Delhi, 1 August (H.S.): Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM became the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on Friday, honoring fallen soldiers with a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1988. Specializing in Gunnery and Missile Systems, he boasts over 30 years of service in various command, operational, and staff roles.His sea service includes being part of the commissioning crew of INS Mysore, INS Nishank, and the Coast Guard OPV ICGS Sangram, as well as serving as Executive Officer aboard INS Mysore.

He has commanded multiple vessels, including Coast Guard ship C-05, and INS Kuthar, and was the Commissioning Commanding Officer of INS Sahyadri. As Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet from Feb 2020, he led significant operations amid heightened maritime activity.

An accomplished graduate of several prestigious military institutions, Vice Admiral Vatsayan has held key roles at Naval Headquarters, including Director of Personnel (Policy) and Director Naval Plans (Perspective Planning). Promoted to Flag Rank in Feb 2018, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) and then as Deputy Commandant at the National Defence Academy.

Before assuming VCNS, he was Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS), concentrating on operations, jointness, and indigenization policies across the Services. He is married to Sarita, with a son who holds an MBA and a daughter who has graduated in Humanities.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar