Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan appointed as the Chief of Naval Staff

The central government has appointed Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan (PVSM, AVSM, VSM) as the Chief of Naval Staff. The current Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi (PVSM, AVSM, NM), will retire from service on 31 May 2026.

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan took charge as the 34th Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command on 31 July, 2025.

This Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 July, 1987 and is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla; Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham (United Kingdom); College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the United States Naval War College, Newport (Rhode Island).

Achievements of Krishna Swaminathan

Awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral has held several important operational, staff and training appointments during his naval career.

These include commanding the missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash; missile corvette INS Kulish; guided missile destroyer INS Mysore; and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

After promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, he served as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command, Kochi and played an important role in managing training operations across the Indian Navy.

He also played a major role in the formation of the 'Indian Naval Safety Team', which oversees operational safety across all branches of the Navy.

After commanding the 'Sword Arm', he was appointed as the 'Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group' and 'Offshore Security and Defence Advisor' to the Government of India.

History of the Indian Navy

With Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj of the Maratha Empire, who is often regarded as the "Father of the Indian Navy". He built a powerful coastal navy (17th century) along with forts like Sindhudurg to protect the Konkan coast from European powers and the Siddis.

The formal beginning of the present Navy started with the East India Company’s 'Marine', which was formed on 5 September, 1612 to protect British trading interests against the Portuguese and pirates.

This force evolved from the 'Bombay Marine' into the 'Royal Indian Marine' and by 1934 became the 'Royal Indian Navy' (RIN).

After independence in 1947, this force was divided with Pakistan. On 26 January, 1950, it was renamed as the 'Indian Navy'. The 'Operation Vijay' of 1961: It played an important role in the integration of Goa.

Major Commands of the Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is divided into three main operational/training commands, each led by a Vice Admiral known as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C).

These are the Western, Eastern and Southern Naval Commands, along with the tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command.

Western Naval Command (Mumbai): It is known as the 'Strike Force'; it is responsible for the security of the Arabian Sea and India’s western maritime boundaries.

Eastern Naval Command (Visakhapatnam): Responsible for the security of the Bay of Bengal and the eastern maritime boundary.

Southern Naval Command (Kochi): Primarily functions as the training command; it is responsible for training personnel and southern coastal security.

Andaman and Nicobar Command (Port Blair): It is a unique tri-service command (Army, Navy, Air Force), responsible for the security of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The headquarters of the command structure is located in New Delhi. Under these commands, two fleets operate (Western Fleet in Mumbai and Eastern Fleet in Visakhapatnam); they are also supported by local naval security in regions such as Lakshadweep.