Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi became India’s 26th chief of naval staff on Tuesday, taking over from Admiral R. Hari Kumar, who had been in charge for two years and five months.
He went to Sainik School in Rewa and the National Defense Academy in Khadakwasla. On July 1, 1985, he was commissioned into the navy.
Before he became head of the service, he was vice chief of naval staff.
He said after taking over, “Over the years, the navy has changed into a force that is ready for battle.” The Indian Navy should always be ready to stop potential enemies at sea in peace and to win the war at and from the sea if they are asked to. This is because of the new and current threats in the maritime domain. This will always be my only goal and focus.”
He also said that bringing new technologies and stepping up the navy’s work toward Atmanirbharta would be high on the list of priorities.
Tripathi takes over the service at a time when China is carefully playing its power play for influence, the rules-based international order is being defended, and the Arabian Sea is becoming a new front as tensions rise in the Red Sea and piracy returns.
Tripathi will also be in charge of modernizing the navy with a strong focus on indigenization. The navy is working hard to become fully self-sufficient by 2047, which is India’s 100th anniversary of freedom.
As army chief General Manoj Pande steps down on May 31, more changes will happen in the top military leadership of the country. Upendra Dwivedi, who is currently the vice chief of the army, is the clear favorite to be chief because he will be the most senior officer when Pande leaves.
Before becoming the navy’s vice chief in January 2024, Tripathi was in charge of the Western Naval Command. Before that, he was the navy’s chief of people.
He was an expert in both communication and electronic warfare and worked as a signal communication officer and an electronic warfare officer on frontline battleships. Later, he was the executive officer and chief warfare officer of the guided missile destroyer INS Mumbai.
Tripathi has a great reputation among his peers as a communication expert who can easily solve relativity problems while steering frontline warships in the right direction on the high seas. He has done exceptionally well in courses that helped him advance his career and held prestigious positions over the course of his nearly 40-year career. He is known for his love of tennis, and the officer enjoys singing Hindi songs.
Besides being in charge of the warships INS Vinash, INS Kirch, and INS Trishul, Tripathi has had many other important operational and staff roles, such as fleet operations officer of the Western Fleet in Mumbai, director of naval operations, principal director of network-centric operations, and principal director of naval plans in New Delhi. Among his other jobs are Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans).
When the officer was promoted to vice admiral in June 2019, he was put in charge of the prestigious Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala, Kerala. From July 2020 to May 2021, he was also in charge of all naval activities. In this last job, he made sure that the navy stayed a combat-ready, unified, and trustworthy force that was ready to deal with a wide range of difficult security issues, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has a degree from the very best Defence Services Staff College in Wellington. He has also been to the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, for the Naval Higher Command Course and the Naval Command College.
