01-08-2025
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan assumes charge as Vice Chief of Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan assumed charge as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on Friday (August 1, 2025).
Upon assuming office, the Vice Admiral paid homage to fallen personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
The Indian Navy stated that Vice Admiral Vatsayan is a specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems, and has held a broad spectrum of command, operational and staff appointments over a distinguished naval career spanning more than three decades.
At sea, he has served on board several frontline warships, including the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, INS Nishank, and was part of the pre-commissioning crew of Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel CGS Sangram, among other assignments.
In February 2020, he assumed command as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet and oversaw several operational deployments and exercises during a period of heightened maritime activity following the events at Galwan.
Following his promotion to Flag Rank in February 2018, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) before taking over command of the Eastern Fleet.
Before assuming charge as the VCNS, he served as Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS) – Operations, and subsequently as DCIDS (Policy, Plans and Force Development) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff. In these roles, he was closely involved in operational coordination, advancing integration and jointness among the Services, shaping force development, and formulating policies to promote indigenisation.
