Speakers Page - Indian Military

General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)

General Anil Chauhan is the current Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, serving since September 30, 2022. A four-star general with nearly 40 years of service,

General Anil Chauhan is the current Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, serving since September 30, 2022. A four-star general with nearly 40 years of service, he has extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and North-East India.
Born on May 18, 1961, he was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in 1981. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy, he commanded an Infantry Division in Baramula, a corps in the North East, and the Eastern Command from September 2019 until his retirement in May 2021. He has also served as Director General of Military Operations and participated in a UN mission to Angola.
General Chauhan’s distinguished service has earned him the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.

General NC Vij, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM (Retd)

Gen Vij was the 21st Chief of the Army Staff from Dec of India from Dec 2002- Feb 2005. He was the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) during the very successful operations by Indian Army for eviction of Pakistani Intruders in Kargil in 1999. He was Vice Chief of the Army during OP PARAKRAM.
His tenure as the Chief is remembered for many notable improvements in operational & administrative postures of the Army. The most notable amongst them being the laying of 740 Km long fence along the Line of Control within one year plus, which brought the infiltration down to insignificant numbers.
After his superannuation from the Army, he was appointed Founder Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority, in the rank of Cabinet Minister, for five years from Sep 2005 - 2010. He was a member of the VIF for almost 7 years and then took over as Director, after Mr Ajit Doval became the NSA. Gen Vij finally left the VIF in 2017.
He is the author of the books ‘The Kashmir Conundrum - The Quest for Peace in a Troubled Land’ and ‘Alone in the Ring - Decision Making in Critical Times’.

Air Mshl (Dr) Rajeev Sachdeva, AVSM (Retd)

Air Marshal Rajeev Sachdeva AVSM, PhD (Retd) had a distinguished career in the Indian Air Force (IAF), culminating in his role as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and Additional Secretary (Air) at the Defence Ministry under the first Chief of Defence Staff. Air Marshal Sachdeva is an alumnus of prestigious institutions such as FIS, CDM, and NDC. A Cat ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor, he has logged over 7,200 hours on various transport and trainer aircraft. He is a Certified ‘A’ Project Manager and holds a Doctorate in Business Management. Air Marshal Sachdeva also holds important positions in various prestigious institutions across the country. He is a Distinguished Fellow at USI and CAPS. His previous leadership roles included commanding An-32 Squadron, CI at Fixed Wing Training Faculty, Centre Director (Aviation) NTRO and SASO, HQ SAC. He has co-authored DAP-2020 and established key verticals like the Defence Space Agency, Defence Cyber Agency and Special Operations Division as DCIDS (Ops) in 2018. A recipient of the Ati Vishist Seva Medal in 2016, he has also contributed to numerous academic publications and lectures across military and civil institutions.

Air Mshl VK Bhatia, PVSM, AVSM, VrC** (Retd)

Air Marshal Bhatia was awarded the Veer Chakra (VrC) twice, for striking deep into enemy territory during the wars of 1965 and 1971. He is also a recipient of the PVSM and AVSM Presidential awards for distinguished services of the highest order.
He has a total of 5,500 hours of flying to his credit, accumulated on approximately 20 types of fighters, including Mysteres and Hunters (1960s), MiG-21s and Su-7s (1970s), as well as on military transport aircraft and helicopters such as An-32, Avro HS-748, Dornier 228, Chetak/Cheetah, and Mi-8/Mi-17.
He has been a Qualified Pilot Attack Instructor and an Air Force Examiner.
A pilot of outstanding repute, Air Marshal Bhatia held a multitude of command and staff appointments at all levels of the IAF during his illustrious career spanning more than 40 years.

Air Vice Mshl (Dr) Arjun Subramaniam, AVSM, PhD (Retd)

Air Vice-Marshal Arjun Subramaniam (Retd.) is a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force, a distinguished military historian, and a leading strategic affairs commentator.

Air Vice-Marshal Arjun Subramaniam (Retd.) is a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force, a distinguished military historian, and a leading strategic affairs commentator. With a career spanning the IAF and academia, he currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty at Kautilya School of Public Policy, Hyderabad, and lectures at war colleges across India’s armed forces.
He is the author of several acclaimed books, including the two-volume series India’s Wars (HarperCollins), which provides a comprehensive account of India’s military history. His other notable works include Shooting Straight: A Military Biography of Lt. Gen. Rostum K. Nanavatty and Reflections of an Air Warrior (Revised Edition, 2025). He frequently writes on strategic and national security issues, offering insights into India’s defence policies and military history.

Air Vice Mshl Anil Golani (Retd)

Director General, CAPS

A Qualified Flying Instructor and an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner, commissioned into the Fighter stream of the IAF in Dec 1982.

A Qualified Flying Instructor and an Instrument Rating Instructor and Examiner, commissioned into the Fighter stream of the IAF in Dec 1982. Fully Ops on the erstwhile Ajeet and Jaguar aircraft. Raised and commanded the first Harpy squadron of the Indian Air Force. He commanded an Air Defence Direction Centre and an operational base. One of the few to have served in senior ranks in both the Joint Services Commands of the country, Andaman & Nicobar Command as the Air Force Component Commander and Strategic Forces Command as the Chief Staff Officer (Air Vector).
The other joint services appointments include Air Officer Commanding Maritime Air Operations in Mumbai and Chief Instructor, Air Force, at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. Superannuated from service in Nov 2019.
An avid writer and author, he has written a number of articles on air power, national security, strategy and integration of the Armed Forces. He has Co-edited two books ‘Air Power and Emerging Technologies’; 2022 and ‘Indian Air Force in its Centennial Decade’; 2023. He took over as Additional Director General CAPS on 07 May 2021.

Amb Dilip Sinha, IFS (Retd)

Dilip Sinha is a former diplomat who in the course of his career handled relations with neighbours, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Bangladesh and multilateral negotiations including in the United Nations and on Climate Change. He is now an independent researcher and writes for journals and the media. He is also a public speaker and author of Legitimacy of Power – The Permanence of Five in the UN Security Council, published by the Indian Council of World Affairs.
His book, Imperial Games in Tibet, is an insightful and comprehensive look at British and Russian rivalry in Central Asia; the role China played in Tibet historically and in contemporary times; and brings out with clarity the Indian views of these developments.

Amb Manjeev Singh Puri, IFS (Retd)

Manjeev Singh Puri joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982 and has served as Ambassador of India to the European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg, Nepal and as Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN. In addition, he has served twice in Germany (in Bonn and Berlin), in Cape Town, Muscat, Bangkok and Caracas.
From 2005 to 2009, he headed the UN-Economic & Social Affairs Division in the Ministry of External Affairs of India and led the Indian delegation for the first meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Brussels in July 2007 and the presentation of various reports by India at the Human Rights Council. During 2011-2012, when India served on the Security Council, he was a senior member of its delegation.
Major areas of his experience and professional focus relate to the environment, in particular, climate change and sustainable development. He was a lead negotiator for India at the UN on issues relating to the post-2015 development agenda, Sustainable Development Goals and at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012. He was a key member of India's delegation at various Climate Change negotiations, including the Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC in Copenhagen in December 2009 and before that at Montreal, Bali, Bonn and Poznan. Furthermore, he was closely involved with India's participation in the G8-G5 Summits from 2005, and he was the point person on the Indian side at the Major Economies Forum.
Puri has a Master's degree in Management and did his BA (Honours) in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He is a Distinguished Fellow and on the Advisory Board of TERI.

Maj Gen BK Sharma, AVSM, SM & Bar (Retd)

Director General, USI

Major General BK Sharma, AVSM, SM** (Retd) is an Infantry Veteran with rich operational experience and expertise in strategic affairs and Multi-domain warfare. He is the DG of the USI, India’s oldest national security institution, established in 1870.

Major General BK Sharma, AVSM, SM** (Retd) is an Infantry Veteran with rich operational experience and expertise in strategic affairs and Multi-domain warfare. He is the Director General of the United Service Institution of India (USI), India’s oldest national security institution, established in 1870. He was conferred three military awards by the President of India for rendering exceptional, distinguished national service and for displaying courage. Besides, he was conferred a national award for nation-building by the Confederation of Educational Excellence of India in 2017. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Defence Services Staff College, Higher Command and National Defence College. He trained in International Peacekeeping in Santiago (Chile). He has held prestigious command, Instructional and staff appointments at the Ministry of Defence. He has represented his country as a UN Military Observer in Central America and has been India’s Defence Attaché in Central Asia. He specialises in Strategic Net Assessment, Scenario Building, Strategic Gaming and Red Teaming.
He has participated in several International Conferences organised by the UN, OSCE,
CIISS, Xiangshan Forum, Sichuan University, SCO Forum, BRICS Forum, Eurasian Economic Forum, MOSCOW Economic Forum, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Yasin Dialogue, Primakov Dialogue, Valdai International Conference, Bucharest Conference, Higher School of Economics (Russia), Roscongress events, CAMCA and several other conferences in East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and Europe.
He has edited several books and contributed seminal papers in Indian and foreign publications. He regularly participates in Track-1.5 Level dialogues.

