Pune: Southern Command Welcomes New Army Commander as Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar Assumes Office

Pune, 1st July 2026: Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, AVSM, VSM, assumed command as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Southern Command, on Wednesday. He succeeds Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, AVSM, SM, who has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar was commissioned into the 74 Armoured Regiment in December 1988. He has had a distinguished military career spanning more than four decades, holding a wide range of command, staff and instructional appointments across diverse operational and geographical environments. Most recently, he provided decisive leadership and strategic direction as the General Officer Commanding of 2 Corps during Operation SINDOOR.

Over the course of his career, Lieutenant General Pushkar has commanded an Armoured Regiment in an operational area, an Independent Armoured Brigade, an Infantry Division and a premier Strike Corps in the Western Sector.

His key staff appointments include Colonel Military Secretary in a Strike Corps, Colonel General Staff of an Armoured Division in the Western Sector, Brigadier Quartermaster General of a Strike Corps, Brigadier General Staff of an Operational Command, Additional Director General of the Armoured Corps, and Director General of the Territorial Army. He has also served as an instructor at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla.

The Army Commander has represented India internationally as a member of the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan and as the Defence and Military Attaché at the Embassy of India in Moscow, with accreditation to Armenia and Belarus.

A graduate of the National Defence Academy, he is also a postgraduate of the Defence Services Staff College, the College of Defence Management and the National Defence College. His academic qualifications include a Master’s in Defence and Strategic Studies, a Master’s in Management Studies, and an M.Phil. in Defence and International Relations.

For his distinguished service, Lieutenant General Pushkar has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), the Chief of Army Staff Commendation, and three Army Commander’s Commendations.

After assuming command, Lieutenant General Pushkar paid tribute to the nation’s fallen soldiers at the Southern Command War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at the Southern Command Headquarters.

Addressing officers and personnel, he reaffirmed Southern Command’s commitment to maintaining the highest levels of operational readiness across its diverse areas of responsibility. He also emphasised the importance of greater jointness among the armed forces, indigenous capability development, and the rapid integration of emerging technologies to strengthen operational effectiveness.

Expressing confidence in the troops, he said all ranks would continue to uphold the proud traditions of the Indian Army while maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence in service of the nation.