New Delhi: The government has appointed Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, currently serving as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) in the rank of Air Chief Marshal.
Dixit will assume charge from the afternoon of October 31, 2026, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who is scheduled to superannuate on the same day.
Born on December 9, 1966, Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. Before becoming Vice Chief of the Air Staff, he served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Command and Staff College in Bangladesh and National Defence College, Dixit has more than 3,500 hours of flying experience on aircraft including Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Kiran, Jaguar, IL-78, Hawk and Tejas.
An Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor, Dixit has participated in several operations and exercises, including Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Rakshak and Operation Sindoor.
During his nearly four-decade career, he has held several key operational and staff appointments, including command of a frontline fighter air base in the Western Sector and a premier fighter training base in the Southern Sector.
Dixit has been awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (2006), Vishisht Seva Medal (2011), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2023) and Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2026) for distinguished service.
