Representative image. Indian Air Force, GODL-India, Wikimedia Commons
Why it matters
The Chief of the Air Staff heads the Indian Air Force. Dixit's record, as the Defence Ministry describes it, is in flight testing, aircraft upgrades such as the Tejas clearances, and procurement. He has a fixed term to 31 December 2028, so he will lead the IAF for the next 26 months.
IAF chief Ashutosh Dixit took over the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday, 31 October 2026, as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, who retired the same day after 42 years in service, the Defence Ministry said in a release issued through the Press Information Bureau (PIB) at 3.33 pm.
Dixit, a fighter pilot and test pilot commissioned in December 1986, was Vice Chief of the Air Staff, the force’s number two, until today. The government named him for the top job earlier in October. The Defence Ministry notification, as quoted by Mint, gives him a tenure up to 31 December 2028.
What the Defence Ministry said about IAF chief Ashutosh Dixit
The release lists a career that ran across four areas: operations, flight testing, capability development and joint staff work. Dixit is a Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot, the pilots who fly new aircraft and upgrades before squadrons get them. The English release puts his flying at more than 3,500 hours on the Mirage-2000, several MiG variants, the Jaguar and a range of transport aircraft.
Two pieces of work are singled out. He helped finalise the upgrade projects for the Jaguar and MiG-27 fleets, and he played a key part in the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) of the Tejas Mk-I, India’s home-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). IOC and FOC are the two formal stages at which a new aircraft is cleared for squadron service and then for its full range of missions.
His commands, according to the release, include a Mirage-2000 squadron, a Forward Base Support Unit in the western sector and Air Force Station Bidar in Karnataka, a main training base for fighter pilots. He was later Air Defence Commander at Southern Air Command and Senior Air Staff Officer at South Western Air Command.
From Operation Sindoor to the top job
The senior posts came in quick succession. Dixit was Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, where the release says he steered capability development and procurement work, and then Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command, one of the IAF’s main operational commands.
During Operation Sindoor he was Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, which serves all three services. The ministry’s release mentions this specifically. Mint, citing the news agency Asian News International (ANI), says he also took part in Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Rakshak.
On 1 July 2026 he became Vice Chief of the Air Staff, succeeding Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, All India Radio reported at the time. Three months later the government picked him as the next chief of the air staff. Outlook reported the Defence Ministry’s announcement that he would take charge from the afternoon of 31 October in the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
Ashutosh Dixit’s career at a glance
NewsPlainly put the dates from the official release, the ministry notification and earlier reports into one table. The medal years are from Mint, which cites a Defence Ministry release.
| Date | Step | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec 1966 | Born | Mint, citing ANI |
| 6 Dec 1986 | Commissioned into the IAF fighter stream | PIB release |
| 2006 | Vayu Sena Medal | Mint, citing MoD |
| 2011 | Vishisht Seva Medal | Mint, citing MoD |
| 2023 | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | Mint, citing MoD |
| 2026 | Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Mint, citing MoD |
| 1 Jul 2026 | Takes over as Vice Chief of the Air Staff | All India Radio |
| 31 Oct 2026 | Takes over as 29th Chief of the Air Staff | PIB release |
| 31 Dec 2028 | Tenure ends, per the notification | Mint |
From those dates, NewsPlainly’s arithmetic: the tenure runs 26 months, from 31 October 2026 to 31 December 2028. Dixit is 59 today and turns 62 on 9 December 2028, three weeks before the tenure ends. By the day he took charge he had served 39 years and 10 months since his commission.
He trained at the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Bangladesh and the National Defence College in New Delhi, the release says. His medals are the four listed above: the Vayu Sena Medal, the Vishisht Seva Medal, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Those are the letters that follow his name in official releases.
A.P. Singh retires after 42 years
The outgoing chief, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, retired on 31 October after 42 years of service. A separate ministry release issued at 3.34 pm described him as a fighter pilot and experimental test pilot, like his successor, and said his time as chief was marked by a focus on operational readiness, in particular during Operation Sindoor.
The same release credits Singh with pushing indigenisation, new technology and a closer connection with airmen and young officers across the force. It does not list specific programmes or numbers.
What the change means and what is not known yet
The chief of the air staff heads the IAF. Dixit takes over with a background in testing, upgrades and procurement, the areas the ministry chose to highlight in its release.
The releases read for this report do not include a statement from Dixit on his priorities, and they do not describe the handover ceremony. Any first remarks from the new chief are still to come.
Big equipment purchases for all three services go through the Defence Acquisition Council, as in the approvals NewsPlainly reported on 26 October. Dixit’s term as chief runs for the next 26 months.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new IAF chief?
Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who took charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff on 31 October 2026. He was Vice Chief of the Air Staff before that.
Whom did Ashutosh Dixit replace?
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who retired on 31 October 2026 after 42 years of service, the Defence Ministry said.
How long will Ashutosh Dixit be IAF chief?
Until 31 December 2028, according to the Defence Ministry notification quoted by Mint. That is about 26 months.
Which aircraft has Ashutosh Dixit flown?
The ministry says he has over 3,500 flying hours on the Mirage-2000, several MiG variants, the Jaguar and transport aircraft. Mint, citing ANI, adds the Kiran, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.