XVII Corps (India)

XVII Corps of Indian army is the first mountain strike corps of India which has been built as an quick reaction force and as well as counter offensive force against China along LAC. Its headquarters are located at Panagarh in West Bengal.

Republic of India shares a boundary (LAC) of length 4,057km with Republic of China. Although, even the exchange of a single bullet has not been reported here since decades, the two countries still have not resolved their disagreement about where exactly the border lies; specially over two regions – Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh. Intrusion of troops of PLA into Indian territory, construction of watch tower close to the mutually-accepted "border patrolling line" near Burtse, "standardisation" of the names of six towns in Arunachal Pradesh (China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is integral part of china) enhanced the tension.

In addition, China has developed rail network and five fully operational airbases in Tibet Autonomous Region. Key airfields include those at Hoping, Pangta and Kong Ka. In Tibet and Yunan, roads are extended over 58,000 km (in 2010) up to the border, at an approximate cost of about $325 billion. As a result of all these buildout of infrastructures, China can mobilize 30 divisions (each with over 15,000 soldiers) aside heading to the LAC within 48 hours. Moreover, about 300,011 PLA troops and six Rapid Reaction Forces are placed at Chengdu.

To reinforce defensive power across the border in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian army raised two new infantry divisions (1,260 officers and 35,000 soldiers) at Likapani and Missamari (Assam) in 2009-2010. However PLA outnumbered Indian army near border by three to one.

To overcome the gap, in July 2013, the cabinet committee, under the UPA government, sanctioned the proposal, which had been already approved by Chiefs of Staff Committee or CoSC, a committee composed of the chiefs of Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, to build the new mountain strike crop over a time span of seven years (12th plan period (2012-17), with a little spillover into the 13th plan if necessary). The cop was planned to be raised to 90, 274 soldiers and thus Rs 64,678 crore had been sanctioned. Out of this budget, around Rs 39,000 crore had been earmarked for capital expenditure. Addition Rs 19,000 crore was also demanded for further development.

From October 2013, army started posting the key officers in Ranchi. On January 1, 2014, Major General Raymond Joseph Noronha, the first commander of 17 corps, raised the flag of this corps for the first time in Ranchi.