Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi is India’s next Chief of Naval Staff

NEW DELHI: Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi has been appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff. He will assume the office on April 30, succeeding Admiral R Hari Kumar after he retires from service.
Tripathi, PVSM, AVSM, NM, is presently serving as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. Prior to this, he had served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. 
Born on May 15, 1964, Tripathi was commissioned into the executive branch of the Indian Navy on July 1, 1985. A communication and electronic warfare specialist, he has been in the service for nearly 39 years. 
Tripathi has commanded the Indian Naval ships Vinash, Kirch, and Trishul. He was the fleet operations officer of the Western Fleet, the director of Naval Operations, the principal director of network-centric operations, and the principal director of Naval Plans in New Delhi.
As a Rear Admiral, he has served as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) and the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. In the rank of Vice Admiral, he has served as Commandant of the prestigious Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala, Director General of Naval Operations, Chief of Personnel, and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.
An alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa, and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Tripathi pursued advanced courses from the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, the Naval Higher Command Course in Karanja, and the Naval Command College at the United States Naval War College, USA.