Indian Army Chief List 1947-2024: From Gen Robert Lockhart To Gen Manoj Pandey; Full List Of Chief Of Army Staff

Indian Army Chief List 1947-2024: From Gen Robert Lockhart To Gen Manoj Pandey; Full List Of Chief Of Army Staff

Indian Chief Of The Army Staff: The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) is a position held by the highest-ranking military officer within the Indian Army (IA), the land forces component of the Indian Armed Forces. Typically held by a four-star general, the COAS serves as the most senior operational commander of the Army. Their responsibilities include supervising the overall operations of the army during both peace and wartime, ensuring the readiness and effectiveness of the force, and safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The first Army Chief was General Sir Robert Lockhart, with General Manoj Pande serving his term currently.

As per the Indian Army’s Army Rules of 1954, a Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) appointee retires either after completing three years in the position or upon reaching the age of 62, whichever comes first. However, extensions to the tenure of COAS appointees are rare occurrences. Notably, the only instance of such an extension was granted to General S. H. F. J. Manekshaw, the then-COAS. He received a six-month extension, postponing his original retirement date from June 1972 to January 1973.

Since 1950, it has been customary for the most senior lieutenant generals in the Indian Army’s command cadre to be appointed as Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). However, this tradition was deviated from twice. Firstly, in 1983, when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi chose to appoint Lieutenant General A. K. Vaidya, superseding a more senior officer. Secondly, in 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat, superseding two senior officers.

Here’s a list of the Chiefs of Army Staff (COAS) in India from 1947 to 2024:

1. General Sir Robert Lockhart (1947-1948) – Oversaw the transition of the Indian Army during independence.
2. General Sir Francis Butcher (1948-1949) – Focused on the reorganization of the Indian Army post-independence.
3. General Sir Rajendrasinhji Jadeja (1949-1951) – Played a role in the integration of princely states into the Indian Union.
4. General Sir M. Rajendra Singhji (1951-1953) – Focused on modernizing and restructuring the Indian Army.
5. General K.M. Cariappa (1953-1955) – First Indian Chief of Army Staff, focused on establishing indigenous leadership and organizational structure.
6. General P. N. Thapar (1955-1961) – Oversaw the military’s role in various conflicts, including the Indo-China War of 1962.
7. General Pran Nath Thapar (1961-1962) – Played a role in the aftermath of the Indo-China War and the Sino-Indian Border Dispute.
8. General J. N. Chaudhuri (1962-1966) – Oversaw the Indian Army during the Indo-Pak War of 1965.
9. General P. P. Kumaramangalam (1966-1969) – Focused on modernizing and expanding the Indian Army’s capabilities.
10. General Sam Manekshaw (1969-1973) – Led the Indian Army to victory in the Indo-Pak War of 1971, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh.
11. General G. G. Bewoor (1973-1975) – Focused on modernization and technological advancement in the Indian Army.
12. General T. N. Raina (1975-1978) – Oversaw the Indian Army during internal security challenges, including the Emergency.
13. General O. P. Malhotra (1978-1981) – Focused on enhancing the Indian Army’s operational readiness and capabilities.
14. General K. V. Krishna Rao (1981-1983) – Played a role in shaping India’s military strategy and doctrine.
15. General A. S. Vaidya (1983-1986) – Focused on modernization and restructuring of the Indian Army.
16. General K. Sundarji (1986-1988) – Led the Indian Army during Operation Brasstacks, a major military exercise.
17. General V. N. Sharma (1988-1990) – Oversaw the Indian Army during internal security challenges, including the Punjab insurgency.
18. General Sunith Francis Rodrigues (1990-1993) – Focused on enhancing the Indian Army’s operational readiness and capabilities.
19. General Bipin Chandra Joshi (1993-1994) – Played a role in shaping India’s military strategy and doctrine.
20. General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (1994-1997) – Focused on modernization and technological advancement in the Indian Army.
21. General Ved Prakash Malik (1997-2000) – Led the Indian Army during the Kargil War of 1999.
22. General S. Padmanabhan (2000-2002) – Focused on enhancing the Indian Army’s operational capabilities and preparedness.
23. General Nirmal Chander Vij (2002-2005) – Played a role in shaping India’s military strategy and doctrine.
24. General Joginder Jaswant Singh (2005-2007) – Focused on modernization and restructuring of the Indian Army.
25. General Deepak Kapoor (2007-2010) – Oversaw the Indian Army during various counter-terrorism operations.
26. General V. K. Singh (2010-2012) – Focused on addressing issues related to corruption and modernization in the Indian Army.
27. General Bikram Singh (2012-2014) – Led the Indian Army during various internal security challenges, including insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir.
28. General Dalbir Singh Suhag (2014-2016) – Focused on enhancing the operational capabilities and readiness of the Indian Army.
29. General Bipin Rawat (2016-2019) – Introduced various reforms and restructuring initiatives in the Indian Army.
30. General Manoj Mukund Naravane (2019-2022) – Focused on modernization and preparedness of the Indian Army, particularly in the context of border tensions.
31. General Manoj Pande (2022- Incumbent) – He is the first officer from the Corps of Engineers and also the first from a non-infantry/ armoured corps to become the Army Chief.