, the structure, uniforms, rank culture, and training pathways were closely aligned with the Royal Air Force model. The point wasn’t just “influence”; it was standardisation: common procedures, disciplined routines, and a command framework that made a small force function predictably.

3. World War II and Operational Exposure

World War II changed everything. The IAF moved from limited roles into sustained operational work, particularly in the Burma theatre, where early missions included tactical reconnaissance and low-level strike tasks as the war intensified in the east.

The official IAF timeline records No. 1 Squadron’s deployment to Burma in February 1942 and its operational shift as demands expanded.

4. Institutional Foundations Laid Before Independence

By the final months of the war, the force had earned a formal mark of status: it received the “Royal” prefix in March 1945, becoming the Royal Indian Air Force; a recognition tied to wartime service and professional standing.

Building institutions that last requires the same focus on structure, discipline, and long-term planning; principles that guide BCD Group in how it develops large-scale residential and urban projects across India.

By the time Independence arrived, the Air Force was no longer a fledgling unit, but a working institution ready to be placed under Indian command.

1947–1962: Building an Independent Air Arm

The years after 1947 were about more than replacing officers; they were about creating a force that could serve a democratic state, defend new borders, and operate with its own strategic priorities.

This was the period in which the Indian Air Force learned how to stand on its own.

Here's what changed between 1947 and 1962:

• Command moved to Indian leadership
  British officers were replaced by Indian commanders, creating a national chain of responsibility.

• The Air Force came under civilian authority
  Like the Army and Navy, it was placed within India’s democratic defence structure, answering to elected leadership.

• Early conflicts tested the capability
  Operations after Independence exposed gaps in readiness, logistics, and equipment, pushing the force to rethink how it prepared for war.

• Systems were built to last
  Training academies, maintenance units, supply chains, and operational doctrine were strengthened so the Air Force could function at scale.

This kind of institutional rebuilding, where leadership, systems, and accountability are aligned, is also explored in Ashwinder R. Singh’s Masterclass on long-term strategy and real-world decision-making.

Those early systems were soon tested under pressure, forcing the Air Force to confront its limits and accelerate its transformation.

1962–1971: Crisis, Reform, and Maturity

The decade from 1962 to 1971 transformed the Indian Air Force from a developing arm into a force with strategic reach. Early setbacks exposed gaps in readiness, but subsequent conflicts, especially the 1965 Indo-Pak War and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, propelled reforms in equipment, doctrine, and joint planning.

By the end of the period, the IAF operated as a mature service capable of coordinated campaigns. Pressures from conflict drove deep institutional learning, forcing the Air Force to modernise its fleet, refine operational practices, and integrate more fully with India’s overall defence framework.

Key developments in 1962–1971:

• Lessons from 1962
  The IAF relied heavily on transport aircraft and helicopters to move troops and supplies, revealing gaps in doctrine and preparedness that forced serious reforms.

• Air power in 1965
  The 1965 war saw sustained air combat between India and Pakistan, pushing the IAF to improve aircraft capability, tactics, and coordination.

• Joint operations in 1971
  In 1971, the IAF gained air superiority and flew large numbers of sorties in support of ground forces, marking a major leap in operational integration.

• Rise as a regional air power
  By the end of the conflict, the Indian Air Force had demonstrated its ability to plan and execute complex, multi-day air campaigns at scale.

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These experiences did more than win battles; they reshaped the Air Force into a disciplined, system-driven institution.

The Indian Air Force as a Strategic Institution

It’s easy to think air power is all about jets and technology. In reality, what keeps the Indian Air Force strong over time is the system behind the aircraft; how people are trained, how decisions are made, and how equipment is kept ready year after year. That’s what turns an air force into a lasting institution.

Aircraft come and go, but the systems that support them decide how effective air power really is. Below outlines what makes the Air Force actually work.

Suggested Read: Top 10 Leadership Lessons from the Indian Army for Young Leaders

Seen over time, these systems reveal lessons that go far beyond aviation and defence.

