Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi will be the new Navy Chief by the end of this month succeeding incumbent Admiral R. Hari Kumar.

Admiral Hari Kumar will retire from service on April 30.

Who is Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi?

• Vice Admiral Tripathi is currently serving as Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

• Born on  May 15, 1964, Vice Admiral Tripathi was commissioned into the executive branch of the Indian Navy on July 1, 1985.

• A communication and electronic warfare specialist, he has had a long and distinguished service spanning nearly 30 years.

• Prior to taking over as Vice Chief of the Navy, he had served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.

• Vice Admiral Tripathi has served in a variety of command, staff and instructional appointments.

• He has commanded INS Vinash.

• He has also held various important operational and staff appointments which include Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet, Director of Naval Operations, Principal Director Network Centric Operations and Principal Director of Naval Plans at New Delhi.

• As Rear Admiral, he served as Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Fleet.

• He also served as Commandant of the prestigious Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala.

• An alumnus of the Sainik School Rewa and NDA Khadakwasla, Vice Admiral Tripathi has undergone courses at the Naval War College, Goa and Naval War College, US. 

• He is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Nau Sena Medal (NM). 

Indian Navy

• The foundation of the modern Indian Navy was laid in the 17th century when the East India Company had established a maritime force, thereby graduating in time to the establishment of the Royal Indian Navy in 1934. 

• The Indian Navy is the key enabler and guarantor of the country’s maritime sovereignty and myriad use-of-the-sea activities. This is discharged by the Navy through its four roles – military, diplomatic, constabulary and benign. 

• The objective of the Navy’s military role is deterrence/ dissuasion against any intervention or act which is against our national interests, and the ability to inflict a crushing defeat on the adversary in the event of hostilities. 

• A major objective of the Navy’s constabulary role is to ensure coastal and offshore security and implement anti-piracy measures in conjunction with the Coast Guard and other Central and State agencies.

• The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) exercises operational and administrative control of the Indian Navy from the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy). He is assisted by the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) and three other Principal Staff Officers, namely the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS), the Chief of Personnel (COP) and the Chief of Material (COM).

The Navy has three Commands, each under the control of a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief:

i) The Western Naval Command (Headquarters at Mumbai).

ii) The Eastern Naval Command (Headquarters at Visakhapatnam)

iii) The Southern Naval Command (Headquarters at Kochi).

• The Western and the Eastern Naval Commands are ‘Operational Commands’, and exercise control over operations in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal respectively. The Southern Command is the Training Command.

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