Sanjay Mahindru

Summary

Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru, PVSM, AVSM, NM is a former flag officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, from 31 Mar 2022 to 30 September 2023. Prior to this, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA), having been appointed on 17 October 2016. He earlier served as Flag Officer Submarines from 2015 to 2016.


Sanjay Mahindru

Mahindru as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Navy
Years of service1985 - 2023
Rank Vice Admiral
Commands held
Awards Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Nao Sena Medal

Career edit

Mahindru joined and graduated from the National Defence Academy. He was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 1 January 1985. He specialised in navigation and qualified as a submariner. He attended the Joint Services Command and Staff College at United Kingdom. He has served in the Directorate of Submarine Operations and Directorate of Nuclear Submarine Acquisition.[1]

He commanded the Shishumar-class submarine INS Shalki (S46), the cadet training ship INS Krishna (F46) and the lead ship of her class of guided-missile destroyers INS Rajput (D51). He also commanded the submarine base INS Satavahana, the Navy’s submarine training establishment where he set up the School for Advanced Underwater Warfare.[2][3]

Mahindru attended the Higher Naval Command Course at the College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai. He later served as the Naval Assistant to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command and to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. As a Commodore, he headed the Arihant Project, India’s first Nuclear Submarine.[4]

Flag rank edit

Mahindru was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in September 2015 and was appointed Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM), the single-point class authority of submarines in India.[1] After a year-long stint as FOSM, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA).[4][5][6] As FOMA, he initiated a number of initiatives to improve lives of naval veterans.[7] For his tenure as FOMA, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2018.[8]

Mahindru subsequently served as the Chief Staff Officer at Headquarters Strategic Forces Command. In 2019, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command.[9]

On 31 March 2022, he moved to Naval HQ having been appointed Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) succeeding Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh who superannuated.[9] He superannuated on 30 September 2023 and handed over charge of DCNS to Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti.[10]

Awards and decorations edit

Mahindru was awarded the Nau Sena Medal (Gallantry) in 2002 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018.

       
       
     
Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Nau Sena Medal Samanya Seva Medal
Operation Parakram Medal Sainya 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

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru Takes Over as Flag Officer Submarines". Government of India. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Kerala News : Naval training to undergo sea change". The Hindu. 30 November 2004. Retrieved 4 February 2019.[dead link]
  3. ^ "News - Sunday Island". www.island.lk. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area". Indian Navy. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Maharashtra Naval Area gets a new commanding Flag Officer". www.afternoondc.in. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  6. ^ Sharma, Suman. "Change Of Command In Indian Navy's Both Fleets : Rear Admiral B Dasgupta Gets East, Rear Admiral RB Pandit Gets West". Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Combined Armed Forces Veterans Day celeberated [sic] on 14 JAN 2017 in Mumbai . | All India Exservicemen Joint Action Front (Sanjha Morcha)". Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  8. ^ "390 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  9. ^ a b "VICE ADMIRAL SANJAY MAHINDRU, AVSM, NM ASSUMED CHARGE AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF". www.pib.gov.in.
  10. ^ "VICE ADMIRAL TARUN SOBTI, AVSM, VSM ASSUMED CHARGE AS DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
Military offices
Preceded by Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
2022 - 2023
Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area
2017 - 2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer Submarines
2015-2016
Succeeded by