By Editor It is a fact that India’s military forces are among the most battle-tested ones out there, and that’s what makes our nation’s military power so special. And that is, of course, thanks to some of the elite special forces, aka commando squads/types, that are the strongest and super specialized for different tasks. So, on that very note, if you wanted to know more about the types of commandos and what they do, then just keep on reading this list of the Top 10 Commandos in India 2026. Here we go.
1. Para Special Forces (Para SF)
When we’re talking about the best and top commandos in India, no doubt, people often think of just Para SF commandos, and there is a good reason behind that, actually. Like? First of all, you should know the basic facts like these soldiers are known for their motto “Balidan” and are trained to operate in the most dangerous situations, you know, whether it is across the border, deep in enemy territory, or in high-risk combat zones. These commandos are pretty much experts in airborne assault, surprise attacks, and precision strikes. Like, they have given their best in surgical strikes of 2016, the Kargil War, and various cross-border operations.
2. MARCOS (Marine Commandos)
Many of you might have already heard of MARCOS name, but you might not know what this really means. Actually, these are the Marine Commandos of the Indian army, and in fact, they are the Indian Navy’s special forces, highly skilled in their silent operations from sea, air, and land. You may recognize them with their tag like “The Few, The Fearless,” which in our view is just right for them. All in all, MARCOS commandos are trained in various special skills such as deep-sea diving, ship boarding, underwater demolition, and coastal warfare.
3. National Security Guard (NSG)
And then comes the NSG aka the Black Cats, and you might have heard somewhere that the NSG was formed with the sole purpose of responding to terrorist attacks, hostage situations, and other high-risk urban missions, which is a 100% true. If the NSG is deployed to a place, it is almost certain that the threat being dealt with is a very serious one. NSG commandos are highly skilled in the areas of close-quarter battle, bomb disposal, and urban assault tactics. They are almost super popular names in India today, thanks to their role during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
4. Garud Commando Force
Now, many of you may not know the tasks of the Garud Commando Force, but the main goal to come up with this was to protect our air bases and mainly to provide support to the air operations done by military. Being more specific about the tasks they do, well, their training repertoire includes airborne operations, combat rescue, and hostile airfield seizure. That’s their edge.
5. COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action)
Among the most special and famous types of commandos, there are the COBRA commandos, and there is actually a full form for this name, which is: Commando Battalion for Resolute Action. And just so you know, it was to counter the Naxalite groups in the country that this tpe of commond force was established and so far, they’re super effective in that. To be more specific here, well, their regimen includes long, regular training on endurance, tracking, setting up ambushes, and surviving in hostile environments.
6. Special Frontier Force (SFF)
The history of this one is pretty interesting, like, it was established after the 1962 war and functions directly under the central government, you know, mainly carrying out the most confidential missions. As for how hard their training is, just know the fact that SFF commandos learn a variety of skills such as high-altitude warfare, intelligence gathering, and carrying out special operations along the northern borders. They had an important role in the Kargil conflict as well as in recent border standoffs.
7. Greyhounds
It is without a doubt the thing that Greyhounds are tagged as the best anti-insurgency force in India. True that they are primarily active in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and are experts in jungle and forest warfare. As for how they function and what capabilities or skills they have, well, their training is very intensive, with great emphasis on endurance, tracking, and ambush.
8. Ghatak Force
As they name suggest, sure enough, Ghatak Force is among the most brutal and effective force out there. To be more specific, Ghatak Platoons are the assault units of the Indian Army, just know that. And whatever you must have heard of them, is actually true because a Ghatak team is the fittest and most aggressive group of soldiers chosen from any infantry battalion of the Army.
9. Force One
Going a bit into the backstory here, see, the special force unit ‘Force One’ was established post the 26/11 Mumbai attacks with the primary objective of ensuring a quicker response to terror situations. And sure enough, this outfit gets special training in urban warfare and rapid reaction operations. Force One operatives are skilled in close-quarter combat, room clearance, and personnel extraction.
10. Special Protection Group (SPG)
Finishing off this list very well, we’d like to introduce you to SPG comandos, and yes, they’re pretty much the top-most security unit of India, you know, mainly tasked with the protection of the Prime Minister and ex-Prime Ministers. SPG commandos have done training in threat detection, close protection, evacuation tactics, and intelligence coordination. Each step is preplanned with a great deal of scrutiny.
Conclusion
With that, now’s the time to finish off this list, and that’s because now you have a better idea of what makes these commondos special and how they train and things like that.