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Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan Assumes Charge as the 47th Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS).

Appointment | Dated: 02 Aug 2025

Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM officially assumed charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on 01 August 2025. He marked the occasion by paying tribute at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, honouring the Bravehearts who laid down their lives for the nation.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - Vice Admiral Vatsayan is an alumnus of the 71st course of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 January 1988. A specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems, he has held various command, operational, and strategic staff roles across his naval career spanning more than three decades.
  • - During his sea tenures, he served aboard numerous frontline warships, including being part of the commissioning crew of the Guided Missile Destroyer INS Mysore, INS Nishank, and Coast Guard OPV ICGS Sangram. He also served as the Executive Officer of INS Mysore and commanded vessels such as C-05, INS Vibhuti, INS Nashak, INS Kuthar, and INS Sahyadri, the last as Commissioning Commanding Officer.
  • - In February 2020, he assumed the role of Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, overseeing major operational deployments and exercises amid heightened maritime security following the Galwan clashes. His leadership was instrumental in shaping the Eastern Fleet's preparedness during sensitive periods.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) Vice Admiral Vatsayan is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (Wellington), Naval War College (Goa), and the National Defence College (New Delhi). He has held several high-level appointments at Naval Headquarters including Joint Director and Director of Personnel (Policy), Director Naval Plans (Perspective Planning), and Principal Director Naval Plans.
  • (ii) Upon his promotion to Flag Rank in February 2018, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans), later leading the Eastern Fleet. He was honoured with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021 for exceptional service. He subsequently became Deputy Commandant of the National Defence Academy and later Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command, where he focused on operational readiness and infrastructure growth.
  • (iii) Before his current appointment, he was Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS) - Operations and later DCIDS (Policy, Plans and Force Development) at HQ IDS, where he contributed significantly to joint operations, integration, policy formulation, and promotion of indigenisation. He is married to Sarita and has two children— a son who is an Economics graduate and MBA from the Indian School of Business, and a daughter who has completed her studies in Humanities.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Who has recently taken charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS)?

Correct Answer: Sanjay Vatsayan

🚀 Quick Recap: