Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, officially took over as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on October 31, 2026. He replaced Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh (AP Singh), PVSM, AVSM, who superannuated on the same day after 42 years of service to the nation.
Farewell and handover in New Delhi
The change of command was marked by a ceremonial Guard of Honour for the outgoing Chief at Air Force Station, Race Course, New Delhi. As part of the farewell proceedings, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh also laid a wreath at the National War Memorial. The formal handover took place in New Delhi on the afternoon of October 31.
Service background of Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit
Born on December 9, 1966, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Command and Staff College (Bangladesh), and the National Defence College, New Delhi. The source describes him as an accomplished fighter pilot, Qualified Flying Instructor, and Experimental Test Pilot with more than 3,500 hours of flying experience on aircraft including the Mirage-2000, various MiG variants, Jaguar, Tejas, Hawk, Kiran, and IL-78.
Across four decades of service, he has held command, staff, and instructional appointments in operations, flight testing, capability development, and joint staff roles. His operational command assignments included a Mirage-2000 squadron, a Forward Base Support Unit in the Western Sector, and Air Force Station Bidar.
Key appointments and operational experience
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. He later 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 (CISC) during Operation Sindoor, before taking charge as Vice Chief of the Air Staff on July 1, 2026.
The source says he has been involved in Operation Safed Sagar during the Kargil conflict, Operation Rakshak, Cope India, and Operation Sindoor. It also notes that he played a significant role in modernisation programmes, including the Jaguar and MiG-27 upgrade projects and the completion of the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of the LCA Mk-I Tejas. He is described as a strong advocate of Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the defence sector.
Appointment and awards
The Government of India appointed him as the next Chief of the Air Staff, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal, with effect from the afternoon of October 31, 2026. His tenure is scheduled to continue until December 31, 2028. He has received the Vayu Sena Medal (2006), Vishisht Seva Medal (2011), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2023), and Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2026).
His appointment comes at a stage when the Indian Air Force is continuing its focus on operational readiness, induction of modern platforms including the Tejas Mk-1A, and further indigenous capability development. According to the source, his experience in operations, flight testing, and tri-service integration is expected to support the force’s modernisation efforts in the coming years.
