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Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over as IAF chief today: who the 29th Chief of the Air Staff is
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes charge on Saturday, 31 October, as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh after a 25-month tenure. A test pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours, he will serve until 31 December 2028.
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Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over as Chief of the Air Staff on Saturday, 31 October 2026, becoming the 29th head of the Indian Air Force and assuming the rank of Air Chief Marshal. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who retires on the same day after a 25-month tenure. Dixit, who is 59 and has been serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will remain in the post until 31 December 2028.
The handover
The government announced Dixit's name on 6 October, with the appointment cleared by the President. The outgoing chief, Air Chief Marshal Singh, received three official farewells, one of them hosted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. His final farewell, with a ceremonial guard of honour, is scheduled for Saturday, his last day in office. One report says Dixit takes charge from the afternoon.
Dixit was born on 9 December 1966. He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 6 December 1986. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College. He has more than 3,500 flying hours and is an experimental test pilot and a qualified flying instructor.
As a commanding officer he re-equipped No. 9 Squadron with Mirage-2000 aircraft. He later commanded a frontline fighter air base in the Western Sector and a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector. He has also served as Air Defence Commander of the Southern Air Command. One profile says he has flown the Mirage-2000, variants of the Kiran and the MiG, the Jaguar, the IL-78 tanker, the Hawk and the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft.
The outgoing chief
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh took over as the 28th Chief of the Air Staff on 30 September 2024, succeeding Vivek Ram Chaudhari. The Defence Ministry said his farewell recognised 42 years of service. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosted a farewell on 26 October, and he called on President Droupadi Murmu on 30 October, ahead of the final ceremony on Saturday.
At Air Headquarters in Vayu Bhawan, Dixit has held the posts of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff for Projects and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff for Plans. Other reports list him as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff and as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command, which has its headquarters in Allahabad. An April 2025 report on key military appointments said he was moving from that command to the integrated staff post, taking over from Lieutenant General J P Mathews, who was retiring. The post coordinates the three armed forces on operational, doctrinal and logistical matters. His service of about four decades includes Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor, according to one report. The Ministry of Defence said his contributions in various capacities have improved the operational capability of the Air Force. One report adds that, as a commanding officer, he led a squadron at Gwalior in the Western Sector.
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Vayu Sena Medal | 2006 |
| Vishisht Seva Medal | 2011 |
| Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | 2023 |
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | 2026 |
One report says that Dixit has been widely associated with promoting indigenous platforms, including the Tejas and other home-built aircraft projects, and that he is expected to strengthen the government's self-reliance drive in defence. The reports found do not carry any statement from Dixit himself on his priorities as chief, and none sets out specific plans for his term.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 6 December 1986 | Commissioned into the fighter stream |
| 9 December 1966 | Date of birth |
| 6 October 2026 | Named the next Chief of the Air Staff |
| 31 October 2026 | Takes over as the 29th chief |
| 31 December 2028 | End of his tenure |
From the day he takes charge to the end of 2028 is about 26 months, which is close to the 25 months served by his predecessor.
The change at the top comes after a two-year tenure for his predecessor and a fixed term for Dixit that runs to the end of 2028. The reports found describe the transition as routine, with the usual farewell ceremonies for the outgoing chief and a handover on the last day of the month.
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