General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday, December 31, took over as the 28th chief of the army staff, helming the 1.3 million-strong force at a time India faces evolving security challenges such as cross-border terrorism and an assertive Chinese military along the border.
General Naravane, who served as the army's vice chief, succeeds General Bipin Rawat, who has been appointed the country's first chief of defence staff, a post created to bring in operational convergence among the three services.
As army chief, General Naravane's priorities are expected to be to implement long-pending reforms of the army, contain cross-border terrorism in Kashmir and bolster the operational capabilities of the force along the northern border where China has been ramping up its military infrastructure in Tibet.
Before being appointed vice chief, the alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy headed the Indian Army's Eastern Command that takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China.
With General Naravane taking charge, all three services chiefs, including navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh and the Indian Air Force's Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, are now from the 56th course of the National Defence Academy.
In his 37 years of service, General Naravane served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the north east.
The general also commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and an infantry brigade on the eastern front. Besides, he was part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and served as India's defence attache at the Indian embassy in Myanmar for three years.
WATCH: General Mukund Naravane takes charge as India's 28th army chief
He was commissioned into the 7th battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment, in June 1980.
The general is a decorated officer who has been awarded the Sena Medal (Distinguished) for effectively commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir.
He is also a recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal for his services as the inspector general Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for commanding of a prestigious strike corps.
