Rajnath Singh to inaugurate DAD Controllers’ Conference Focused on defence finance reform

A Controllers’ Conference is being organised by the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) at the Dr SK Kothari Auditorium, DRDO Bhawan, here. The two-day event, scheduled to commence on July 7, will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Transforming Financial Advice, Payment, Audit and Accounting through Defence Finance and Economics.’ It reflects a paradigm shift within the department, repositioning DAD from a finance and accounts body to a future-ready institution focused on Defence Finance and Economics.

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In a statement issued here, it was said that the conference is a flagship forum for policy dialogue, strategic review, and institutional innovation. The Controllers’ Conference brings together top leadership from DAD, civil services, 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 statement read.

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 Advisers (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. Over the past year, the department has made significant strides in digital transformation, with flagship reforms, including Sampurna, Sparsh, Sparsh Van, e-Raksha Awaas, the Defence Travel System (DTS), and AI-based procurement tools.

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.