Brig Pawan Bhardwaj, YSM

Brigadier Pawan Bhardwaj is an Infantry officer with operational experience in the Siachen glacier, counter insurgency and counter terror operations. He has served on the various borders of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland including the high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He was the teaching faculty at the Army War College and the Infantry School. He has a unique distinction of serving twice with the tri service Strategic Forces Command. His reading interests include Technology Trends, Information Warfare and Military Training. He holds a Master Degree from Madras University. This work is the result of his Research Fellowship at United Service Institution of India on ‘Tactical level employment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Military’. He is a PhD Candidate at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).

Cmde C Uday Bhaskar (Retd)

Commodore C Uday Bhaskar (Retd), former Director of IDSA, New Delhi retired from the Indian Navy in early 2007 after 37 years service. He was the Director of the National Maritime Foundation form Jul 2009 till Jul 2011. The Commodore was also associated with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) from 1990 where he served as the Deputy Director (1996-2004) and later headed the Institute till late 2005.
Subsequently he was appointed Member-Secretary of the Government of India Task Force on ‘Global Strategic Developments’ – a report submitted to the Prime Minister of India. Cmde Bhaskar is Editor, Maritime Affairs; and is on the Editorial Board of Contemporary Security Policy. He has edited books on nuclear and international security related issues and has contributed over 60 research articles to journals in India and abroad. He is a guest lecturer at the Indian National Defence College and other military colleges. He is a Life member of the United Service Institute (USI) and isalso Chairman, Middle East Institute @ New Delhi. The Commodore is on the Governing Council of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), as also on the Advisory Panel of the India Habitat Centre (IHC) in New Delhi. Cmde Bhaskar is also a columnist for Reuters and the Dainik Jagran.

Col Ajay K Raina, SM (Retd)

Col Ajay Raina, SM (Retd) is the founder of the Military History Research Foundation, Raina has authored and edited 27 books, focusing on military history, including Hold at All Costs and The Gallant Nunnus.

Col Ajay Raina, SM (Retd) is the founder of the Military History Research Foundation, Raina has authored and edited 29 books, focusing on military history, including Hold at All Costs and The Gallant Nunnus.
Born in 1969 in Jammu, AJ attended school and college in Jammu. In 1987, he was adjudged the BEST NCC CADET (Senior Division) from the J&K Directorate during participation in the Republic Day Camp at New Delhi. He was awarded GOVERNOR’s MEDAL for the same.He was commissioned into 93 Field Regiment in December 1990 and had the privilege of commanding the same regiment from 2007 to 2009. He was awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry) while serving in an RR (Rashtriya Rifles) battalion in Northern Kashmir in 2006.
He is passionate for adventure activities. In 2009, Raina and his family set a Limca Book record for an unsupported motorcycle ride across 11 Ladakh passes. He holds an MSc in Weapon Technology and an MBA in Finance.

Col Mandeep Singh (Retd)

Colonel Mandeep Singh (Retd) served in Army Air Defence. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College, he commanded his Regiment during operations against Pakistan and later along the Line of Actual Control. He has authored seven books including “History of Indian Air Defence Artillery 1940-1945” and “Forgotten: History of Hong Kong Singapore Royal Artillery.”

Col PK Gautam (Retd)

Colonel Pradeep Kumar Gautam (Retd) is an honorary distinguished fellow at CMHCS/USI. A war veteran of 1971 (Bangladesh), former Research Fellow at the IDSA and later a consultant to the project ‘Indigenous Historical Knowledge.’ He is the co-editor and contributor of the Institute’s three-volume series, Indigenous Historical Knowledge: Kautilya and His Vocabulary. He has written extensively on environmental security, non-traditional security, water, climate change, military affairs, and Tibet. He has authored chapters, articles and three monographs on Kautilya’s Arthashastra, one each on Kamandaka’s Nitisara, The Kural and The Sukraniti. He was a subject matter expert, educator and mentor on Kautilya’s Arthashastra, The Kural, and Panchatantra for the Indian Cultural Study Forum, College of Defence Management (CDM), Secunderabad from 2021 to 2024. He has given lectures and presentations on Kautilya, The Kural, Panchatantra, and Indian Strategic Thought at various military institutes, colleges and universities, including lectures from Delhi University-based all-India online Faculty Development Programme on the theme ‘Revisiting Kautilya Arthashastra: Relevance for Contemporary Polity and Economy.’ He is a resource person for a set of lectures on ancient Indian and East Asian thought at the two-year MA in International Conflict Studies at the University of Ladakh in collaboration with CMHCS /USI. He is a founder member of Project ‘Udbhav: Evolution of Strategic and Military Thought’ in 2023 at CMHCS/USI.

Col Suraksh Vir

Colonel Suraksh Vir was commissioned in the Indian Army in the Corps of Signals on 06 Dec 1997. He is an alumnus of IMA Dehradun, MCTE Mhow and IIT Kharagpur. He did his M.Tech in 'Electronics and Electrical Communication from IIT Kharagpur in 2010. He has Commanded two units and has also tenanted important staff appointments as Joint Director, NFS Cell, DCSO, HQ 11 Corps and Col Sigs (Proj Mgt), HQ 4 Corps. As Commanding Officer he raised 17 Corps Operating Signal Regiment from 2013 to 2016 and Commanded 101 IFSU a strategic Intelligence Unit from 2018 to 2022 where he was awarded Vice Chief of Army Commendation Card in 2021. He is pursuing a Research Fellowship from USI on 'Enhancing Offensive Cyber Capability at National Level'.

Col Vivek Chadha (Retd)

Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). He joined MP-IDSA in 2011 after serving over 22 years in the Indian Army.

Col Vivek Chadha (Retd) is a Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA). He joined MP-IDSA in 2011 after serving over 22 years in the Indian Army.
Colonel Chadha’s areas of research include counter-terrorism and military studies. His single-author books on counter-terrorism include Low-Intensity Conflicts in India: An Analysis; Lifeblood of Terrorism: Countering Terrorism Finance and Company Commander in Low-Intensity Conflicts. His single-author books on military subjects include Even if Ain’t Broke Yet, Do Fix It: Enhancing Effectiveness Through Military Change; Kargil: Past Perfect: Future Uncertain; CDS and Beyond: Integration of the Indian Armed Forces. He has also written the book, Indo-US Relations: From Divergence to Convergence.

David Allison

David Allison is a distinguished military historian, lawyer, and soldier with a keen interest in the history of Commonwealth forces in Asia from the Second World War to the present.

David Allison is a distinguished military historian, lawyer, and soldier with a keen interest in the history of Commonwealth forces in Asia from the Second World War to the present. His acclaimed first book, Fight Your Way Out, delves into the heroic stand of the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade at Sangshak in 1944. His latest work, The Fire Brigade, explores the experiences of Commonwealth forces during the early months of the Korean War.

Dr Adil Rasheed

Dr Adil Rasheed is a Research Fellow (Selection Scale) and Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Strategic Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).

Dr Adil Rasheed is a Research Fellow (Selection Scale) and Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Centre at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Strategic Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).
Author of the books ‘Political Islam: Parallel Currents in West Asia and South Asia’ (2024), Countering the Radical Narrative (2020), and ISIS: Race to Armageddon (2015), he is currently working on a book titled Messianic Geopolitics: Threat to Global Security.
His research papers and monographs, namely Influence Operations: The Sharp Power of Non-Kinetic Subversion (2024), ‘Countering the Threat of Radicalisation: Theories, Programmes and Challenges’ (2016) as well as ‘Jihadist Radicalisation in India: Internal Challenges, External Threats’ (2017), Impact of Vedanta on Indian Strategic Culture (2021) are widely read in the Indian strategic community.
Dr. Rasheed joined MP-IDSA in August 2016. Earlier, he was Senior Research Fellow at the United Services Institution of India (USI). He was also Researcher at the UAE’s premier think tank The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) for eight years (2006-14). An Op-Ed editor in Dubai-based English daily Khaleej Times (200-05) and in Abu Dhabi-based Emirates News (1997-2000), he has interviewed many international leaders such as Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamed, former US Secretary of State Leon Panetta, among many others.

