Chief of Materiel
Flag of the Vice Admiral
Incumbent
Kiran Deshmukh
since 1 June 2021
 Indian Navy
TypePrincipal Staff Officer
AbbreviationCOM
Reports toChief of the Naval Staff
SeatNaval Headquarters, New Delhi

The Chief of Materiel (COM) is a senior Indian Navy appointment in the rank of Vice-Admiral. As a Principal Staff Officer (PSO) at Naval Headquarters (NHQ), the COM is responsible for all aspects of maintenance management and life-cycle support of all engineering, electrical, electronic, weapons, sensors, and IT-related systems for ships and submarines, along with responsibility for the creation of major marine and technical infrastructure. The present COM is Vice-Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, who succeeded Vice-Admiral Sandeep Naithani on 1 January 2024.

History

In 1949, the Naval headquarters was reorganised and appointment of Chief of Material (COM) was created. The appointment was held by an officer of the rank of Captain. The COM was to look after the material resources of the service. The Director of Naval engineering, Staff Officer (Dockyard), Director Armament Supply and the Director of Electrical Engineering reported into the COM.[1]

The appointment was filled by the Chief of Administration as an additional charge until the early 1950s. Captain Daya Shankar, DSC was the first Indian to serve as the COM full-time.

Organisation

The COM heads the Materiel Branch at the Naval Headquarters. The following Directors General/Controllers/Assistant Principal Staff Officers report into the COM:[2]

Appointees

S.No. Name Assumed office Left office Notes
1 Captain Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman February 1949 October 1949 While also serving as Chief of Administration.[1][3]
2 Captain S. G. Karmarkar October 1949 October 1950 While also serving as Chief of Administration.[3][4]
3 Captain G. S. Kapoor October 1950 1951? While also serving as Chief of Administration.[5]
4 Captain Albert Henry Fitch Hunt 1951? 1952 Seconded from the Royal Navy.[6]
5 Captain Ian Frederick Montague Newnham 1952? July 1954 Seconded from the Royal Navy. Last British appointee.[7]
6 Commodore Daya Shankar DSC July 1954 [n 1] December 1957 First Indian appointee.[7]
7 Commodore B. N. Lele December 1957 January 1962 [9]
8 Commodore Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda February 1962 May 1962 [10]
Commodore C. L. Bhandari May 1962 1963 Officiating.[11]
9 Commodore Sourendra Nath Kohli 1963 January 1965 [12]
10 Rear Admiral P. S. Mahindroo February 1965[n 2] January 1968 [13][14][15]
11 Rear Admiral Vasudeva Anant Kamath December 1967 December 1968 [15]
12 Rear Admiral Kamalakar Laxman Kulkarni December 1968 March 1973 [16][17]
13 Vice Admiral Rajendra Tandon PVSM, AVSM April 1973 [n 3] 30 June 1976 [18][19]
14 Vice Admiral J. T. G. Pereira PVSM, AVSM 1 July 1976 30 June 1979 [20][21]
15 Vice Admiral A. K. Bhatia PVSM, AVSM, VSM 1 July 1979 31 January 1983 [21][22]
16 Vice Admiral Narendra Bhalla AVSM 1 February 1983 [23]
17 Vice Admiral L.R. Mehta February 1986 [24]
18 Vice Admiral S.B.N. Singh PVSM, AVSM 1 March 1986 1 April 1988 [25]
19 Vice Admiral I. C. Rao PVSM, AVSM 1 April 1988 31 March 1993 [26]
20 Vice Admiral Mauli Bhushan Ghosh PVSM, AVSM, NM 1 April 1993 31 January 1994 [27][28]
21 Vice Admiral A.V.R. Narayana Rao PVSM, AVSM, VSM 28 March 1994 31 August 1995 [29]
22 Vice Admiral Adolph Britto PVSM, AVSM, VSM 31 August 1995 30 April 1997 [30][31]
23 Vice Admiral A. S. R. Krishnan PVSM, AVSM, VSM April 1997 2001 [32]
24 Vice Admiral Parvesh Jaitly July 2001 2006 [33]
25 Vice Admiral D. S. P. Verma AVSM, VSM 2006 1 December 2007 [34]
26 Vice Admiral Birinder Singh Randhawa AVSM, VSM 1 December 2007 30 December 2008 [34]
27 Vice Admiral Dilip Deshpande AVSM, VSM 31 December 2008 31 October 2009 [35]
28 Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan AVSM, VSM 31 October 2009 30 April 2012 [36]
29 Vice Admiral B. Kannan AVSM, VSM 30 April 2012 [37]
30 Vice Admiral N. N. Kumar AVSM, VSM 31 March 2014 [38]
31 Vice Admiral K. R. Nair AVSM, VSM 31 March 2014 2015 [38]
32 Vice Admiral A. V. Subhedar PVSM, AVSM, VSM 31 October 2016
33 Vice Admiral G. S. Pabby PVSM, AVSM, VSM 31 October 2016 1 September 2020 [39]
34 Vice Admiral S. R. Sarma AVSM, VSM 1 September 2020 31 May 2021 [40][41]
35 Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani AVSM, VSM 1 June 2021 31 December 2023 [41]
36 Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh AVSM, VSM 1 January 2024 Present [42]

