# Devendra Sharma (general)

Lieutenant General Devendra Sharma, PVSM, AVSM, SM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command. He previously served as the Chief of Staff, Western Command. He earlier served as General Officer Commanding Vajra Corps (XI Corps), prior to that he served as Chief of Staff, Western Command. The general officer is also the Colonel of the Scinde Horse.

## Early life and education

The general officer is an alumnus of Mayo College, Ajmer. He then attended the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. In Indian Military Academy, he was awarded the Sword of Honour for standing first in overall merit. He is also an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. While doing Higher Defence Management Course at CDM, he was awarded the Chief of Army Staff Trophy for standing First in overall order of merit.

## Military career

He was commissioned into the 14th Horse (Scinde Horse) on 19 December 1987 from the Indian Military Academy. He has commanded the Scinde Horse, an armoured brigade as part of the strike corps, an infantry division and a corps on the western front, an instructor at the National Defence Academy, a Staff Officer Operations in the Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan and the Chief Military Personnel Officer of the United Nations Mission in Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He has a rich experience of both conventional and counter insurgency operations. As a young officer, he served with an Infantry Battalion in OPERATION RAKSHAK (J&K) where he was awarded the Sena Medal for Gallantry.
After being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant general, he assumed the appointment of Chief of Staff, Western Command on 18 October 2021. On 11 February 2022, he took over as the General Officer Commanding Vajra Corps (XI Corps) from Lieutenant general C Bansi Ponnappa. A year later on 16 May 2023 he assumed appointment as the Chief of Staff, Western Command.
On 1 July 2024, he took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command succeeding Lieutenant general Manjinder Singh who moved to South Western Command as Army Commander.

## Awards and decorations

The General officer has been awarded with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022 and Sena Medal for gallantry. He has also been awarded with Central Army Commander's Commendation card and UN Force Commander's Appreciation.
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | Sena Medal |
| Special Service Medal | Operation Vijay Medal | Operation Parakram Medal | Sainya Seva Medal |
| High Altitude Medal | Videsh Seva Medal | 75th Independence Anniversary Medal | 50th Independence Anniversary Medal |
| 30 Years Long Service Medal | 20 Years Long Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal | MONUSCO |

## Dates of rank

| Rank | Component | Date of rank |
| Second Lieutenant | Indian Army | 19 December 1987 |
| Lieutenant | Indian Army | 19 December 1989 |
| Captain | Indian Army | 19 December 1992 |
| Major | Indian Army | 19 December 1998 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Indian Army | 16 December 2004 |
| Colonel | Indian Army | 1 January 2008 |
| Brigadier | Indian Army | 1 June 2014 (acting) 1 November 2014 (substantive, with seniority from 27 January 2012) |
| Major General | Indian Army | 1 September 2019 (seniority from 1 January 2018) |
| Lieutenant General | Indian Army | 2021 |