Dr Diya Gupta

Dr Diya Gupta is Senior Lecturer in Public History at City St George's, University of London, UK. Her first book, India in the Second World War: An Emotional History, was shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society's 2024 Gladstone Prize. Her current research project examines the nature of wartime violence as it turns inwards, targeting colonised civilian bodies, studied through the lens of the 1943 Bengal Famine. https://www.diyagupta.co.uk.

Dr Paul McGarr

Dr McGarr is a Lecturer in Intelligence Studies and joined King’s College London in 2023. He holds an MA degree in International History from Royal Holloway, University of London and obtained a PhD from Royal Holloway in 2008. He held an AHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Nottingham between 2009-2011 that examined the CIA and the contested history of US foreign policy. He joined the American and Canadian Studies Department at Nottingham as Lecturer and subsequently Associate Professor in US Foreign Policy between 2011-2023. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society.

Dr Peter Johnston

Dr Peter Johnston serves as the Director of Narrative & Content at the Imperial War Museum, where he oversees the development of compelling stories and educational content related to military history and war experiences. With a deep expertise in curating historical narratives, Dr. Johnston plays a key role in shaping the museum's exhibitions, publications, and multimedia projects. His work is central to engaging diverse audiences, ensuring that the museum’s collections and resources effectively communicate the profound impact of conflict on societies, individuals, and global history.

Dr Pragya Pandey

Dr Pragya Pandey is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Sapru House, New Delhi. She specialises in issues related to maritime security, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific and regional geopolitics.

Dr. Pragya Pandey is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Sapru House, New Delhi. She specialises in issues related to maritime security, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific and regional geopolitics. She has written extensively on these issues. Previously she had served as Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Miranda House, University of Delhi. She has received her PhD from the Centre for Indo-Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has co-edited volumes titled ‘Roads, Winds, Spices in the Western Indian Ocean: The Memory and Geopolitics of Maritime Heritage’, ‘KM Panikkar and the Growth of a Maritime Consciousness in India’ and ‘1982 UNCLOS Perspectives from the Indian Ocean’. She has participated various national and international conferences and dialogues and has considerable publication to her credit.

Dr Saurabh Mishra

Dr. Saurabh Mishra is a Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. Prior to MP-IDSA he was an Associate Professor at the Amity Institute for Defence & Strategic Studies (AIDSS), Noida, preceded by his assignments as Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), an autonomous think-tank of the Ministry of External Affairs, India and Research Assistant at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. He has acquired his Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. His areas of interest can be thematically charted as: Indian Defence and Strategy, Indian Knowledge System, International Institutions, Peace & Conflict, Globalisation, and International Relations Theory. In his previous assignments, he has worked on issues regarding United Nations, Africa and the Arthashastra. He has been associated with the indigenous knowledge project at MP-IDSA as well as project Udbhav at the United Service Institution of India. His current projects at the MP-IDSA are on Latin America as well as Indian indigenous knowledge, respectively from the perspectives of Defence Economics and Strategy.

Dr Sima Saigal

Dr. Sima Saigal is an Associate Professor -NERIE (North East Regional Institute of Education)- NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training)

Dr. Sima Saigal
Associate Professor -NERIE (North East Regional Institute of Education)- NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training)
I have been working in NERIE-NCERT for almost 19 years now. As NCERT is the apex body of school education in the country, I have been involved in Research, Development and extension projects throughout my tenure. This includes articles written for supplementary texts (NCERT publications), in-service training of school teachers and teaching assignments for the two-year B.Ed program of our institute. In 2024, I initiated a history blog- www.minion.com, which raises issues pertaining to school education in view of the fast-changing world around us. There is also a section which deals with pedagogical issues for orienting teachers to innovative practices, in tune with the NEP 2020. However, my academic interest is not confined to school education alone and goes beyond.
I also specialize in modern and contemporary history and am deeply interested on the impact of war and conflict on human society. My book —The Second World War and North East India: Shadows of Yesteryears, was published by Routledge in 2022. A podcast interview on the book (3rd December 2023) with New Books Network-USA, hosted by Ari Barbalat, is also available. A review of the book by Lipokmar Dzuvichu from Jawaharlal Nehru University is available in Economic and Political Weekly, 5th April, 2025, Vol LX No.14. Currently, I am working on another book—The making of contemporary Assamz;1950-1980 (Title is tentative)

Dr Vijay Sakhuja

Dr. Vijay Sakhuja is former Director of the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi and is currently Professor and Head, Center of Excellence for Geopolitics and International Studies, REVA University, Bengaluru. Sakhuja has been a faculty member of several think tanks and universities in India and abroad - Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore; Cambodia Institute of Cooperation and Peace, Cambodia (CICP); Director Research, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi, Research Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), and United Service Institution of India (USI);
A former navy officer, Dr. Vijay Sakhuja received his M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Sakhuja has published over 50 books, edited/co-edited volumes, and monographs on geopolitical, geostrategic and technology issues, maritime security, climate change, Blue Economy, and maritime history. His important works are Asian Maritime Power in the 21st Century: Strategic Transactions - China, India, Southeast Asia; K.M. Panikkar and the Growth of a Maritime Consciousness in India; Nagapattinam to Suvarnadwipa: Reflections on the Chola Naval Expeditions to Southeast Asia; Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies: Maritime and Naval Operations and his most recent publication is Cold War 2.0 and India (2025).

Gautam Hazarika

Gautam Hazarika is Singapore based and after being a banker most of his life, now researches World War II in Southeast Asia. His focus is on lesser-known stories such as the Indian army, the anti-Japanese resistance and war crimes trials, and has spoken about them at museums in Singapore and WWII conferences in the UK. Gautam has been published in Singapore’s Biblioasia and Business Times, India’s www.scroll.in, Hong Kong’s Arts of Asia, the UK’s The Book Collector, Private Library Association and Malayan Volunteer Group (MVG), and the Southeast Asia Library Group. He had also featured in a Channel News Asia documentary on Singapore’s Karikal Mahal. His research has been published by the Researching FEPOW History Group and MVG. The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II, being published by Penguin in the Indian sub-continent and Pen & Sword UK in the Rest of the World in 2025, is his first book.

Gillian Wright

Gillian Wright is a translator and writer based in New Delhi. She has translated two classic novels of Hindi literature, Raag Darbari by Shrilal Shukla and A Village Divided by Rahi Masoom Reza,

Gillian Wright is a translator and writer based in New Delhi. She has translated two classic novels of Hindi literature, Raag Darbari by Shrilal Shukla and A Village Divided by Rahi Masoom Reza, as well as a selection of the acclaimed short stories of Bhisham Sahni. Her other books include Presidential Retreats of India and The Darjeeling Tea Book. She has also worked with her partner Mark Tully on all of his books, co-authoring India in Slow Motion.

Maj Gen Ian Cardozo, AVSM, SM (Retd)

Major General Ian Cardozo was born in Mumbai and studied at St. Xavier’s School and College. He joined the Joint Services Wing at Clement Town, Dehradun in July 1954, which

Major General Ian Cardozo was born in Mumbai and studied at St. Xavier’s School and College. He joined the Joint Services Wing at Clement Town, Dehradun in July 1954, which transferred to Khadakvasla, Pune in January 1955 and became the National Defence Academy. Here he was the first cadet to win both the gold medal for being the best all round cadet and the silver medal for being first in order of merit.
He was commissioned at the Indian Military Academy into the 1st Battalion the 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) where he received his basic grounding as a young officer. He thereafter took part in the Sino-Indian war of 1962, the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Wounded in the battle of Sylhet in Bangladesh, he overcame the disability of losing a leg and became the first disabled officer of the Indian Army to be approved for command of an infantry battalion and brigade. Thereafter, he commanded an Infantry Division and retired from this appointment as Chief of Staff of a Corps in the North East.
On retirement he worked in the area of Disability with an NGO and as Vice President of the War Wounded Foundation before being picked up by the Government of India and appointed as the Chairman of the Rehabilitation Council of India where he worked for nine years.
He has taken up writing as a hobby and his books ‘Param Vir’, ‘The Sinking of INS Khukri’, ‘The Bravest of the Brave – the Indian VCs of World War I’, ‘The Indian Army in World War I 1914-18’ and ‘Lieutenant General Bilimoria – His Life and Times’ have been widely acclaimed.

Julian Farrance

Julian Farrance is a career employee of the National Army Museum, working there since 2000. Initially in the education team, he spent three years in the

Julian Farrance is a career employee of the National Army Museum, working there since 2000. Initially in the education team, he spent three years in the comms team and has worked as the lead for the Museum’s liaison with the UK’s Regimental and Corps Museums for the last eleven years (with additional responsibility for International partnerships) In this role Julian provides direct support, training, advice and networking administration for the UK’s one hundred and forty five museums.