Notes

  1. ^ Post upgraded to Commodore 2nd Class on 24 September 1956.[8]
  2. ^ Post upgraded to Rear Admiral 17 August 1965.[13]
  3. ^ Post upgraded to Vice-Admiral in March 1973.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "N.H.Q. Reorganised" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 February 1949. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Materiel Branch | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in.
  3. ^ a b "Frigate Flotilla for the RIN" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 October 1949. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 12 November 1949. p. 1584.
  5. ^ "New Indian Naval Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 September 1952. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Senior Naval Officers' Meeting" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 May 1952. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Changes in Senior Naval Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 15 July 1954. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Two New Commodores for Navy - Upgrading of Naval HQ Posts" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 10 October 1956. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  9. ^ "New Principal Staff Officer at Naval HQ" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 17 December 1957. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  10. ^ "New Deputy Chief of Naval Staff" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 14 May 1962. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Navy's New Chief - Admiral Soman's Flag Hoisted at INS India" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 June 1962. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Biodata" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 23 December 1971. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Naval Promotions to Flag Rank" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 17 August 1965. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Marshal Zakharov Leaves for Home" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 8 March 1967. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Commodore Krishnan New Navy Vice-Chief" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 11 December 1967. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Senior Naval Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 3 November 1968. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Admiral Krishnan to Head Cochin Shipyard" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 March 1973. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Naval Headquarters Reorganised" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 9 March 1973. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  19. ^ "New Naval Promotions" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 June 1976. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  20. ^ "New Naval Promotions" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 June 1976. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  21. ^ a b "Vice Admiral Bhatia New Chief of Material" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 July 1979. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  22. ^ "Vice Admiral Bhatia Appointed Captain Commandant of Electrical Branch" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 January 1983. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  23. ^ "New Chief of Material at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 1 February 1983. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Senior Naval Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 3 February 1986. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  25. ^ "New Chief of Material at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 March 1986. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  26. ^ "Naval Materials Chief Retires" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 25 March 1993. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  27. ^ "Vice Admiral M B Ghosh New Chief of Materials" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 1 April 1993. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  28. ^ "Change of Guard at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 31 January 1994. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  29. ^ "New Chief of Materials at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 28 March 1994. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  30. ^ "Vice Admiral A. Britto Takes Over as Chief of Material" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 31 August 1995. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  31. ^ "Admiral Britto Retires" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 April 1997. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  32. ^ "COTS Seminar" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 19 July 2001. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  33. ^ "Rear Admiral Varma to take over new charge on Saturday". Zee News. 21 July 2001. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  34. ^ a b "Lt Gen Pande relinqusihes charge as DG Military Operations". OneIndia.com. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  35. ^ "Vice Admiral Dilip Deshpande, AVSM,VSM takes over as the Chief of Materiel Branch – Indian Navy". Press Information Bureau. 30 December 2008.
  36. ^ "Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan takes over as Chief of Material". Indian Navy. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  37. ^ "Appointments" (PDF). SP's Naval Forces. June–July 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  38. ^ a b "Vice Admiral KR Nair takes over as new Chief of Materiel". Indian Navy. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  39. ^ "Vice Admiral GS Pabby, AVSM, VSM assumes charge as Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy". Indian Navy. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  40. ^ "Vice Admiral SR Sarma, AVSM, VSM Assumes Charge as Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy". Indian Navy. Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  41. ^ a b "Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, AVSM, VSM, assumes charge as the Chief of Materiel". Press Information Bureau (Government of India). Press Information Bureau. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  42. ^ "VICE ADMIRAL KIRAN DESHMUKH, AVSM, VSM, ASSUMES CHARGE AS THE CHIEF OF MATERIEL". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
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