The first Editor of Indian Defence Review was Lt Gen Mathew Thomas from the Paratroopers, Indian Army. This was the first attempt after Indian independence in 1986 to create a magazine on national security in the private sector. The second editor of IDR,[1] Major General Afsir Karim took over in 1995, was also from the Paratroopers, Indian Army. Finally in 1997, the publisher Capt Bharat Verma, also from the Indian Army took over as the third editor of IDR.
The result of the spade work done by these three military officers in the private sector, for the first time brought the concerns of national security issues through a private forum in independent India to the national centre-stage.
Indian Defence Review (IDR)[2] in print and Indiandefencereview.com[3] the website launched by Capt Bharat Verma, are now considered within India as the foremost forum for strategic discussion. The magazine is officially recommended reading for the military. In addition, on strategic issues IDR is considered as a policy making journal of India.