Kallol Bhattacharjee

Tripura-born Kallol Bhattacherjee grew up in the hills of Northeast India, where he had his first glimpse of India's relentless interaction with the world. In the mid-1990s, on a summer day, he boarded the Kalka Mail from Calcutta (now Kolkata) – a move that eventually led him to the classrooms of the University of Delhi and subsequently to Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he studied political theory, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the history of modern Lebanon. He began his journalistic career writing for Mainstream, Seminar, The Jerusalem Post, The Indian Express and the Iranian News Agency. Over the past two decades, he has worked at The Week and The Hindu, where he is currently a senior assistant editor, reporting and writing on international affairs. Over the years, he has reported from conflict zones around the world, including Libya, Tunisia, Syria and Iraq at the height of the Arab Spring, and from India's neighbourhood. He is the author of The Great Game in Afghanistan: Rajiv Gandhi, General Zia and the Unending War (2017) and A Baloch Militant in Delhi (2018). His social media handle at X/Twitter is @janusmyth, and he can be reached on email at janusmyth@gmail.com.

Adrian Kerrison

A Senior Curator in the Second World War & Mid-Twentieth Century Conflict team at IWM Duxford, Adrian Kerrison has curated several exhibitions including Spitfire: Evolution of an Icon and Hangar

A Senior Curator in the Second World War & Mid-Twentieth Century Conflict team at IWM Duxford, Adrian Kerrison has curated several exhibitions including Spitfire: Evolution of an Icon and Hangar 4: Battle of Britain, and has authored an IWM publication on the Supermarine Spitfire. As an American at Duxford, Adrian is passionate about sharing the stories of the US Army Air Force personnel who served here during the Second World War, and has acquired three significant 78th Fighter Group-related collections for the museum.
Adrian Kerrison will be exploring the role of the USAAF's 78th Fighter Group in 'Operation Overlord'. Flying P-47 Thunderbolts, the 78th Fighter Group flew from Duxford to provide aerial cover for the Allied forces in Normandy.

KS Nair

KS Nair has been writing on the Indian armed forces and military affairs in developing countries for over 20 years, publishing around 100 articles, including in American, British, and Japanese outlets. In 2024, he received the Chief of the Air Staff’s Commendation from the Indian Air Force.
He is the author of three books: Ganesha’s Flyboys (2012) on the IAF in Congo, The Forgotten Few (2019) on the IAF in World War II, and December in Dacca (2022) on India’s military and diplomatic role in the Bangladesh Liberation War, with two more forthcoming. He has also contributed to several other books on Indian military history.
An invited speaker at IAF reunions, international conferences, and podcasts, he has lectured at the Royal Air Force Museum in London. A graduate of IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore, he has held senior leadership roles—including VP, CEO, and Director—across consulting, investment, and development sectors.

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)

Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma was commissioned in Gorkha Rifles in 1977, and had a career spanning forty years in the Army.

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma was commissioned in Gorkha Rifles in 1977, and had a career spanning forty years in the Army. He has had extensive operational experience in Jammu and Kashmir, North East and on the Western Borders. The officer had trained the Botswana Army for three years in Africa, and attended the National War College at Abuja, Nigeria.
He was Research Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and has done PhD in Defence Studies. General Rakesh Sharma commanded the Fire and Fury Corps in Ladakh responsible for Kargil, Siachin Glacier and Eastern Ladakh – facing both Pakistan and China.
The General was the Adjutant General of the Indian Army responsible for the Human Resource Management and superannuated in 2017.He is currently DISTINGUISHED FELLOW with Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) and Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) and on the EXECUTIVE COUNCIL of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and of Global Counter Terrorism Council (GCTC).

Lt Gen (Dr) SK Gadeock, AVSM (Retd)

Lt Gen (Dr) SK Gadeock, AVSM (Retd) was commissioned into the Indian Army on 11 June 1977. He is an alumnus of NDA, Khadakwasla and IMA, Dehradun. Qualified as MSc (Defence Studies), MPhil and Diploma in Senior Level Defence Management and done his Doctorate in Defence & Strategic Studies from University of Madras, Chennai with an Outstanding Grade. During his distinguished military career, he served two Presidents, viz Dr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy & Dr Giani Zail Singh at Rashtrapati Bhawan, was Adjutant of the prestigious NDA. He graduated from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, commanded an Armored Brigade notably. He was Logistics Advisor to Botswana Defence Force, at Gaborone, Botswana in Africa, where he established their ‘Defence Logistics Command’. He served in coveted appointments of Operations and Administration in the Armored Divisions of the Indian Army. He was Director in Military Operations Directorate, Brigadier Quartermaster General in a Corps Headquarters in Northeastern Sector, commanded an infantry Division with distinction, was Lieutenant General General Staff (LGGS) in an Operational Command Headquarters. He was specifically selected by the Chief as Commandant, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington in 2014, where he received many national awards. He was decorated with Ati Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India; two Chief of Army Staff Commendation Cards, for his distinguished service & and two Army Commanders Commendation Cards for contribution in operational & logistics. Defence Services Staff College was conferred with coveted Golden Peacock Training Award 2016 at Dubai and 'Special Commendation' for Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2016 by Institute of Directors, New Delhi. The Hon’ble President of India presented the ‘Presidents Colors’ to DSSC on 09 September 2016, all under his stewardship as the Commandant, for holistic transformation of the Staff College. A scholar par excellence, leading protagonist of leadership, possesses exemplary communication, interpersonal, man-management and oratory skills. The General has pristine reputation for innovative thinking, transcendent reforms and transformation in the Indian Army. Was given ‘Scholar Warrior Badge & Certificate’ by the Army Commander of Indian Army Training Command and won both the ‘Indian Books of Records’ and ‘Limca Book of Records’ for conducting the biggest ‘Nilgiris Eco Trail Run’ towards Conservation of Ecosystem & Biodiversity in the Nilgiris. Awarded ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award 2016 for his contribution to the Armed Forces, Society and Nation building by Rotary District 3201, Rajiv Gandhi Gold Medal Award, associated with Academic Council of Madras University, on the Board of Governors of Good Shepherd International School. At London, he was bestowed with the ‘Distinguished Fellowship Award’ 2016, by Institute of Directors. He is serving at Amity University as DG Amity Institute of Defence & Strategic Studies (AIDSS), DG Amity Centre for Defence & Strategic Analysis (ACDSA), Vice President Science Technology Innovation Foundation (ASTIF), Vice Chairman Amity Institute of Defence Technology (AIDT) and Commandant, Amity Institute of Education & Training (AIET). Innovatively created the Amity ‘Think Tank’ of Defence & Strategic Studies as a global research forum and initiated the PhD, MA and BA (H) Degree programmes in Defence & Strategic Studies. Member of Governing Council ‘Raisina House’, Distinguished Member of Society for Aerospace & Maritime Defence Studies (SAMDeS), Distinguished Fellow with Forum for Global Studies (FGS) and Senior Advisor Indus International Research Foundation (IIRF). He is an environmentalist, philanthropist, accomplished ‘transformational’ leader, defence analyst and global strategist. He has published numerous professional articles in various journals of institutions in his illustrious military career and after retirement. He is incisive in his strategic insight and understanding of internal and external security issues, including emerging international dynamics. He is an exceptional motivational speaker par excellence.

Lt Gen (Dr) TS Shergill, PVSM, PhD (Retd)

Lt Gen T S ‘Maun’ Shergill received his early education at the Lawrence School, Sanawar. He entered the National Defence Academy in 1960 first in order of merit in the Army, Navy and Air Force and three years later, was awarded the President’s Gold Medal for standing first in his course. He was commissioned into the Deccan Horse in 1964, a Regiment that he later also commanded.
He served in the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971; Commanded an Infantry Division on the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir and a Corps in the North East, both during counter insurgency. He was Commandant of the Indian Military Academy where he instituted `The Code of the Warrior.’ He was Mentioned in Dispatches for Gallantry in 1965, for leading two tank troops across the Khem Karan Distributary in a successful” forlorn Hope” mission; and was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, in 2002.
The General is a graduate of the United States Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, USA, with a Master of Military Art and Science a ‘master’s degree; in addition, he is MSc from the University of Madras and PhD from University of Petroleum and Energy Sciences, Dehradun. As a diplomat he has been Military and Defence Attaché in the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, and was also, accredited to Canada.
After retirement he was appointed Chairman, Punjab Public Service Commission and in 2017, Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister, Punjab, with Cabinet rank. In 2017, he brought into being the ‘Guardians of Governance’ (GoG), a body of 4500 ex-servicemen that monitored government schemes, carried out surveys and engaged in social service in the 13006 villages of Punjab through a seamless IT network linked to the government at all levels including the Chief Minister’s office.

