Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar AVSM, VSM took charge as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Southern Command) on 01 July 2026. He replaces Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, who moved to the post of Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
Key Developments
- Assumption of command with a Guard of Honour at Headquarters Southern Command.
- Tribute paid to the Bravehearts at the Southern Command War Memorial.
- Emphasis on jointness, indigenous capability development and rapid integration of emerging technologies.
Important Facts about Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar
- Commissioned into the 74 Armoured Regiment in December 1988 after graduating from the National Defence Academy.
- Command experience includes an armoured regiment in an operational area, a strategic independent armoured brigade, an infantry division and a premier strike corps in the Western sector.
- Staff roles: Colonel Military Secretary (Strike Corps), Colonel General Staff (Armoured Division), Brigadier Quartermaster General (Strike Corps), Brigadier General Staff (Operational Command), Additional Director General (Armoured Corps), Director General Territorial Army.
- Operational leadership as GOC of 2 Corps during Operation SINDOOR.
- International exposure: Indian Military Training Team to Bhutan; Defence and Military Attache at the Indian Embassy in Moscow with accreditation to Armenia and Belarus.
- Academic credentials: Post‑graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, College of Defence Management and the National Defence College of India; Masters in Defence & Strategic Studies, Management Studies and M.Phil in Defence & International Relations.
- Awards: