Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The operational strength of the Indian Army has received a boost with the raising of 16th ‘Bhairav’ Battalion at Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre in Belagavi.The battalion was formally commissioned at a ceremonial event during which Brigadier Joydeep Mukherjee, commandant of Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre, presented the battalion flag to the commanding officer of the newly raised unit.A Bhairav Battalion, also referred to as Bhairav Light Commando Battalion, is part of Army’s effort to build lean, high-mobility tactical units. Army has raised at least 16 Bhairav battalions, with plans to raise a total 25 of them in coming months.Each unit is reported to have 250-300 specially trained soldiers and is meant for rapid-response roles, reconnaissance, surprise raids and other high-intensity missions in sensitive border areas. These battalions are intended to give Army faster, more flexible options in modern conflict, while relieving some pressure on elite Special Forces formations.The first Bhairav Battalion was raised last year, with the unit formally announced in July 2025. The battalions made their public debut during the 77th Republic Day parade on Jan 26 this year. Bhairav battalions are designed to fill the operational gap between conventional infantry and special forces. Troops are drawn from various arms, including infantry, artillery, air defence and signals.
