Indian Army recruitment is set to be outsourced as part of a series of planned changes aimed at transforming selection and hiring.

According to a report in the Bangalore Mirror, from 1 April next year, candidate registration and the common entrance exam will be outsourced to an external agency.

The decision to outsource is part of a series of planned changes to modernise Indian army recruitment.  In June, a new website was launched www.joinindianarmy.nic.in allowing candidates to register online and to apply for positions, including soldiers, junior commissioned officers. 

Brigadier V Rajamani, deputy director general, recruiting (Karnataka, Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep, Mahe) told the Bangalore Mirror; "We are upgrading the whole process and going digital as part of the pan-India process. There will be no more open recruitment rally system. There will be no recruitment without registration. Even outsourcing it to an external agency will be a national initiative." Among the hoped for benefits of going digital is that it will stop candidates applying through touts and agents. It also hoped that this will avoid the crush of candidates at recruitment open days, a common occurrence under the current system.

The Indian Army is not the first army to go down the outsourcing route. In March 2013, the British Army entered into a 10-year £440m contract with Capita.