Indian Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year to commemorate the raising of the Indian Army during World War II.

Indian Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year to commemorate the raising of the Indian Army during World War II. The day commemorates the formation of the First Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) at Rangoon in 1943, under Subhas Chandra Bose. The army was formed with Indian POWs and it fought against British forces in India and Burma during World War II. The army was disbanded after Bose’s death in 1945.

15 January was chosen as it marks the date when Subhas Chandra Bose arrived in Singapore from Germany in 1943, to take command of what would become known as Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army). He formally announced its formation on 21 October 1943, with an estimated strength of 50,000 troops. The first formal salute took place at Palel, Manipur on 21 October 1943, where Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon hoisted the Azad Hind flag and read out a proclamation written by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. A number of INA units were sent into battle against British forces around Imphal and Kohima but they suffered heavy casualties and eventually surrendered to Allied forces later that year.