National Academy of Defence Production (NADP), Nagpur a premier institute under Munitions India Limited, Ministry of Defence, has been conferred the prestigious 34th National Award for Innovative Training Practices by the Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD) in the Education category. The award ceremony, held at the SCOPE Complex in New Delhi on 19th July, was graced by eminent dignitaries, including Atul Shah, President of ISTD, and Dr. Rajan Saxena, former Vice Chancellor of NMIMS and Director of IIM Indore. The recognition marks a significant milestone in NADP’s journey of excellence, innovation, and nation-building.
NADP’s training philosophy is rooted in a holistic and future-forward approach that blends technical expertise, managerial acumen, and ethical leadership. As a Central Training Institute recognized by DoP&T and accredited as “Ati Uttam” by the Capacity Building Commission, NADP has trained over 20,000 officers across the IOFS, IDAS, armed forces, and private defence sectors.
A cornerstone of NADP’s innovation is its AICTE-approved, full-time residential PGDM (Business Management) programme — the first in India with a dedicated focus on defence. Mentored by IIM Indore, the programme integrates cutting-edge curriculum design, psychometric testing, leadership camps, and summer schools to nurture techno-managerial leaders for the defence sector. The PGDM initiative is a strategic intervention aligned with Atma Nirbhar Bharat, preparing students to lead with integrity, sustainability, and resilience in a rapidly evolving global landscape for the Technology Sector.
ISTD acknowledged NADP’s digital footprint to be quite impressive. Through the iGOT Karmayogi platform, over 1.5 lakh learners have completed NADP’s SCORM-compliant e-learning courses, which cover a diverse array of topics including decolonization, defence domain knowledge, meditation, stress management, RTI, corporate governance, quantum physics, and CSR. These courses are designed to empower civil servants and defence professionals with critical digital skills and have received an average rating of 4.42 out of 5, reflecting their relevance and impact.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. J. P. Dash, Principal Director of NADP, expressed his pride and gratitude:
“This award is a proud moment for all of us at NADP. It reflects our unwavering commitment to shaping future-ready leaders for the defence sector through innovation, ethics, and excellence. We dedicate this recognition to our faculty, learners, and stakeholders who inspire us to keep pushing boundaries in training and development to build Viksit Bharat of our dreams in Defence Sector.”
The ISTD award adds to NADP’s illustrious legacy of accolades, including the Golden Peacock Training Award (2011) at Delhi, IBC & Berkshire Business Leadership Award (2023) at Bangalore, Shiksha Bharati Award (2024) at Delhi, Asian Business Excellence Award – Brand of the Year (2024) at Bangkok, Business World Merit Award (2024) at Delhi, International Stevie Award (2024) at Instanbul, India Research Inventor Award (2024) at Bhubaneswar, and the Excellence Award for Education and Training at the Asia Pacific Future Skills Leadership Summit (2025) at Mumbai.
With a vision to contribute to Atma Nirbhar Bharat through education, training, research, and consultancy, NADP, a Life member of ISTD, NIPM, NHRD, and IPMA, continues to be a transformative force in defence education. Its integrated training strategies, strategic partnerships, and commitment to ethical governance make it a beacon of excellence in India’s capacity-building ecosystem.
