New AOC-in-C for Indian Central Air Command

INDIA: ALLAHABAD. 1 JUNE 2026, (TON): Air Marshal Tarun Chaudhry has assumed charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Indian Air Force’s Central Air Command on 1 June 2026. He took over the charge from Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan, who retired a day earlier.

He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1989 and also served as Defence Attaché at the Embassy of India in Sweden, with concurrent accreditation to Norway, Finland, and Denmark.

He has also worked at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and Air Headquarters, focusing on acquisition projects, introducing advanced technologies into the Indian Air Force. He also served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Southern Air Command.