Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS)
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, PVSM, AVSM, NM
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi assumed command as the 26th Chief of Naval Staff on 30 Apr 24. Prior to this appointment, he was the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.
He is an alumnus of Sainik School Rewa, and the prestigious National Defence Academy. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 1985 and specialised in Communication and Electronic Warfare. His command assignments include command of INS Vinash (Missile Vessel), INS Kirch (Missile Corvette), and INS Trishul (Guided Missile Frigate). Whilst in command of INS Kirch, he played a pivotal role during HADR operations after the Tsunami of Dec 2004, for which he received a letter of appreciation from the then President of Sri Lanka.
His other sea-going appointments include Executive Officer of INS Mumbai (Guided Missile Destroyer), Fleet Electronic Warfare Officer, Fleet Communication Officer as also the Fleet Operations Officer (akin to the Chief of Staff to the Fleet Commander) of the Western Fleet. His staff appointments include the Director of Naval Operations (DNO), Principal Director of Network Centric Operations (PDNCO), and Principal Director Naval Plans (PDNP).
After his promotion to the Flag Rank, he was appointed as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans), Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, Commandant of the prestigious Indian Naval Academy, Director General of Naval Operations, Chief of Personnel and the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.
Such diverse range of sea and staff appointments have enabled him to grasp the nuances of plans, operations, personnel and practically every aspect of Indian Navy’s functioning.
The Admiral is a graduate of Defence Service Staff College, Wellington, where he was awarded the Thimmaiya Medal for being the best all-round officer. The Admiral attended the Naval Higher Command Course and Naval Command College at the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, in 2007-08, where he won the Prestigious Robert E. Bateman International Prize.
The Admiral is a recipient of the Param Vishist Seva Medal, Ati Vishist Seva Medal and Nao Sena Medal for devotion to duty.
He is a keen sportsman and avidly follows tennis, badminton, and cricket. The Admiral is a student of International Relations, Military History, and the art and science of Leadership. He is married to Mrs Shashi Tripathi, an artist and homemaker. The couple have a son, Divyam, a practising lawyer, who is married to Tanya, who works in the public health policy domain.
