Ashutosh Dixit Appointed 29th Chief of Indian Air Staff

Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit PVSM AVSM VM VSM assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on October 31, 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal AP Singh who superannuated after 42 years of distinguished service. The appointment was officially announced by the Ministry of Defence through the Press Information Bureau.

Dixit brings four decades of military aviation experience, having been commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. He is an accomplished fighter pilot with over 3,300 hours of flying experience across diverse aircraft including Mirage-2000, various MiG variants, Jaguar, and several transport aircraft. His qualifications include being a Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot.

Key Operational and Modernization Contributions

The new Air Chief has played a significant role in the modernization of the Indian Air Force, particularly through his instrumental work in finalizing the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects. He was also central to the completion of Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) activities for the LCA MK-I Tejas aircraft program.

His operational command experience includes leadership of a Mirage-2000 Squadron, command of a Forward Base Support Unit in the Western Sector, and command of Air Force Station Bidar, which serves as a premier fighter training base. He has served as Air Defence Commander at Southern Air Command, Senior Air Staff Officer at South Western Air Command, and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff where he steered key capability development and procurement initiatives.

Previous Leadership Roles

Prior to his current appointment, Dixit commanded Central Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief and served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee during Operation Sindoor. Most recently, he served as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff before assuming the top position.

Education and Honors

Air Chief Marshal Dixit is an accomplished graduate of the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College in New Delhi. His distinguished service has been recognized with multiple military honors including the Vayu Sena Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Param Vishisht Seva Medal.