Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, a fighter pilot with more than 3,500 hours in the cockpit, has now been named the Chief of the Air Staff.
The government announced the decision on Tuesday. Air Marshal Dixit, who is currently the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will become the 29th head of the Indian Air Force. He will hold the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
Air Marshal Dixit will take over from Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who retires on October 31, 2026.
Born on December 9, 1966, Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 6 December 1986. Since then, he has held a wide mix of operational, instructional and senior command roles.
He has flown a long list of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Kiran, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.
He is also an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor. That means he knows the job from both sides: flying on the front line and putting new aircraft through their paces.
During his career, the incoming Air Chief has been involved in several major operations and exercises. These include Operation Sated Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor.
Before becoming Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Dixit served as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.
Before that, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command, one of the IAF’s key operational commands.
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The government said his contribution in various appointments had strengthened the operational capability of the Indian Air Force.
His service has been recognised with a string of military honours. He received the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006 and the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011. The Ati Vishisht Seva Medal followed in 2023, and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.
The Param Vishisht Seva Medal is one of India’s highest military decorations for distinguished service.
Air Marshal Dixit is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College.
He steps into a force that is in the middle of a major transformation. The IAF is working to grow and modernise its combat fleet, while also building up its air defence, unmanned warfare, counter-drone and network-centric capabilities.
Closer coordination among the three services will also be high on his agenda. The IAF is taking on a bigger role in India’s push for jointness and integrated military operations. That makes senior officers who have served in both service-level and tri-service appointments more valuable than ever.
