List of Air Chief Marshal of India (1947-2024)

Air Chief Marshal of India: Vivek Ram Chaudhari is the current air chief marshal of India. He took the oath as 27th Air Chief Marshal on 30 September 2021. Indian Air Force is the fourth largest air force globally and was founded on October 8, 1932.

Its main job is to protect the sky above India and to fight in the air during wars. The Chief of Air Staff is the top position in the Indian Air Force. Check the list of air chief marshals of India from the below table.

The “Chief of Air Marshal” was designated as Chief of Air Staff till 1966. The most important rank in the Indian Air Force is “Marshal of the Air Force,” and the President of India gives this title only in special situations. This is an important topic for UPSC and is also relevant for other government exams.

List of Air Chief Marshal of India

The below table is the list of Air Chief Marshal of India.

List of Air Chief Marshals of India
Name	Rank	Tenure
Sir Thomas Elmhirst	Air Marshal	15 August 1947 – 23 February 1950
Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman	Air Chief Marshal	23 February 1950 – 9 December 1951
Gerald Gibbs	Air Marshal	10 December 1951 – 31 March 1954
Subroto Mukerjee	Air Marshal	1 April 1954 – 31 March 1955
Aspy Engineer	Air Marshal	1 December 1960 – 31 July 1964
Arjan Singh	Air Chief Marshal	1 August 1964 – 15 July 1969
Pratap Chandra Lal	Air Chief Marshal	16 July 1969 – 15 January 1973
Om Prakash Mehra	Air Chief Marshal	16 January 1973 – 31 January 1976
Hrushikesh Moolgavkar	Air Chief Marshal	1 February 1976 – 30 August 1978
Idris Hasan Latif	Air Chief Marshal	1 September 1978 – 30 August 1981
Dilbagh Singh	Air Chief Marshal	1 September 1981 – 3 September 1984
Lakshman Madhav Katre	Air Chief Marshal	3 September 1984 – 1 July 1985
Denis La Fontaine	Air Chief Marshal	3 July 1985 – 31 July 1988
Surinder Mehra	Air Chief Marshal	1 August 1988 – 31 July 1991
Nirmal Chandra Suri	Air Chief Marshal	31 July 1991 – 31 July 1993
Swaroop Krishna Kaul	Air Chief Marshal	1 August 1993 – 31 December 1995
Satish Sareen	Air Chief Marshal	31 December 1995 – 31 December 1998
Anil Yashwant Tipnis	Air Chief Marshal	31 December 1998 – 31 December 2001
Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy	Air Chief Marshal	31 December 2001 – 31 December 2004
Shashindra Pal Tyagi	Air Chief Marshal	31 December 2004 – 31 March 2007
Fali Homi Major	Air Chief Marshal	31 March 2007 – 31 May 2009
Pradeep Vasant Naik	Air Chief Marshal	31 May 2009 – 31 July 2011
Norman Anil Kumar Browne	Air Chief Marshal	31 July 2011 – 31 December 2013
Arup Raha	Air Chief Marshal	31 December 2013 – 31 December 2016
Birender Singh Dhanoa	Air Chief Marshal	31 December 2016 – 30 September 2019
Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria	Air Chief Marshal	30 September 2019 – Incumbent

First Air Chief Marshals of India

Subroto Mukerjee became the first Air Chief Marshal of India on April 1, 1954, when the Indian Air Force introduced the rank. He was a visionary leader who played an important role in modernizing the Indian Air Force and setting high leadership standards. His contributions laid a strong foundation for the IAF’s growth. It made him a revered figure in Indian military aviation history.

Current Air Chief Marshals of India

Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari became the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) on September 30, 2021. He became the Air Chief Marshal after Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. With his vast experience and expertise, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari is expected to lead the Indian Air Force towards further advancements.

Before assuming the role of CAS, he held important positions within the Air Force, contributing to its strategic growth and operational readiness.

Facts About Air Chief Marshal of India

Below are some facts about Air Chief Marshal of India:

• Air Chief Marshal is the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Air Force.
• The position of Air Chief Marshal is equivalent to the ranks of Admiral in the Navy and Field Marshal in the Army.
• The appointment of Air Chief Marshal is made by the President of India. The President serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces.
• The Air Chief Marshal is responsible for leading and managing the Indian Air Force, making important decisions about its operations, strategy, and overall functioning.
• To reach the rank of Air Chief Marshal, an officer goes through a distinguished career, gaining experience and expertise in various roles within the Air Force.
• In exceptional cases and for extraordinary service, the title of “Marshal of the Indian Air Force” may be conferred upon an Air Chief Marshal. This is the highest honorary rank in the Indian Air Force.
• In 2002, the President of India gave Arjan Singh the special title of “Marshal of the Indian Air Force.” This honor was given to him because he showed exceptional leadership during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

It is essential for anybody preparing for government examinations, particularly UPSC, to comprehend the background and importance of Air Chief Marshals in the Indian Air Force. It demonstrates the commitment and skill needed to get to these prestigious positions in the military.

People Also View

• List of Indian Chief of Army Staff (1947-2023)
• Chief of Defence Staff
• List of Important Indian Army Training Centre

Reference

• indianairforce.nic.in/previous-chiefs

Air Chief Marshal of India – FAQs

Who is the current Vice Chief of Air Staff?

The Vice Chief of Air Staff is the second-highest-ranking officer of the Indian Air Force. The current Vice Chief of Air Staff is Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora.

Who is the present Chief of Air Staff?

Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria is the present chief of Air Marshal. He took over the office on September 30, 2019.

Who was the chief of Air Staff during the Kargil War?

Anil Yashwant Tipnis was the Air Chief Marshal during the Kargil War.

Who was the first Indian Chief of Air Staff?

Subroto Mukherjee was the first Indian Chief of Air Staff. His tenure lasted for a year, starting from April 1, 1954, till March 31, 1955.