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd)

DG CLAWS

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd) was commissioned into the ‘NINTH BN OF THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY REGIMENT’ in Dec 81.

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd) was commissioned into the ‘NINTH BN OF THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY REGIMENT’ in Dec 81. He is an alumnus of NDC, DSSC, CDM and Naval Post Graduate School California, USA. He has attended the Regional Defence Counter Terrorism Programme with specialization in Terrorist Operations and Financing in US. He has served in varied terrains and theatre of operations, in India and in the UN as Military Observer. He has been an instructor of Human Resource Development in College of Defence Management, Secunderabad. The General Officer has commanded an Infantry Battalion, Brigade, and a Division in Jammu and Kashmir. He also holds the distinction of having served twice in the elite National Security Guards, as the Deputy Inspector General (Operations) and the Inspector General (Operations).
The General Officer has also held the appointment of Brigadier General Staff of a Corps in the East and Chief of Staff, Eastern Command. The General Officer commanded a Corps and thereafter headed the Army War College. For his distinguished services, the General Officer has been awarded ‘Ati Vishisht Seva Medal’ and ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medal’. Besides contributing regularly in various defence journals and newspapers, he has also written chapters in three books namely, Understanding Suicide Terrorism (chapter on Deterring Terrorism)”, “Countering Terrorism: Psychological Strategies (Chapter on Impact of Virtual world in Creation and Sustenance of Terrorism)”, by Sage Publication and Chapter in “Life and War Strategies of Maharana Pratap”.
His book on “Grey Zone Warfare Way Ahead for India” was recently published and is quite popular in the strategic community. In addition, he has chapters in many other books and journals on strategic affairs. He was, Vice Chairman of STRIVE India Think Tank and Prof Emeritus Rashtriya Raksha University and institution of national importance working under the overall supervision of MHA.

Lt Gen Ghanshyam Singh Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)

Lieutenant General Ghanshyam Singh Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), is an infantry officer who is an alumnus of the DSSC Wellington, the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College.

Lieutenant General Ghanshyam Singh Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), is an infantry officer who is an alumnus of the DSSC Wellington, the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College. He has held a number of prestigious Command and Staff appointments. He has a Bachelor’s degree from JNU, New Delhi, two Master's Degrees, one in Defence & Strategic Studies from Madras University and the other in Defence Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, USA and an M.Phil degree in Defence & Strategic Studies from Devi Ahilyabai University, Indore. He has commanded an Infantry Battalion on the Line of Control. A Brigade in Counterinsurgency in the Kashmir Valley, a Division on the LAC, and a Corps in the Desert Sector of Rajasthan/Gujarat. He retired in March 2016 from the Indian Army as the Director General, Perspective Planning, after nearly 40 years of Service. Post retirement, he was the founding Director of the Centre for Anti-Terrorism Studies at the National Security Guard, Manesar and later Distinguished Fellow and Head Editorial Team, the United Service Institution of India. He is presently a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi. He has written a large number of articles and papers for various defence publications and has published three books, and is presently writing a fourth book on General Zorawar Singh. He has had the experience of visiting a number of Defence establishments in the USA, Germany, Belgium, Egypt, Myanmar, Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Lt Gen Satish Dua, PVSM, UYSM, SM, VSM (Retd)

Lieutenant General Satish Dua, PVSM, UYSM, SM, VSM, retired as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff in 2018. In response to the terror attack at Uri, Kashmir, in 2016, he planned and executed the surgical strikes as Corps Commander in Srinagar. A counter-terrorism specialist from 8 JAKLI (Siachen), he has operated extensively in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast during his four decades of service. As Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, he steered the construction of the National War Memorial. He has also served as a Commando Instructor, and India's Defence Attaché in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Lt Gen Vipul Shinghal, AVSM, SM

Lieutenant General Vipul Shinghal, a second generation army officer is an alumnus of the Doon School, Dehradun & National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in Dec 1988. Recognised for his strategic foresight and keen ability for thinking out of the box, he steered critical transformation initiatives during his tenure in the Perspective Planning Directorate. The General has an abiding interest in leadership development and has mentored both cadets and officers at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, School of Armoured Warfare, Ahmednagar and the National Defence College, Delhi. An expert in Mechanised Warfare, he has commanded an Independent Armoured Brigade, an Armoured Division and a Strike Corps in the Desert Sector. In his current assignment as Deputy Chief in the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters, he plays a key role in the ongoing initiatives of ‘Jointness, Integration and Transformation of the Indian Armed Forces’. Academically accomplished he holds two M.Phil degrees in Defence and Strategic studies and is pursuing a PhD from Madras University. For his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Sena Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

Maj Gen (Dr) AK Bardalai (Retd)

Major General (Dr) AK Bardalai, commissioned into the Indian Army on 11 June 1977, is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (India) and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (India).

Major General (Dr) AK Bardalai, commissioned into the Indian Army on 11 June 1977, is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (India) and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (India). General Bardalai served in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peacekeeping Force, commanded an infantry battalion in Siachen Glacier, an infantry brigade, an infantry division and was the Commandant of the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan from October 2011 to January 2014. Earlier, he served as a UN Military Observer in Angola, and the Deputy Head of the Mission and Deputy Force Commander in UNIFIL (Lebanon) from March 2008 to March 2010. Post-retirement from the army on 30th April 2014, he is actively engaged with the academic study of UN Peace Operations and is a Distinguished Fellow of USI of India. He holds a PhD in UN Peace Operations from Tilburg University (the Netherlands) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Joseph Soeters and Prof. Dr. Patricia M. Shields. The GCSP-EPON report on the study of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO), of which the General was part of the three-member team, was presented to the UNHQs on 31 May 2024.

Maj Gen (Dr) Pawan Anand, AVSM (Retd)

Director, USI-CETANB

Maj Gen (Dr) Pawan Anand, AVSM (Retd), was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers and was awarded the President’s Gold Medal at the National Defence Academy for being First in Order of Merit,

Maj Gen (Dr) Pawan Anand, AVSM (Retd), was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers and was awarded the President’s Gold Medal at the National Defence Academy for being First in Order of Merit, and later the Sword of Honour at the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
In an illustrious career, Gen Anand commanded an Armoured Engineer Regiment, an Engineer Brigade in a Strike Corps, and was Chief Engineer of South Western Command. During the Kargil War he controlled operations as Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade on the LC, and later was Col Adm in a Counter Insurgency Force. He has been an instructor at the IMA, and College of Military Engineering. He was selected for all apex level courses of the military including DSSC, HDMC and the NDC, and represented India in several delegations and cooperation conferences abroad. He has also held three appointments dealing with acquisitions and procurement. He has been awarded twice by the army and by President of India for his distinguished service
Gen Anand is a qualified Mechanical Engineer, Masters in Strategic Studies, and a Doctorate. After superannuating from the army, he was Secretary General of Highway Operators Association in the private sector. He is currently
• Director USI Centre for Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Technologies, at the USI of India looking at the intersection of Geopolitics/Geostrategy and Emerging Technologies (having recently pioneered its Cyber Centre of Excellence, and AI initiative), and Defence Industry. The Centre is currently conducting a study for the National Security Council Secretariat;
• a PhD Guide for Strategic Studies (Professor, University of Madras) and Mentor for Strategic Gaming Exercises at the National Defence College;
• an empanelled arbitrator with Delhi International Arbitration Council in the Bureaucrat Category.
• and a strategic advisor with corporate entities.
He has a number of publications to his credit and is a regular speaker at various national and international events on Geopolitics/Geostrategy, AI and Cybersecurity.

