Defence Minister flags off expeditions to Mt Everest and Mt Kangchenjunga

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off expeditions to Mount Everest (8,848m) and Mount Kangchenjunga (8,586m) from South Block, New Delhi, on April 03, 2025.

The Indian Army’s Mount Everest expedition, comprising 34 climbers, will follow the traditional South Col Route and will be led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi.

The joint Indo-Nepal expedition, which aims to scale Mount Kangchenjunga, will feature 12 mountaineers from the Indian Army and six from the Nepali Army. Colonel Sarfaraz Singh of the Indian Army will lead the expedition.

Additionally, Colonel Amit Bisht will lead a joint NCC expedition to Mount Everest. The team consists of five girl cadets, five boy cadets, four officers, and 11 permanent instructors. Scheduled to commence this month, the teams aim to reach their respective summits by May 2025.

The Defence Minister interacted with the mountaineers and commended their courage, dedication & determination. He exuded confidence that these expeditions would inspire the youth and underscore India’s leadership in high-altitude mountaineering.

The expeditions are designed to showcase the Armed Forces’ exceptional skills, resilience, and indomitable spirit while setting new benchmarks in high-altitude mountaineering. They are expected to inspire future generations to pursue their dreams with courage, determination, and the spirit of excellence.

The Indian Army organised the event, which was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Nepal’s Ambassador to India Dr Shankar P Sharma, a delegation from Nepal, and other senior civil and military officials. (

The Defence Minister also addressed the Army Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi today. He complimented the Army leadership for successfully taking the ‘Defence and Security’ vision of the Nation to new heights and lauded their approach to the infusion and absorption of cutting-edge technology. Keeping in mind the present dynamic geostrategic changes and the ongoing global security scenarios, he urged the armed forces to work on dynamic perspective planning addressing both the long-term and short-term challenges.