Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took charge as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force on October 31, succeeding Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh, who retired after 42 years of service. Ashutosh Dixit formally began his tenure on November 1 with a wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, followed by a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Air Force Station. Speaking after the ceremony, he said the force would remain vigilant, continue its transformation and be prepared to respond whenever the nation calls.
Ashutosh Dixit and the handover ceremony
Ashutosh Dixit arrived at the Parade Ground of the Air Force Station in an electric vehicle, a choice reported by ANI as a move toward greener transport. He laid a wreath at the National War Memorial to honour personnel who died in service, and soon after taking over he saluted his mother, Nirmala Dixit, and his mother-in-law, Kamla Pandey. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the change of command, and Ashutosh Dixit said, “I am deeply honoured to assume command of the Indian Air Force as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff. I thank the President, our Supreme Commander, the Prime Minister and the Raksha Mantri for the trust they have placed in me.”
Before taking over as chief, Ashutosh Dixit served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff. He assumed the rank of Air Chief Marshal on taking charge. His predecessor, Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh, superannuated on October 31 after a career of 42 years. He said of his predecessor, “I take over from Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh, under whose leadership, in Operation Sindoor, the Air Force displayed what precise and decisive air power can achieve.”
Ashutosh Dixit sets out the VAYU priorities
On his first day in office, Ashutosh Dixit set out his priorities under the acronym VAYU. In his outline, V stands for vigilance, victory and readiness, A for Aatmanirbharta, or self-reliance, Y for Yukti, meaning ingenuity and innovation, and U for unity of effort. He described the framework as covering readiness, indigenous capability, innovation and joint operations, and he said the focus areas would rest on those four pillars.
Speaking to reporters on November 1, Ashutosh Dixit said restoring the Air Force’s sanctioned fighter aircraft fleet strength would be the foremost task of his tenure. He linked that goal to indigenous programmes such as the LCA Tejas light combat aircraft and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The statement put fleet numbers at the top of his agenda as he began his tenure, alongside the wider push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
What Ashutosh Dixit faces as Air Force chief
The new chief takes over a force in the middle of a long modernisation effort, with indigenous aircraft programmes, new weapons and joint operations with the Army and Navy all part of the plan. His VAYU framework ties those strands together, with readiness first and self-reliance second. The emphasis on indigenous capability reflects a wider government push to build major weapons systems at home rather than import them. Reports of his career point to a background in flight testing, operations and strategic capability development, the areas that shaped his rise to Vice Chief before he took the top post.
His switch to an electric vehicle also drew attention on his first day. Reports said he was seen arriving and leaving in a black electric SUV with official Air Force markings, though the specific model was not confirmed in public releases. The choice was read by commentators as support for greener mobility in the armed forces. He said the Air Force would stay prepared to respond whenever the nation calls, and he closed his first address by thanking the President, the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister for the trust placed in him as he took command of the force. The Air Force said the handover took place at Air Force Station New Delhi, where the Guard of Honour marked the formal start of his tenure.
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