Corps of Signals 

At the turn of 20th century there was no organised signal service in existence in India. As far back as 1857, there is a record of a Signals service in India, though it was not until 1911, as a result of the recommendations of Headlam Committee in 1910, that Signals in India came into being on a separate establishment under the auspices of the Corps of Sappers and Miners. The Corps was raised with a signal company for each Division and a nucleus of a wireless company for the line of communication. September 1935 saw the commissioning of the first Indian officer from the Indian Military Academy, 2/Lt AC Iyappa (later Director of Signals and Signal Officer-in-Chief) commissioned into the Corps. On India attaining independence in 1947, the Corps was completely Indianised and on 26 January 1950, on India attaining full sovereignity, the Indian Signal Corps was redesignated as the Corps of Signals.

Signals have gone through a process of evolution in keeping with evolution of communication technology. The earliest methods of signaling was through sight and sound. Primitive men discovered that the sound of drum and bell carried much farther than human voice. Conch shells have also been used in ancient times. To extend the reach further, man switched to visual signals in the form of smoke by day and fire signals by night. The use of flags and semaphores can also rightly be placed in this category and these are still used albeit ceremoniously by the navies of the world. The heliograph and the signaling lamp were also used. The use of carrier pigeons and other innovative techniques have marked the development and growth of the Signals.

The advent of the telegraph was a  major evolutionary step in signaling and had their effect on the Army Signals too. The earliest record of army telegraphy dates back to 1868 when telegraph routes were built by the Army Signals. Till then, Signals was one of the functions of the Sappers and Miners. However, the increased sophistication and the enhanced responsibilities saw the birth of the Corps of Signals as a separate arm. Since then, the Corps has made rapid strides, keeping pace with technology and in a number of cases driving technology to evolve faster and more reliable communication systems. The Corps has also evolved drills and procedures that ensure the provision of reliable and responsive communications to the Army under harsh terrain and tough battle field conditions – living up to the motto of the Corps - "TEEVRA CHAUKAS" or "Swift and Secure".

Information Technology (IT) In the thrust of the Indian Army to usher into an era of acquiring maximum dividends from IT, the Corps of Signals is the torch bearer and facilitator.  Fully automated offices with minimum paper work, improved response timings,  fast information dissemination systems,  hierarchical management information systems at all levels are some of the areas  of  thrust.