List of Defence Ministers of India

1

Nirmala Sitharaman

04-Sep-17

Incumbent

Bharatiya Janata Party

2

Arun Jaitley

13-Mar-17

04-Sep-17

Bharatiya Janata Party

3

Manohar Parrikar

09-Nov-14

13-Mar-17

Bharatiya Janata Party

4

Arun Jaitley

27-May-14

08-Nov-14

Bharatiya Janata Party

5

A.K. Antony

24-Oct-06

26-May-14

Indian National Congress

6

Pranab Mukherjee

23-May-04

24-Oct-06

Indian National Congress

7

George Fernandes

15-Oct-01

22-May-04

Samata Party

8

Jaswant Singh

16-Mar-01

14-Oct-01

Bharatiya Janata Party

9

George Fernandes

19-Mar-98

15-Mar-01

Samata Party

10

Mulayam Singh Yadav

01-Jun-96

19-Mar-98

Samajwadi Party

11

Pramod Mahajan

17-May-96

31-May-96

Bharatiya Janata Party

12

P. V. Narasimha Rao

05-Mar-93

16-May-96

Indian National Congress

13

Sharad Pawar

26-Jun-91

05-Mar-93

Indian National Congress

14

P. V. Narasimha Rao

21-Jun-91

25-Jun-91

Samajwadi Janata Party

15

Chandra Shekhar

21-Nov-90

20-Jun-91

Samajwadi Janata Party

16

V. P. Singh

06-Dec-89

10-Nov-90

Janata Dal

17

K. C. Pant

18-Apr-87

03-Dec-89

Indian National Congress

18

V. P. Singh

15-Jan-87

12-Apr-87

Indian National Congress

19

Rajiv Gandhi

25-Sep-85

24-Jan-87

Indian National Congress

20

P. V. Narasimha Rao

01-Jan-85

24-Sep-85

Indian National Congress

21

Shankarrao Chavan

01-Aug-84

31-Dec-84

Indian National Congress

22

R. Venkataraman

15-Jan-82

01-Aug-84

Indian National Congress

23

Indira Gandhi

14-Jan-80

15-Jan-82

Indian National Congress

24

Chidambaram Subramaniam

30-Jul-70

14-Jan-80

Janata Party

25

Jagjivan Ram

28-Mar-77

27-Jul-79

Janata Party

26

Bansi Lal

21-Dec-75

24-Mar-77

Indian National Congress

27

Indira Gandhi

Dec 01,1975

21-Dec-75

Indian National Congress

28

Sardar Swaran Singh

10-Oct-74

01-Dec-75

Indian National Congress

29

Jagjivan Ram

27-Jun-70

10-Oct-74

Indian National Congress

30

Sardar Swaran Singh

13-Nov-66

27-Jun-70

Indian National Congress

31

Yashwantrao Chavan

21-Nov-62

13-Nov-66

Indian National Congress

32

Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru

01-Nov-62

21-Nov-62

Indian National Congress

33

V. K. Krishna Menon

17-Apr-57

01-Nov-62

Indian National Congress

34

Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru

30-Jan-57

17-Apr-57

Indian National Congress

35

Kailash Nath Katjoo

10-Jan-55

30-Jan-57

Indian National Congress

36

Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru

27-Jan-53

10-Jan-55

Indian National Congress

37

N. Gopal Swamy Ayangar

13-May-52

10-Feb-53

Indian National Congress

38

Baldev Singh

15-Aug-47

15-May-52

Indian National Congress