Maj Gen (Dr) SB Asthana, SM, VSM (Retd)

Director, Courses, USI

Globally acknowledged Strategic and Security Analyst, Ph.D. from JNU, has authored over 450 publications. Veteran Infantry General with 45 years of experience at national and varied international fields and United Nations. Former Director General Infantry in Indian Army.
Director Courses, USI of India, the oldest think tank of India, conducting largest online & correspondence courses for Indian military officers since last 10 years. TV commentator having participated in over 4000 TV shows globally. Speaker in various Strategic, Military forums, UN Organisations, Think tanks and Universities, globally. Interviewed by various National and International news channels/ newspapers/ organisations on strategic, military and UN related subjects.
Currently On Governing/Security Council Confederation of Education Excellence CEE, International Organisation of Education Development (IOED). On Advisory Board of Global Advisors Consultants Corporation, IOED representative in UN Headquarters, Vienna, Austria. Distinguished Expert, Bharat Centre of Canada. Advisor Amity University, Bharat Media LLC, USA and Foreign Policy Research Centre, India. Member Norway based UN organization-Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network (EPON). Former member Expert Group Challenges Forum, Sweden.
Awarded twice by President of India, twice by UN, CEE excellence award for Nation building by Governor of Haryana. Awarded for “International Diplomacy and Global Conflict Resolutions” by IOED twice, a Consultative body for ECOSOC and International Police Commission – IPC India, by former Prime Minister of Moldova.
Reachable at Facebook, LinkedIn, as Shashi Asthana, @asthana_shashi on twitter, and personnel site https://asthanawrites.org/ email shashiasthana29@gmail.com LinkedIn Profile www.linkedin.com/in/shashi-asthana-4b3801a6 My Youtube link
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl50YRTBrOCVIxDtHfhvQDQ?view_as=subscriber

Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh, VSM (Retd)

Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh, VSM (Retd) was commissioned into the 18 Cavalry in December 1981, a Regiment he later had the honour of commanding. A second-generation officer, he is an alumnus of The Doon School, Dehradun, and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi.

Major General Jagatbir Singh, VSM (Retd) was commissioned into the 18 Cavalry in December 1981, a Regiment he later had the honour of commanding. A second-generation officer, he is an alumnus of The Doon School, Dehradun, and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Over a distinguished career spanning 38 years in the Indian Army, he held numerous command, staff, and instructional appointments, serving in diverse terrains across the country. He commanded an Armoured Brigade in the Desert Sector where he oversaw its conversion to Arjun tanks as also commanded the prestigious First Armourd Division.
Major General Singh served as a United Nations Military Observer in Iraq and Kuwait during the period between the two Gulf Wars. He was Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade actively involved in Counter Insurgency operations in the North East, worked in the Military Secretary’s Branch at Army Headquarters. Additionally, he served as Director of Tri-Services Institutes at the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff. As an Instructor, he made significant contributions to military education. He served two tenures at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, first as an Instructor and later as a Senior Instructor, and was also a Platoon Commander at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. In February 2018, he retired as the Director General of Resettlement, Ministry of Defence, where he played a vital role in the welfare and resettlement of Ex-Servicemen. A prolific writer on defence and national security issues, Major General Singh is also a skilled public speaker, sharing his insights on matters of strategic importance with diverse audiences. He has co-authored Armour 71 and also edited Honour & Valour.

Maj Gen RS Yadav, VSM (Retd)

Director, USI-CS3

Major General Rajendra Singh Yadav, VSM (Retd), is a President's Awardee from the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the coveted Rajputana Rifles Regiment of Infantry. He superannuated on 31 Dec 2017 after 38 years of glorious service to the Nation and the Indian Army. The General Officer has had an excellent and unique academic track record. Starting with the award of National Senior Science Talent Search Scholarship by NCERT in School, he topped in all Civil Academic courses up to M Sc and M.Phil, and also stood first in all Army Courses. The General Officer commanded an Infantry Division, and served on all active borders with Pakistan and China, and even has rich operational experience of counter terrorist operations in J&K and North East. The General was awarded the Vishist Seva Medal by the President of India for his exceptional services during counter terrorist operations. The General also served as Defence Attache of India in Indian Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Yemen, and has rich experience of military diplomacy and international relations. Post retirement, the General has been the Vice Chancellor of a University. During this period, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Confederation of Indian Universities & Association of International Educators for World Peace (a UN Affiliate) for contributions to higher education, didactical planning & administration and educational research & development. The General Officer is a keen Sportsman, and is also into a lot of Adventure Activities like Sky Diving, Scuba Diving, Para Sailing, Hot Air Ballooning and Bungee Jumping. A keen traveller and trekker, he has toured the entire length and breadth of India many times over, and has already visited 31 countries. He is a prolific writer on strategic issues, and specialises in Net assessment, Scenario Building, Strategic Gaming, Geo-strategic Assessments and International Affairs. He has attended several international conferences abroad. International Affairs. He has attended several international conferences abroad.

Maj Gen Sanjeev Chowdhry (Retd)

Director, Editorial, USI

Maj Gen Sanjeev Chowdhry (Retd) served with distinction in the Indian Army for over 37 years (1984–2021), primarily in the Regiment of Artillery. His career included key command and staff appointments in operational and strategic domains. He served as an instructor at the Special Frontier Force Academy and Defence Services Staff College, and was also a UN Military Observer in Sierra Leone. His final appointment was as Additional Director General Movements, overseeing the tri-service movement of troops and logistics by rail, air, and sea.
Post-retirement, he resides in Noida and is actively engaged in civil society initiatives. A certified Career Counsellor, he guides students, graduates, and professionals, and mentors youth from economically weaker sections. He also serves as a competency assessor for corporate employees. Currently completing his Soft Skills Training certification, he aims to contribute further in capacity building and personal development.
Maj Gen Chowdhry is the Director Editorial at the United Service Institution of India (USI), New Delhi, a premier strategic think tank established in 1870. An avid photographer, philatelist, and numismatist, he sees this phase of life as “give-back time,” focused on sharing his knowledge, experience, and values with the next generation.

Maj Navdeep Singh

Major Navdeep Singh is a practicing advocate in the Punjab & Haryana High Court. He is the founder president of the Armed Forces Tribunal Bar Association at Chandigarh. He is a member of the International Society for Military Law and the Law of War at Brussels and writes extensively on military, legal and public policy issues. He is actively engaged in global efforts towards reforms in Military Justice.
Navdeep has been a national service volunteer-reservist with the Territorial Army in the past. The Territorial Army is a unique force of volunteers who, while carrying on with their civil vocations, wear uniform for a few days in a year during their spare time in peace so that they can bear arms for the nation’s defence during war and national emergencies. He has voluntarily served in counter-insurgency and operational areas during High Court vacations and has been decorated with a record number of eleven Commendations from the Army, Air Force and also a Tri-Services Institution.
Besides constitutional law and civil & military service matters, he has enthusiastically worked in the fields of rights of disabled soldiers, military widows & kin and also for military and civil pensioners. He has also worked for the welfare of World War II veterans and for protection of rights, privileges and status of the military community. He strongly advocates judicial independence and freeing of Tribunals and quasi-judicial bodies from the tacit control of the executive.

Maj VV Narayanan

Major Narayanan is a highly decorated military officer, scholar, and accomplished speaker. He served as the Commander of the strategically vital Nathula Pass on the Indo-China border, leading high-risk commando operations under extreme sub-zero conditions. An alumnus of the Officers Training Academy, he was commissioned into the Swift Seventeenth Battalion of the Jat Regiment, famously called the “Mashkow Warriors” for their valor in the Kargil conflict. In May 1999, his unit captured Point 4875 after fierce hand-to-hand combat, a decisive achievement that paved the way for the capture of Tiger Hill, commemorated annually on Kargil Vijay Diwas (July 26).
He holds a Master’s degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s in Vaishnavism from Madras University and was honored as “Mr. Madras” by the then Chief Minister, Dr. M.G.R. A versatile athlete, he represented India in the South Asian Federation Games in the traditional martial art of Silambam.
Major Narayanan is also a founding member of several Toastmasters International clubs and the Professional Speakers Association of India. Currently, he serves as President of Hypnotique Circle, India’s oldest hypnosis forum, blending leadership, discipline, and communication expertise.

Mukund Padmanabhan

Mukund Padmanabhan is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Krea University, north of Chennai. He has been teaching there since 2019. For most of his working life, he has been a journalist, ending his career as the Editor of The Hindu. Prior to that, he was the Editor of The Hindu BusinessLine.Among the publications he has worked for are The Hindu, The Indian Express in Chennai and Sunday magazine in Calcutta.
Mukund has written extensively on politics, legal affairs and literature during his time as a journalist.
Mukund worked briefly as a lecturer in Hindu College, Delhi University, before turning to journalism. He was also an Adjunct Faculty at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, where he taught law and advanced writing to post-graduate students.
The Great Flap of 1942 is his first book.

Nilova Roy Chaudhury

Nilova Roy Chaudhury is a senior journalist, editor, and analyst specializing in Indian foreign policy and strategic affairs. She is Consulting Editor with India News Stream and has held editorial leadership roles at India Review & Analysis, South Asia Monitor, and India Strategic. She founded and edited the Indian Review of Global Affairs (IRGAmag), later integrated into Symbiosis International University’s School of International Studies, where she is Visiting Faculty.
She has written for publications in India and abroad, contributed as Consulting Editor to India and Global Affairs and Russia India Report, and represented India at the World Journalists Forum in Seoul. Her early career included reporting for The Washington Post, Associated Press, Yomiuri Shimbun, The Statesman, Hindustan Times, and Sakaal Times.
Passionate about education, women’s empowerment, cleanliness, and animal rights, Ms Roy Chaudhury combines decades of experience with a commitment to social causes. She is a widow and mother to her son, Nilashish, a legal reporter with Times Now.

