New Delhi [India], November 2 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday met newly appointed Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, and wished him a successful tenure.
In a post on X, Rajnath Singh described Air Chief Marshal Dixit as a distinguished air warrior known for his excellent leadership and extended his best wishes for his tenure.
"Met with the newly appointed Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit. He is a distinguished air warrior known for excellent leadership. I wish him a wonderful tenure ahead," the Defence Minister wrote on X.
Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, assumed charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) on 31 October 2026. He succeeded Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, PSM, AVSM, who superannuated after 42 years of distinguished service to the nation.
Newly appointed Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Sunday outlined his priorities for the Indian Air Force under the ‘VAYU’ vision, emphasising combat readiness, restoration of sanctioned combat strength, indigenous defence capabilities, technological innovation and cohesion among the armed forces.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force on 06 December 1986.
Over a career spanning four decades, the Air Chief has rich experience across diverse domains such as Operations, Flight Testing, Capability Development and Joint Staff assignments, according to the release.
An accomplished Fighter Pilot, Qualified Flying Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, he has over 3,300 hours of flying experience on a wide range of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, various MiG variants, Jaguar and several transport aircraft, as stated in the release.
Widely recognised for his contribution to the modernisation of the Indian Air Force, he was instrumental in finalising the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects and in the completion of the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) activities of the LCA Mk-I Tejas.
His operational command assignments include command of a Mirage-2000 Squadron, a Forward Base Support Unit in the Western Sector and Air Force Station Bidar, a premier fighter training base of the IAF.
The Air Officer 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, steering key capability development and procurement initiatives.
He subsequently commanded Central Air Command as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief and later served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee during Operation Sindoor. Before assuming charge as Chief of the Air Staff, he served as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.