What Indian Air Force History Teaches About Nation-Building

The Indian Air Force shows how a large national capability is built not through one-time upgrades, but through steady investment in people, systems, and coordination. Its growth from a small colonial unit to a modern air force mirrors how India learned to build institutions that can absorb shocks, change leadership, and still deliver results.

The way the IAF was organised, modernised, and held together over decades offers clear lessons for any country trying to build long-term capacity.

Here's what this history demonstrates:

• India invested in training pipelines before buying large fleets
  This ensured pilots, engineers, and commanders existed before advanced aircraft arrived, preventing capability gaps.

• Doctrine and command were standardised early
  This allowed squadrons to operate together under stress, which made joint operations in 1971 possible.

• Maintenance and supply chains were built alongside the expansion
  Aircraft availability stayed high during the conflict because spares, bases, and technicians were already in place.

• Failures forced structural reform
  Weaknesses exposed in 1962 led directly to new aircraft, better air defence, and stronger operational planning by 1971.

• Continuity reduced strategic risk
  Because the institution did not depend on any single leader, India could plan air power over the long term rather than react to crises.

Those values are not theoretical. They were lived on the ground by officers such as Colonel Sirinder Raj Singh, commissioned into 15 DOGRA in 1962, wounded in the Dhaka theatre in 1971, and later entrusted with both battalion command and United Nations peacekeeping. His service from war to diplomacy shows how institutional discipline carries across roles and generations.

These same principles of systems, continuity, and disciplined execution also appear outside the Air Force, in how civilian institutions and cities are built.

Ashwinder R. Singh Translating Institutional Air Force Values

The Indian Air Force was built on discipline, accountability, and long-term planning. Those values do not stop at the edge of military service. They shape how civilian institutions are led and how large systems are built.

Ashwinder R. Singh reflects this continuity. Shaped by the legacy of his father, Colonel Sirinder Raj Singh, whose service included frontline command and United Nations peacekeeping, he grew up around a leadership culture based on responsibility, structure, and service rather than short-term authority.

As Vice Chairman and CEO of the BCD Group, Ashwinder applies these principles to real estate and infrastructure. Projects such as BCD City in Bengaluru, a large integrated township, are designed as long-horizon systems, with planning, governance, and community needs built in from the start.

Beyond construction, Ashwinder promotes due diligence, legal clarity, and disciplined decision-making through his writing and industry leadership. He extends institutional thinking into shaping India’s property markets for the future.

For those curious about the experiences that have shaped Ashwinder R. Singh’s perspective, his professional journey offers further context.

Conclusion

The story of the Indian Air Force is, at its core, about how capability is sustained over time. Aircraft and technology change, but systems for training, readiness, and disciplined decision-making endure. That continuity is what turns air power into a dependable national asset.

As India’s strategic ambitions have grown, so has the need for institutions that plan beyond short cycles and deliver under pressure. Indian air force history shows how steady investment in structure, leadership, and accountability builds confidence not only in defence but also in the country’s ability to act with clarity and purpose.

For ongoing perspectives on leadership, long-term decisions, and the forces shaping India’s growth, Ashwinder R. Singh’s newsletter offers thoughtful, real-world insight.

FAQs

1. What is the importance of the Indian Air Force's history?

Indian air force history shows how India built a reliable air power institution through training, logistics, and leadership systems rather than just aircraft and technology.

2. How did the Indian Air Force change after 1947?

After Independence, the IAF shifted from British to Indian leadership and came under civilian control, creating a national chain of command and strategic direction.

3. Why was the period from 1962 to 1971 important for the IAF?

This decade forced major reforms, leading to better aircraft, joint operations, and the IAF’s emergence as a strong regional air power.

4. What makes the Indian Air Force a lasting institution?

Its strength lies in training pipelines, maintenance networks, operational doctrine, and command structures that ensure continuity across generations.

5. How does the Indian Air Force's history connect to nation-building today?

The Air Force’s focus on long-term planning, discipline, and system-building offers a model for how India develops infrastructure, cities, and national institutions.