Phil Craig

Phil Craig is a bestselling author and multiple-award-winning film-maker.
A former RAF cadet pilot, he studied history at CambridgeUniversity, was a BBC graduate trainee and built his career working for iconic British TV series World in Action and Panorama.
Later he held senior positions at the prestigious Brook Lapping production company, at the Discovery Channel and at ABC Television in Australia where he ran the entire factual output including its high-profile ANZAC centenary project. Throughout his TV and writing career, Phil has spent many years researching and reinterpreting the story of Britain and its Empire during the Second World War, including his definitive and bestselling account of 1940 – Finest Hour.
He also hosts The Scandal Mongers Podcast.

Prof Aditya Mukherjee

Professor Aditya Mukherjee is a distinguished historian known for his extensive work on modern and contemporary Indian history, particularly the political economy of colonialism and post-colonial development. He served at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, for over four decades, where he taught at the Centre for Historical Studies and held numerous leadership positions. He retired in 2018 but remains active in academic and public discourse.
Professor Mukherjee completed his early education at St. Xavier’s School, Delhi, and went on to study economics at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi. He later shifted his academic focus to history, earning an M.A. in Modern History from JNU. His exceptional performance at the M.Phil. level, securing the highest possible grade, led to a direct promotion to the Ph.D. program, which he completed at the same university.
Throughout his academic career, Professor Mukherjee took on several administrative roles. He served as the Chairperson of the Centre for Historical Studies (2004–2006), Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Study (2006–2012), Dean of the School of Social Sciences (2013–2015), and Director of the Academic Staff College (1997–2004). He was also appointed Editor of the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru and was a member of the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) from 2009 to 2015.
His research focuses on the development of Indian capitalism, the impact of imperialism, and the ideological currents shaping post-independence India. His widely read books include India’s Struggle for Independence and India After Independence (both co-authored), Imperialism, Nationalism and the Making of the Indian Capitalist Class 1927–1947, and RSS, School Texts and The Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: The Hindu Communal Project. He has also edited and contributed to major volumes such as A Centenary History of the Indian National Congress, 1964–1984.
Professor Mukherjee has published over 50 scholarly articles and delivered more than 75 lectures and seminars around the world. He has held visiting positions and fellowships at international institutions, including Duke University (USA), the University of Tokyo (Japan), Lancaster University (UK), and the Institute of Advanced Study in Nantes (France) and São Paulo (Brazil). He has also served on editorial boards such as those of International Review of Sociology, International Journal of Asian Studies, and Studies in People’s History. In recognition of his scholarly contributions, he was elected General President of the Indian History Congress for the term 2023–2024.

Prof Anirudh Deshpande

Anirudh Deshpande is Professor of Modern History, Department of History, Delhi University. He has been a Teen Murti Fellow (2001-2005), ICCR Guest Professor at the Vienna University, Austria (2014-15), Visiting Professor at the NBU Siliguri (November 2015) and History Department AMU (2017).
He has authored the following books:
The British Raj and its Indian Armed Forces, 1857 – 1939, OUP, 2002.
British Military Policy in India 1900-1945: colonial constraints and declining power, Manohar Publishers, 2005.
Class, power and consciousness in Indian cinema and television, Primus Books, 2009.
The First Line of Defence-Glorious 50 Years of the Border Security Force, BSF, Shipra Publications, 2015.
Hope and Despair: Mutiny, Rebellion and Death in India, 1946, Primus Books, 2016.
Dreamt Lives (a novel), Solar Books, 2018.
The Practice of History: Essays in Search of a New Past, Aakar Books & Routledge, 2020.
The Rise and Fall of a Brown Water Navy: Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre and Maratha Seapower on the Arabian Sea in the 17th and 18th Centuries, Aakar Books, 2021.
Aitihasik Nausainik Vidroh 1946 Aur Bharatiya Jan Andolan, Aakar Books, New Delhi, 2022.
Bisween Sadi Mein Vishwa Itihaas Ke Pramukh Mudde: Badalte Ayam Aur Dishayen (edited), Aakar Books, New Delhi, 2021 (First edition printed in 2011).
Social Science Perspectives and Indian Cinema, Aakar Books, 2023.
Since 1992 he has published regularly in the EPW, IESHR, Studies in History, Social Scientist and The-Inclusive-Online and the Gordon Martel (ed.) Encyclopaedia of War (2011) and David Ludden (ed.) Oxford Online Research Encyclopaedia (2019). In 2015 he wrote the introduction to Govind Pansare’s Who Was Shivaji (Left-Word Books). He is an Associate Editor of the online social science journal Inclusive published from Kolkata and the Helion Books, London.

Prof Arupjyoti Saikia

Arupjyoti Saikia is a professor of history at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. He held the Agrarian Studies Programme Fellowship at Yale University and visiting fellow positions at Cambridge University and School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Saikia is the author of Forests and Ecological History of Assam, 1826-2000 (OUP, 2011), A Century of Protests: Peasant Politics in Assam since 1900 (Rutledge, 2014) and The Unquiet River: A Biography of the Brahmaputra (OUP, 2019). His A Century of Protests won the Srikant Dutt book prize awarded by the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi in 2015. The Unquiet River was short-listed for Kamala Devi Chattopadhayay Book Award in 2020 and long listed for Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize in 2020 and got ‘Honorable Mention’ for Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Book Prize in 2021 given by the Association of Asian Studies.

Prof Indivar Kamtekar

Indivar Kamtekar is a Visiting Professor at Ashoka University in India. For most of his career, he taught modern history at the Centre for Historical Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Among other places, he has taught at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta; the National University of Singapore; and the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. In Germany, he has been a visiting professor at the University of Goettingen and Heidelberg University. The focus of his research is British colonial state power. Beginning with his PhD at Cambridge University, some of his writings have emphasized the multifaceted transformations during the 1940s because of the Second World War, Independence, and the Partition of India. He has been a member of the editorial board of the journals Modern Asian Studies and has edited the journal Studies in History.

Prof Rajeev Bhargava

Renowned political theorist and former director of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi Prof Rajeev Bhargava is currently an honorary fellow at the Centre and the director of its Parekh Institute of Indian Thought. He has taught at the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University (Delhi) and has lectured, taught and held visiting professorships at several international universities.
Prof Bhargava’s work on individualism and secularism is internationally acclaimed. His publications include Individualism in Social Science (1992), What Is Political Theory and Why Do We Need It? (2010) and The Promise of India’s Secular Democracy (2010). His edited works include Secularism and Its Critics (1998), Politics and Ethics of the Indian Constitution (2008) and Politics, Ethics and the Self: Re-reading Hind Swaraj (2022), Bridging Two Worlds: Comparing Classical Political Thought and Statecraft in India and China (2023)

Pushpa Kurup

Over four decades in HR & Corporate Training, Marketing and Administration, with extensive exposure to the Insurance industry and the Information Technology industry, in the private as well as public sector.

Professional Profile
Over four decades in HR & Corporate Training, Marketing and Administration, with extensive exposure to the Insurance industry and the Information Technology industry, in the private as well as public sector. Currently handling consulting assignments, and specializing in Prevention of Workplace Sexual Harassment.
2003-2019: Headed the Indian branch of Vitalect Technologies, a California based e-learning company, first as Director from 2003 and MD from 2008 to 2019. 1998-2003: Faculty Member (Soft-skills & Foreign Languages Coordinator), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Global Learning Centre, Trivandrum. 1981-1998: Manager in Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), direct recruit Class I Officer. First woman Branch Manager in South India.

Academic Credentials
Masters’ in Public Administration, University of Madras, Presidency College. University Second Rank. Bachelor’s in Chemistry, University of Madras, Stella Maris College. PG Diploma in Business Administration (PGDBA) from All-India Institute of Management Studies, Madras.

Literary Pursuits
‘Malabar, Mysore and a Tale of Two Sultans’, Occam (BluOne Ink), 2024. ‘Gods Dancing Among Men – the Mystical World of Theyyams of North Malabar’, Occam
(BluOne Ink), 2023. ‘Power Women – A Journey Through Hindu Mythology, Folklore and History’, Bloomsbury, 2021. ‘Snow and Salt Water & Other Animal Stories’, Emerald Publishers, 2019. ‘Stars and Saplings - A Biography of Dr. G Viswanathan’, VIT University, 2013.
(Authorized biography of the founder-Chancellor).

