New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- The government on Tuesday announced that Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, has been appointed the new Chief of the Air Staff and promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal. He will take charge as the 29th Chief of the Indian Air Force on October 31, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who retires on the same day.
Dixit's appointment comes as the IAF seeks to accelerate the indigenisation of its combat capabilities and expand the use of domestically produced defence equipment. He has been a strong advocate of indigenous platforms, including the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, and is expected to play a key role in the government's push for greater self-reliance in military aviation.
Born on December 9, 1966, Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College in Bangladesh and National Defence College, he has flown more than 3,500 hours on several aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG series, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.
Dixit is an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor. During his nearly four-decade career, he has held several operational and staff appointments. Before becoming Vice Chief of the Air Staff, he served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command.
He has been involved in several operations and exercises, including Safed Sagar, Rakshak, Cope India and Sindoor. His experience as a fighter pilot and test pilot is expected to be significant as the IAF works on fleet modernisation and reducing dependence on foreign-made aircraft.
Dixit has received several service honours, including the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026.
His appointment comes at a time when the IAF is balancing the need to modernise its fleet with efforts to expand indigenous capabilities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.