National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla is Where it all Began

This photo feature is about the importance of NDA in author Navtej S’s life and some breath-taking pictures of NDA by this ace photographer and story teller.

“Where it all began…”

It was June 1986 when I walked through the gates of the National Defence Academy — a 16-year-old boy, unaware that I was stepping into a place that would shape every fibre of my being.

I was part of the 76th course — a number that still beats in my heart like a regimental drum. NDA didn’t just train us to become officers. It built us — through grit, discipline, camaraderie, and a silent, unbreakable code of brotherhood. We were moulded by sweat, laughter, pain, and purpose.
But what I carry most dearly today are the friends it gave me — men who were once just course mates, now brothers for life. No matter the years or miles between us, that bond remains untouched.

These photographs — every frame of NDA from above — were clicked by me on 31 January 2023, just a few hours before I hung my uniform for the last time. I was deeply privileged to be given a helicopter sortie on my final day in service… and as I flew over Khadakwasla, I looked down not just at the Academy — but at my beginnings.

The aerial views brought everything full circle. That very soil had once taught me to walk like a soldier, dream like a warrior, and live with honour.

On that day, as the rotor blades sliced the sky and I clicked these frames from the air, I wasn’t just documenting a place. I was saying goodbye to a lifetime.
Here’s to the 76th. To the boy who arrived wide-eyed in ‘86, and to the man who took flight above it one last time in ‘23.

Always and forever, NDA. Jai Hind.

Here are some pictures of NDA-

11 Long view with hills of Pune in background.

1 Aerial view.

2 Note words NDA just behind helicopter.

3 Sudan Block. “This iconic building is a three-story structure made of basalt and granite, featuring Jodhpur red sandstone, arches, pillars, and a distinctive dome. It was named in honor of Indian soldiers' sacrifices in Sudan during the East African Campaign.”

4 Round about Asoka Chakra.

5 NDA is “It is the joint services academy of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets from the Army, Navy, and Air Force train together before moving to their respective service academies for further pre-commissioning training.”

6 Service Before Self.

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Author Navtej Singh is a Defence Photographer, Photographer, Traveller and Storyteller.