List of Indian Chief of Army Staff (1947-2023)

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is an official position in the Indian Army held by a four-star general, also known as the Army Chief informally. The chief is the professional leader of the ground forces and a significant advisor to the Ministry of Defense. He is the highest-ranking officer to serve entirely in the Indian Army. In this article, we will look into the list of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), in India.

Who is a Chief of Army Staff (COAS), in India?

The Chief of the Army Staff is the operational commander and senior-most member of the Indian Army. Every time, a full General holds the role. The Chief of the Army Staff is a military advisor to the Government of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Defense and is the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Army. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) serves as an advisor to the president and prime minister in a separate position as a member of the National Security Council. Unless the Chief of Defense Staff or Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee is an army officer, the COAS is normally the highest-ranked army officer in the Indian Armed Forces.

List of Indian Army Chiefs Since 1947

The lists the Indian Army Chiefs since 1947 are showing below in the table format:

Name	Took Office	Left Office	Time in Office	Unit of Commission
General Sir Robert Lockhart	15 August, 1947	31 December 1947	108 days	51st Sikhs
General Francis Robert Roy Bucher	1 January 1948	14 January 1949	1 Year, 14 days	Scottish Rifles
Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa	15 January 1949	14 January 1953	3 years, 365 days	Rajput Rifles
General Maharaj Rajendrasinhji Jadeja	14 January 1953	1 April 1955	2 years, 77 days	2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse)
General Maharaj Rajendrasinhji Jadeja	1 April 1955	14 May 1955	43 days	2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse)
General Satyawant Mallana Sringesh	15 May 1955	7 May 1957	1 year, 357 days	19th Hyderabad Regiment
General Kodandera Subayya Thimayya	8 May 1957	7 May 1961	4 years, 0 days	19th Hyderabad Regiment
General Pran Nath Thapar	8 May 1961	19 November 1962	1 year, 195 days	1st Punjab Regiment
General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri	20 November 1962	7 June 1966	3 years, 199 days	16th Light Cavalry
General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam	8 June 1966	7 June 1969	2 years, 364 days	Regiment of Artillery
Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw	8 June 1969	15 January 1973	3 years, 221 days	8 Gorkha Rifles
General Gopal Gurunath Bewoor	16 January 1973	31 May 1975	2 years, 135 days	Dogra Regiment
General Tapishwar Narain Raina	1 June 1975	31 May 1978	2 years, 364 days	Kumaon Regiment
General Om Prakash Malhotra	1 June 1978	31 May 1981	2 years, 364 days	Regiment of Artillery
General Kotikalapudi Venkata Krishna Rao	1 June 1981	31 July 1983	1 year, 364 days	Mahar Regiment
General Arun Kumar Shridhar Vaidya	1 August 1983	31 January 1986	2 years, 244 days	9th Deccan House
General Krishnaswamy Sundarji	1 February 1986	31 May 1988	2 years, 120 days	Mahar Regiment
General Vishwa Nath Sharma	1 June 1988	30 June 1990	2 years, 29 days	16th Light Cavalry
General Sunith Francis Rodrigues	1 July 1990	30 June 1993	2 years, 364 days	Regiment of Artillery
General Bipin Chandra Joshi	1 July 1993	19 November 1994	1 year, 141 days	64th Cavalry
General Shankar Roy Chowdhary	20 November 1994	30 September 1997	2 years, 314 days	20th Lancers
General Ved Prakash Malik	1 October 1997	30 September 2000	2 years, 365 days	Sikh Light Infantry
General Sundarajan Padmanabhan	1 October 2000	31 December 2002	2 years, 91 days	Regiment of Artillery
General Nirmal Chander Vij	1 January 2003	31 January 2005	2 years, 30 days	Dogra Regiment
General Joginder Jaswant Singh	1 February 2005	30 September 2007	2 years, 241 days	Maratha Light Infantry
General Deepak Kapoor	1 October 2007	31 March 2010	2 years, 181 days	Regiment of Artillery
General Vijay Kumar Singh	1 April 2010	31 May 2012	2 years, 60 days	Rajput Regiment
General Bikram Singh	1 June 2012	31 July 2014	2 years, 60 days	Sikh Light Infantry
General Dalbir Singh Suhag	1 August 2014	31 December 2016	2 years, 152 days	5 Gorkha Rifles
General Bipin Rawat	31 December 2016	31 December 2019	3 years, 0 days	11 Gorkha Rifles
General Manoj Mukund Naravane	31 December 2019	30 April 2022	2 years, 120 days	7 Sikh Light Infantry
General Manoj Pande	30 April 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 140 days	Corps of Engineers

Who is the Present Chief of Army Staff (COAS), India?

Manoj Pande, who assumed the position of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on April 30, 2022, is the present General of the Indian Army.

Office of the Chief of Army Staff

The position of Commander-in-Chief, India was created in 1748 to serve as the title of commander for the leader of all East India Company soldiers.

• The Commander-in-Chief assumed supreme command of the British Indian Army after 1857. The Commander-in-Chief served as the overall commander of British India’s military forces, including the Royal Indian Air Force and Royal Indian Navy.
• The Office of the Viceroy of India was in regular communication with the Commander-in-Chief as well.
• Following the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, the position of Commander-in-Chief was split between the Indian Army, the Pakistani Army, and the British Forces in India and Pakistan. The “Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army” title was given to the commander of the Indian Army at the time of independence.
• The post was renamed to “Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army” on June 21, 1948, when the title “Chief of the Army Staff” was added.
• The Commanders-In-Chief (Change in Designation) Act of 1955 once more modified the title to “Chief of the Army Staff”.
• The office is located in New Delhi’s Raisina Hill’s South Block of the Central Secretariat.

Appointment of the Chief of Army Staff

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) is responsible for making appointments to the position of Chief of Army Staff. The COAS retires after three years in the position or at age 62, whichever comes first.

FAQs on Chief of Army Staff (COAS), India

1. Who is the chief of Army Staff India?

Answer:

General Manoj Pande is the current Chief of Army Staff and he took over the office on April 30, 2022.

2. Who is the first Chief of Army Staff?

Answer:

Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, also known by his nick name Kipper, was an Indian military officer and the first chief of staff of the Indian army after the country gained independence from Great Britain. He was born on January 28, 1899, in Shanivarsanthe, Coorg district, Mysore and died on May 15, 1993, in Bangalore.

3. Who select the Chief of Army Staff in India?

Answer:

After a thorough screening process, the Defence Minister in India appoints the Chiefs of the Army. These Chiefs’ terms of office are set at three years, and the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) must approve their appointment before they may take office.

4. Who is the vice Chief of the Army Staff?

Answer:

Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, who took office on March 1, 2023, is the current vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS).

5. What is the tenure of Chief of Army Staff in India?

Answer:

The Chief of Army Staff is appointed for a three-year term and has the option to retire at age 62, whichever comes first.