Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit Assumes Charge as 29th IAF Chief

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on the afternoon of October 31, 2026. He succeeded Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who superannuated after 42 years of service.

Dixit, born on December 9, 1966, was commissioned into the fighter stream on December 6, 1986. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Bangladesh, and the National Defence College. He holds more than 3,500 flying hours on more than 20 types of aircraft, including Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Hawk, Tejas, and others. He is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot.

Before becoming Vice Chief of the Air Staff, he served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and earlier as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command. He participated in Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak, and Operation Sindoor. Official statements note his role in finalising Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects and in completing initial and final operational clearance activities for the LCA Mk-I Tejas.

On taking charge he outlined priorities under the acronym VAYU, with the first element covering vigilance, victory, and readiness. He stated that the force would remain prepared to respond whenever required while continuing its transformation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met him shortly after the handover and wished him a successful tenure focused on operational readiness, modernisation, and indigenous manufacturing.

The change of command occurs while the IAF continues to address fighter squadron strength and induct new platforms. Deliveries of Tejas Mk-1A aircraft are expected to accelerate in the coming period. Dixit’s background in flight testing and capability development positions him to manage the integration of these systems alongside joint-service planning experience gained during Operation Sindoor.

A ceremonial guard of honour was held at the Race Course Air Force Station for the outgoing chief before the formal handover. Dixit later visited a forward base on the western front as one of his first operational reviews. The tenure runs until December 31, 2028, according to the appointment notification.

The appointment maintains continuity in leadership after a period that included major operational activity and ongoing modernisation programmes. Specific near-term decisions on squadron numbers, weapons integration, and training throughput will determine how quickly the force closes capability gaps identified in recent assessments.