# Commandant of the National Defence Academy

The Commandant of the National Defence Academy is the head and overall in-charge of the National Defence Academy. The Commandant of the Academy is a Three-star rank officer from the three Services in rotation. He is supported by the Deputy Commandant (a Two-star rank appointment), Brigadier Administration (Brig Adm), Principal Director (Training) (both One-Star appointments), a Civilian Principal and the Adjutant (An Officer of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel).
Commissioned as Joint Services Wing (JSW), the interim training academy was set up at the Indian Military Academy (IMA). The first Commandant of JSW was Major General Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO. The present-day National Defence Academy was constructed in Pune and was formally commissioned on 7 December 1954 as the successor to JSW of IMA. The program of JSW was transferred from IMA to NDA. Major General Enaith Habibullah was the last head of the JSW and the First Commandant of NDA at Pune.

## Joint Services Wing at Indian Military Academy

| S.No. | Name | Branch | Assumed office | Left office | Notes |
| 1 | Major General Thakur Mahadeo Singh, DSO | Indian Army | 1 January 1949 | 12 March 1950 | First head of JSW at IMA |
| 2 | Major General K S Thimayya, DSO | Indian Army | 13 March 1950 | 17 June 1951 | Later served as the Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army |
| 3 | Major General Mohinder Singh Wadalia | Indian Army | 16 Jun 1951 | 6 January 1953 | |
| 4 | Major General Enaith Habibullah | Indian Army | 7 January 1953 | 6 December 1954 | Last head of JSW at IMA |

## National Defence Academy

| S.No. | Name | Branch | Assumed office | Left office | Notes |
| 1 | Major General Enaith Habibullah | Indian Army | 7 December 1954 | 26 December 1958 | First Commandant at NDA, Khadakwasla |
| 2 | Rear Admiral Benjamin Abraham Samson | Indian Navy | 27 December 1958 | 1 January 1963 | First non-army and also the first Naval Officer to be the Commandant. Later Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet (FOCIF). |
| 3 | Air Vice Marshal K L Sondhi | Indian Air Force | 6 January 1963 | 25 September 1963 | First Air Force Officer to be the Commandant. |
| 4 | Major General R Bakhshi, MC | Indian Army | 26 September 1963 | 8 August 1966 | |
| 5 | Air Vice Marshal S N Goyal | Indian Air Force | 9 August 1966 | 18 June 1968 | |
| 6 | Rear Admiral R N Batra | Indian Navy | 19 June 1968 | 05 October 1970 | |
| 7 | Major General S D Gupta | Indian Army | 16 October 1970 | 1 January 1973 | |
| 8 | Air Vice Marshal M B Naik | Indian Air Force | 3 January 1973 | 7 March 1976 | |
| 9 | Rear Admiral M P Awati, PVSM, VrC | Indian Navy | 8 March 1976 | 22 July 1977 | Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. |
| 10 | Major General R K Jasbir Singh | Indian Army | 22 July 1977 | 21 May 1979 | |
| 11 | Air Marshal M J Dotiwalla | Indian Air Force | 9 July 1979 | 30 June 1982 | First three-star air force officer (Air Marshal) to be the commandant. |
| 12 | Rear Admiral R P Sawhney | Indian Navy | 1 July 1982 | 15 August 1985 | First Ex-NDA commandant. Alumnus of the first NDA (JSW) Course. |
| 13 | Lieutenant General Sami Khan, PVSM, SM | Indian Army | 16 August 1985 | 2 November 1986 | First three-star army officer (Lieutenant General) to be the commandant. Later served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command. |
| 14 | Lieutenant General K L K Singh | Indian Army | 12 December 1986 | 28 June 1988 | |
| 15 | Air Marshal D S Sabhikhi, AVSM | Indian Air Force | 29 June 1988 | 31 August 1991 | |
| 16 | Vice Admiral Inderjit Bedi, AVSM | Indian Navy | 1 September 1991 | 11 October 1993 | First three-star naval officer (Vice Admiral) to be the commandant. Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. |
| 17 | Lieutenant General S K Jetley, AVSM, SM | Indian Army | 12 October 1993 | 24 March 1995 | |
| 18 | Air Marshal A S Sethi, ADC | Indian Air Force | 25 March 1995 | 31 January 1996 | |
| 19 | Air Marshal J S Rai, VM & bar | Indian Air Force | 1 February 1996 | 9 June 1997 | |
| 20 | Vice Admiral Arun Prakash, AVSM, VrC, VSM | Indian Navy | 31 July 1997 | 19 March 1999 | Later served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy |
| 21 | Lieutenant General S B S Kochar, PVSM, AVSM | Indian Army | 12 April 1999 | 31 March 2001 | |
| 22 | Air Marshal A K Trikha, AVSM, VSM | Indian Air Force | 1 April 2001 | 31 December 2002 | |
| 23 | Vice Admiral S C S Bangara, PVSM, AVSM | Indian Navy | 01 January 2003 | 24 July 2004 | |
| 24 | Lieutenant General A K Chopra, PVSM, AVSM | Indian Army | 4 August 2004 | 30 November 2006 | |
| 25 | Air Marshal T S Randhawa, VM | Indian Air Force | 1 December 2006 | 31 December 2008 | |
| 26 | Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, AVSM, YSM | Indian Navy | 1 January 2009 | 29 November 2009 | Later served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. |
| 27 | Vice Admiral Satish Soni, AVSM, NM | Indian Navy | 29 November 2009 | 1 January 2011 | Later served as the FOC-in-C of Southern and Eastern Commands of Indian Navy. |
| 28 | Lieutenant General Jatinder Singh, AVSM & bar, SM | Indian Army | 1 January 2011 | 5 July 2012 | Removed from the position. Accused of being involved in recruitment scandal. |
| 29 | Lieutenant General Ashok Singh, AVSM, SM, VSM | Indian Army | 7 August 2012 | 31 December 2012 | Later served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command. |
| 30 | Air Marshal K S Gill, AVSM, YSM, VM | Indian Air Force | 1 January 2013 | 31 July 2014 | Later served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air Command. |
| 31 | Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria, AVSM, VM | Indian Air Force | 1 August 2014 | 31 January 2015 | Later served as Chief of the Air Staff |
| 32 | Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM | Indian Navy | 1 April 2015 | 2 June 2016 | Later served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff |
| 33 | Air Marshal Jasjit Singh Kler AVSM, VM | Indian Air Force | 20 June 2016 | 31 March 2018 | |
| 34 | Air Marshal Vipin Indira Panabhan Nayar, VM | Indian Air Force | 7 April 2018 | 14 December 2019 | Later Commandant of the Air Force Academy. |
| 35 | Lieutenant General Asit Mistry, AVSM, SM, VSM | Indian Army | 1 February 2020 | 31 October 2021 | |
| 36 | Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor AVSM, VM | Indian Air Force | 01 November 2021 | 31 March 2022 | Later Commandant of the Air Force Academy. |
| 37 | Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar, AVSM, NM | Indian Navy | 1 April 2022 | 24 May 2024 | Current Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command. |
| 38 | Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, AVSM, NM | Indian Navy | 25 May 2024 | Present | |

## List of Commandants by branches of service

Army - 16 Navy - 12 Air Force - 14