Rajeev Bhattacharyya

Rajeev Bhattacharya is a senior journalist in Assam in India’s northeast. He has worked with The Telegraph, The Indian Express, The Times of India and Times Now, and was the managing editor of Seven Sisters Post. He is a Chevening Fellow and author of “ULFA: The Mirage of Dawn” (2023), “Rendezvous With Rebels: Journey to Meet India’s Most Wanted Men” (2014 ), “Lens & The Guerrilla: Insurgency in India’s Northeast” (2012), and Paresh Baruahr Sandhanot ( 2013 and in Assamese). He reports on India’s northeast and its border regions with Myanmar, Bhutan, China and Bangladesh.

Sqn Ldr Rana Chhina, MBE (Retd)

Director, CMHCS, USI

Squadron Leader Rana TS Chhina served in the Indian Air Force as a helicopter pilot. He is currently Director of the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies (CMHCS).

Squadron Leader Rana TS Chhina served in the Indian Air Force as a helicopter pilot. He is currently Director of the Centre for Military History and Conflict Studies (CMHCS). The author of a number of books, he was Vice President of the Indian Military Historical Society (2004-2020), and a member of the Government of India’s Archival Advisory Board. He is a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
Independent Advisory Panel and is actively engaged in promoting the preservation of India’s rich tangible and intangible military heritage. A recipient of the Macgregor Medal for best military reconnaissance, he was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2016 and an Officer of the Belgian Order of Leopold in 2018.

Rana Safvi

Rana Safvi is a historian, writer, translator, and cultural commentator known for her work on India’s heritage, especially the syncretic Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb. She holds a master’s degree in medieval history from Aligarh Muslim University and has authored several acclaimed books, including the Delhi Trilogy and translations of Urdu classics like Asar-us-Sanadid and Dastan-e-Ghadar. Her writings blend storytelling with deep historical insight.
Her latest book is a historical novel set in 1857 Delhi, A Firestorm in Paradise: A Novel on the 1857 Uprising

Sam Dalrymple

Sam Dalrymple is a Delhi-raised Scottish historian, film-maker and multimedia producer. He graduated from Oxford University as a Persian and Sanskrit scholar. In 2018, he co-founded Project Dastaan

Sam Dalrymple is a Delhi-raised Scottish historian, film-maker and multimedia producer. He graduated from Oxford University as a Persian and Sanskrit scholar. In 2018, he co-founded Project Dastaan, a peace-building initiative that reconnects refugees displaced by the 1947 Partition of India. His debut film, Child of Empire, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022 and his animated series, Lost Migrations, sold out at the British Film Institute the same year. His work has been published in the New York Times, Spectator and featured in TIME, The New Yorker and The Economist. He is a columnist for Architectural Digest and, in 2025, Travel & Leisure named him ‘Champion of the Travel Narrative'. Shattered Lands is his first book.

Shivani Dasmahapatra

Shivani Dasmahapatra is a public policy and communications specialist. Her professional experience of three decades is diverse and ranges from consulting members of Parliament, corporate enterprises, and non-profit organizations to journalism, photography, editing and social media management. Born into a family with three generations in the Indian Army, she has a deep interest in Indian military history. Currently, as founder trustee of Lest We Forget India Foundation, she provides crucial support to the families of Indian Armed Forces personnel. Through the foundation’s social media presence, she chronicles India’s military history through stories of service and sacrifice of India’s soldiers and keeps their legacy alive. Shivani is a seasoned writer and editor, having worked with India Today, Encyclopedia Britannica and numerous national publications. She also provides expertise in communications strategy, content development and knowledge product creation to corporates and various organizations. A passionate advocate, Shivani volunteers for social causes, particularly those focused on child education, women empowerment and animal protection, and is a patron of the Foundation for Media Professionals. Photography remains Shivani’s foremost passion. She continuously explores new techniques and delves into innovative methods to transform her photographs into artworks. On the rare occasion that you catch her outside of work, it will be undertaking farming in the Himalayan hills in north India or trekking with her family and pet Basset Hound.

Ushinor Majumdar

Ushinor Majumdar is an award-winning investigative reporter and author, based in India. He has worked as a staff writer for publications such as Outlook, Tehelka, Confluence Media and Hindustan Times.
As a freelancer, his reports have appeared in the Times Group publications, Network 18, OCCRP and the Caravan, and he worked as a consulting producer with the BBC. He works as a researcher and writer for documentaries and films (fiction and nonfiction) and has also been interviewed for documentaries based on his work. His screen adaptation of the book Black Warrant was made into a Netflix series, and there are other similar works currently in various stages of production.
Ushinor conducts workshops for journalists and writers and mentors them, and volunteers with press freedom bodies. He has taught investigative journalism at a private university.
Ushinor is the author of God of Sin (Penguin, 2018) and India's Secret War (Penguin, 2023).

VAdm (Dr) AK Chawla, PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC, PhD (Retd)

Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla joined the National Defence Academy in Jan 1978. Commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1982, he specialised in Navigation and Direction in 1988 and subsequently navigated two of the Navy’s frontline frigates. His five sea commands included Coast Guard Ship C-01 in 1986-87, INS Vinash (which he commissioned) from 1992-94, INS Kora from 2001- 02, INS Tabar from 2006-07, and INS Viraat from 2008 to 2010. His ashore and staff appointments include a stint as an instructor at the National Defence Academy (1989-90), Dy Director of the Navy’s Centre for Leadership and Behavioural Studies (1997-98), Defence Attaché in the Embassy of India, Jakarta (1998-2001), Senior Instructor (Navy) and HOTT (Navy) at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington (2002-04) and Naval Assistant to CNS (2004-2006). He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in Aug 2010 and was appointed as the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation & Intelligence) followed by Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at Naval Headquarters. As ACNS (P&P), he was responsible for the formulation of the Maritime Capability Perspective Plan 2012-27, the first Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan, the plan for the ‘Re-organisation of the Navy’, promulgation of the Weapon and Sensor Procurement (WASP) Guidelines for the Navy and envisaging the process for ‘IN-DRDO Synergy’, which has now been institutionalized. He commanded the Western Fleet from Aug 2013 to Oct 2014 and oversaw the integration of Vikramaditya into the IN’s concept of operations. On promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, he took over as the Director General of Naval Operations on 31 Dec 2014. He took over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command, Kochi, on 31 Jul 18. Vice Admiral Chawla was conferred the Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 Jan 13 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 Jan 2015 for distinguished service. He was conferred with the honorary title of Aide-De-Camp to the President of India on 01 Dec 2019. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Medal for distinguished service of the highest order on 26 Jan 2020.

VAdm Pradeep Chauhan, AVSM & Bar, VSM (Retd)

DG, National Maritime Foundation

An alumnus of the NDA, the DSSC, the NWC, and the NDC, with BSc, MSc and MPhil degrees under his belt, Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, AVSM & Bar, VSM, is currently the DG of the NMF, New Delhi

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College, the Naval War College, and the National Defence College, with BSc, MSc and MPhil degrees under his belt, Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, AVSM & Bar, VSM, is currently the Director-General of the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi, which is India’s foremost resource centre for the development and advocacy of strategies for the promotion and protection of India’s maritime interests.
The admiral retired on 30 November 2013 after an illustrious, rich, and varied four-decade-long career in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy. This included a stint in Antarctica, as also a three-year deputation to the Government of Mauritius, where he set up and commanded the Mauritius National Coast Guard. His sea-going service incorporates as many as four command-appointments. After doing the 42nd NDC, he was the Principal Director of National Operations and thereafter went on to command the Indian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier of that period, the Viraat. As a Rear Admiral, he was the Navy’s first Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation & Intelligence), where he conceptualised and executed the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). As a Vice Admiral, he has been Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command; and was, in his last naval appointment before retirement, the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy (Ezhimala). He has been commended three times by the President of India for sustained distinguished service. Not one to rest on past laurels, he has remained active even after retirement and is a much sought-after thought-leader and leadership mentor. Apart from being on the visiting faculty of the higher-command establishments of all three of India’s defence services, as also tri-Service establishments such as the College of Defence Management, Hyderabad and the National Defence College, New Delhi, he has also been advising the government through his interaction with the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Navy), the Ministry of External Affairs, and the National Security Council Secretariat. He is, in addition, a prolific writer with over 95 published professional articles and papers, and, a respected Adviser and Fellow of several important think-tanks.

Vijay Balan

Vijay Balan turned to his passion for story-telling and history after a career in rocket-science and marketing. His evocative book, ‘The Swaraj Spy’, based on six years of research and travel, tells the true story of the secret espionage wing of the Indian National Army (INA) in WW2.

Speakers 2025