The Military Engineer Services (MES) is the premier construction agency and one of the pillars of Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army which provides rear line engineering support to the Armed Forces. It is one of largest construction and maintenance agencies in India with a total annual budget to the tune of approx Rs 13000 crores. It is responsible for creating the strategic and the operational infrastructure other than major roads, as also the administrative habitat for all three Services and the associated organizations of the Ministry of Defence. It has Pan India footprint to provide engineering support to various formations of Army, Air Force, Navy, and DRDO. For this, the MES has over six hundred stations spread across the main land and the island territories of India. MES is a military organisation but has both Army and Civilian component of officers and other subordinate staff.
The organization was created over 200 years ago to execute both civil and military infrastructure. In the 18th century, the construction organization was a part of the Army as the Public Works Department (PWD) manned by the Indian Corps of Engineers was created under the control of a Military Board. By 1851, the PWD came under the civil control but was responsible for both civil and military works. In 1881, The Military Works branch of PWD was segregated and transferred to the Military Department. The Military Works Services headed by a Director General came into being in 1889.
