New Delhi, 1 May

An ace fighter pilot, Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, took over as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) on Thursday.
Air Marshal Dixit was accorded a ceremonial Tri-Service Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns in Delhi today, as he assumed the role of Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.
Prior to taking over as CISC, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command. During his tenure, he focused on enhancing operational readiness and fostering coordination with other services in Uttar Bharat and the Central region.
According to a release, Air Marshal Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on 6 December, 1986. During his distinguished career, spanning nearly four decades, the Air Marshal has held a variety of Command, Staff, and Instructional appointments.
The officer is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College (Bangladesh) and the National Defence College in New Delhi.
The Air Marshal is a Qualified Flying Instructor as well as an Experimental Test Pilot. He has over 3,300 hours of flying experience on more than 20 types of aircraft, including the Mirage-2000, MiG-21 and Jaguar.
The officer commanded a frontline Mirage-2000 Squadron where he oversaw its complete re-equipment and operationalisation, including ferrying new aircraft from France to India in two batches.
He also commanded a premier Fighter Training Base in the Southern Sector, where his leadership led to the base being adjudged the best in the Command. As a test pilot and later Commanding Officer of the Flight Test Squadron at ASTE, Bangalore, he was involved in several indigenous upgrades and development programmes, including the avionics upgrades for the Jaguar and MiG-27 aircraft, thereby contributing to indigenous capability enhancement.
He has held several important appointments, including Principal Director Air Staff Requirements, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects) and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans) at Air Headquarters.
As Director of Air Staff Requirements, he played a key role in planning and conducting the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) trials, which were widely recognised for their professionalism and objectivity. His tenure was marked by extensive interaction with multiple stakeholders, and he was lauded for steering complex procurement processes with precision.
In his capacity as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, he was responsible for capability building and modernisation initiatives of the Indian Air Force, aligning them with the national mission of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. His efforts during the Emergency Procurement process led to the accelerated acquisition of indigenous platforms and systems, besides strengthening long-term planning and joint capability development.
He was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in 2006 for his contributions as Commanding Officer of a Mirage-2000 Squadron. He received the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011 for his outstanding leadership in planning and executing MMRCA trials. In recognition of his distinguished service of an exceptionally high order, he was conferred the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India.