The Government has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, presently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff, in the rank of Air Chief Marshal, with effect from the afternoon of October 31, 2026. The present Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh superannuates from office on October 31, 2026.
Born on December 09, 1966, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of Indian Air Force on December 06, 1986. Prior to assuming charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Dixit served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command.
The Air Marshal is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Command & Staff College Bangladesh and National Defence College. He has more than 3500 hours of extensive flying experience on various aircraft including, to name a few, Mirage-2000, variants of MiG, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas. He is an Experimental Test Pilot and a Qualified Flying Instructor. During his service career spanning approximately four decades, he has been actively involved in numerous operations and exercises including Op-Safed Sagar, Op-Rakshak and Op-Sindoor.
During his illustrious career, the Air Marshal has held a number of significant field and staff appointments. He commanded a frontline fighter air base in Western Sector and a premier fighter training base in Southern Sector. The operational capability of the Indian Air Force has improved with the contribution of the Air Officer in various capacities. He was awarded Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2023 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2026 in recognition of his exemplary and distinguished service.