History · Defence

Army, Navy, Air Force chiefs & CDS

Every chief of India’s armed forces since 1947, with exact tenure. Numbering follows the official count; British chiefs before it are marked with a dash.

Exam facts

  • Supreme CommanderThe President of India
  • Army Day · Navy Day · Air Force Day15 January · 4 December · 8 October
  • Five-star ranksField Marshal Manekshaw, Field Marshal Cariappa, Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh
  • CDS also headsDepartment of Military Affairs (created 2020)

Chief of Defence Staff

  • Current CDSGen N. S. Raja Subramani (since 31 May 2026)
  • Longest tenureGen Anil Chauhan: 3 yrs 8 months
  • Shortest tenure (not counting acting)Gen Bipin Rawat: 1 yr 11 months 7 days
  1. 1
    Gen Bipin Rawat1 Jan 2020 – 8 Dec 20211 yr 11 months 7 daysFirst CDS; died in a helicopter crash near Coonoor
  2. 2
    Gen Anil Chauhan30 Sep 2022 – 30 May 20263 yrs 8 monthsRecalled from retirement; post was vacant for about 10 months before him
  3. 3
    Gen N. S. Raja Subramani31 May 2026 – present5 months 7 days so far

Chiefs of the Army Staff

  • Current Army chiefGen Dhiraj Seth (since 30 Jun 2026)
  • Longest tenureGen K. M. Cariappa and Gen K. S. Thimayya: 3 yrs 11 months 30 days each
  • Shortest tenure (not counting acting)Gen B. C. Joshi: 1 yr 4 months 18 days
  1. –
    Gen Sir Rob Lockhart (British)15 Aug 1947 – 31 Dec 19474 months 16 daysCommander-in-Chief
  2. –
    Gen Sir Roy Bucher (British)1 Jan 1948 – 14 Jan 19491 yr 13 daysLast British chief
  3. 1
    Gen K. M. Cariappa15 Jan 1949 – 14 Jan 19533 yrs 11 months 30 daysFirst Indian Commander-in-Chief; later Field Marshal (1986). 15 January is Army Day
  4. 2
    Gen Maharaj Rajendrasinhji14 Jan 1953 – 14 May 19552 yrs 4 monthsPost renamed Chief of the Army Staff on 1 April 1955
  5. 3
    Gen S. M. Srinagesh15 May 1955 – 7 May 19571 yr 11 months 22 days
  6. 4
    Gen K. S. Thimayya8 May 1957 – 7 May 19613 yrs 11 months 29 days
  7. 5
    Gen P. N. Thapar8 May 1961 – 19 Nov 19621 yr 6 months 11 daysResigned after the 1962 war
  8. 6
    Gen J. N. Chaudhuri20 Nov 1962 – 7 Jun 19663 yrs 6 months 18 daysChief during the 1965 war
  9. 7
    Gen P. P. Kumaramangalam8 Jun 1966 – 7 Jun 19692 yrs 11 months 30 days
  10. 8
    Gen S. H. F. J. Manekshaw8 Jun 1969 – 15 Jan 19733 yrs 7 months 7 daysWon the 1971 war; India's first Field Marshal (1973)
  11. 9
    Gen G. G. Bewoor16 Jan 1973 – 31 May 19752 yrs 4 months 15 days
  12. 10
    Gen T. N. Raina1 Jun 1975 – 31 May 19782 yrs 11 months 30 days
  13. 11
    Gen O. P. Malhotra1 Jun 1978 – 31 May 19812 yrs 11 months 30 days
  14. 12
    Gen K. V. Krishna Rao1 Jun 1981 – 31 Jul 19832 yrs 1 month 30 days
  15. 13
    Gen A. S. Vaidya1 Aug 1983 – 31 Jan 19862 yrs 5 months 30 daysOperation Blue Star (1984)
  16. 14
    Gen K. Sundarji1 Feb 1986 – 31 May 19882 yrs 3 months 30 days
  17. 15
    Gen V. N. Sharma1 Jun 1988 – 30 Jun 19902 yrs 29 days
  18. 16
    Gen S. F. Rodrigues1 Jul 1990 – 30 Jun 19932 yrs 11 months 29 days
  19. 17
    Gen B. C. Joshi1 Jul 1993 – 19 Nov 19941 yr 4 months 18 daysDied in office
  20. 18
    Gen S. Roychowdhury20 Nov 1994 – 30 Sep 19972 yrs 10 months 10 days
  21. 19
    Gen V. P. Malik1 Oct 1997 – 30 Sep 20002 yrs 11 months 29 daysChief during the Kargil war (1999)
  22. 20
    Gen S. Padmanabhan1 Oct 2000 – 31 Dec 20022 yrs 2 months 30 days
  23. 21
    Gen N. C. Vij1 Jan 2003 – 31 Jan 20052 yrs 30 days
  24. 22
    Gen J. J. Singh1 Feb 2005 – 30 Sep 20072 yrs 7 months 29 daysFirst Sikh Army chief
  25. 23
    Gen Deepak Kapoor1 Oct 2007 – 31 Mar 20102 yrs 5 months 30 days
  26. 24
    Gen V. K. Singh1 Apr 2010 – 31 May 20122 yrs 1 month 30 days
  27. 25
    Gen Bikram Singh1 Jun 2012 – 31 Jul 20142 yrs 1 month 30 days
  28. 26
    Gen Dalbir Singh1 Aug 2014 – 31 Dec 20162 yrs 4 months 30 days
  29. 27
    Gen Bipin Rawat31 Dec 2016 – 31 Dec 20193 yrsBecame India's first Chief of Defence Staff
  30. 28
    Gen M. M. Naravane31 Dec 2019 – 30 Apr 20222 yrs 3 months 30 days
  31. 29
    Gen Manoj Pande30 Apr 2022 – 30 Jun 20242 yrs 2 monthsFirst Army chief from the Corps of Engineers
  32. 30
    Gen Upendra Dwivedi30 Jun 2024 – 30 Jun 20262 yrs
  33. 31
    Gen Dhiraj Seth30 Jun 2026 – present4 months 8 days so farFrom the Armoured Corps

Chiefs of the Air Staff

  • Current Air chiefACM Ashutosh Dixit (since 31 Oct 2026)
  • Longest tenureAir Marshal Subroto Mukerjee: 6 yrs 7 months 7 days
  • Shortest tenure (not counting acting)ACM L. M. Katre: 9 months 28 days
  1. 1
    AM Sir Thomas Elmhirst (British)15 Aug 1947 – 22 Feb 19502 yrs 6 months 7 days
  2. 2
    AM Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman (British)23 Feb 1950 – 9 Dec 19511 yr 9 months 16 days
  3. 3
    AM Sir Gerald Gibbs (British)10 Dec 1951 – 31 Mar 19542 yrs 3 months 21 daysLast British chief
  4. 4
    Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee1 Apr 1954 – 8 Nov 19606 yrs 7 months 7 daysFirst Indian Air chief; died in office (Tokyo)
  5. 5
    Air Marshal A. M. Engineer1 Dec 1960 – 31 Jul 19643 yrs 7 months 30 days
  6. 6
    Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh1 Aug 1964 – 15 Jul 19694 yrs 11 months 14 daysChief in the 1965 war; first Air Chief Marshal; Marshal of the IAF (2002)
  7. 7
    ACM P. C. Lal16 Jul 1969 – 15 Jan 19733 yrs 5 months 30 daysChief in the 1971 war
  8. 8
    ACM O. P. Mehra16 Jan 1973 – 31 Jan 19763 yrs 15 days
  9. 9
    ACM H. Moolgavkar1 Feb 1976 – 31 Aug 19782 yrs 6 months 30 days
  10. 10
    ACM I. H. Latif1 Sep 1978 – 31 Aug 19812 yrs 11 months 30 days
  11. 11
    ACM Dilbagh Singh1 Sep 1981 – 3 Sep 19843 yrs 2 days
  12. 12
    ACM L. M. Katre3 Sep 1984 – 1 Jul 19859 months 28 daysDied in office
  13. 13
    ACM D. A. La Fontaine3 Jul 1985 – 31 Jul 19883 yrs 28 days
  14. 14
    ACM S. K. Mehra1 Aug 1988 – 31 Jul 19912 yrs 11 months 30 days
  15. 15
    ACM N. C. Suri31 Jul 1991 – 31 Jul 19932 yrs
  16. 16
    ACM S. K. Kaul1 Aug 1993 – 31 Dec 19952 yrs 4 months 30 days
  17. 17
    ACM S. K. Sareen31 Dec 1995 – 31 Dec 19983 yrs
  18. 18
    ACM A. Y. Tipnis31 Dec 1998 – 31 Dec 20013 yrsChief in the Kargil war (Operation Safed Sagar)
  19. 19
    ACM S. Krishnaswamy31 Dec 2001 – 31 Dec 20043 yrs
  20. 20
    ACM S. P. Tyagi31 Dec 2004 – 31 Mar 20072 yrs 3 months
  21. 21
    ACM F. H. Major31 Mar 2007 – 31 May 20092 yrs 2 monthsFirst helicopter pilot to be Air chief
  22. 22
    ACM P. V. Naik31 May 2009 – 31 Jul 20112 yrs 2 months
  23. 23
    ACM N. A. K. Browne31 Jul 2011 – 31 Dec 20132 yrs 5 months
  24. 24
    ACM Arup Raha31 Dec 2013 – 31 Dec 20163 yrs
  25. 25
    ACM B. S. Dhanoa31 Dec 2016 – 30 Sep 20192 yrs 8 months 30 daysChief at the time of the Balakot strike (2019)
  26. 26
    ACM R. K. S. Bhadauria30 Sep 2019 – 30 Sep 20212 yrs
  27. 27
    ACM V. R. Chaudhari30 Sep 2021 – 30 Sep 20243 yrs
  28. 28
    ACM A. P. Singh30 Sep 2024 – 31 Oct 20262 yrs 1 month 1 day
  29. 29
    ACM Ashutosh Dixit31 Oct 2026 – present7 days so farFighter pilot; vision named 'VAYU'

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