**Summary:**
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM, assumed the position of the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on August 1, 2025. Upon assuming the role, he paid respects at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 1, 1988, an alumnus of the 71st course of the National Defence Academy, Pune, Vice Admiral Vatsayan is a specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems. His career spans over three decades, encompassing command, operational, and staff assignments.
His sea service includes postings on frontline warships such as INS Mysore, INS Nishank, and ICGS Sangram. He has also served as the Executive Officer of INS Mysore. Command assignments include Coast Guard ship C05, Missile Vessels INS Vibhuti and INS Nashak, Missile Corvette INS Kuthar, and Guided Missile Frigate INS Sahyadri (Commissioning Commanding Officer).
In February 2020, he became the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, overseeing operational deployments and exercises. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, Goa, and the National Defence College, New Delhi, he has held strategic and policy-oriented staff roles at Naval Headquarters, including Joint Director and Director of Personnel Policy, Director Naval Plans Perspective Planning, and Principal Director Naval Plans.
Prior to commanding the Eastern Fleet, he served as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Policy and Plans (Feb 2018). He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021. Subsequently, he served as the Deputy Commandant of the National Defence Academy and later as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in December 2021. Before becoming VCNS, he was Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS) Operations and DCIDS Policy, Plans and Force Development at HQ IDS.
Vice Admiral Vatsayan is married to Sarita and has two children.
Key Entities Referenced
Sanjay Vatsayan: Vice Admiral, assumed charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
Ministry of Defence: The Indian government ministry responsible for defence.
Vice Chief of the Naval Staff: A high-ranking position in the Indian Navy.
National War Memorial, New Delhi: A war memorial in New Delhi, dedicated to the armed forces.
National Defence Academy, Pune, Maharashtra: A joint services academy of the Indian Armed Forces, where officers of the three services train together before going to their respective service academies.
Indian Navy: The naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces.
Eastern Fleet: A naval fleet of the Indian Navy.
Eastern Naval Command ENC: One of the three Naval Commands of the Indian Navy.
Ministry of Defence
VICE ADMIRAL SANJAY VATSAYAN, AVSM, NM,
ASSUMES CHARGE AS THE 47TH VICE CHIEF
OF THE NAVAL STAFF
Posted On: 01 AUG 2025 11:21AM by PIB Delhi
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM assumed charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
(VCNS) on 01 Aug 2025. On assuming charge, the Flag Officer paid solemn homage to the Bravehearts who
made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation, by laying a floral wreath at the National War Memorial,
New Delhi.
An alumnus of the 71st course National Defence Academy, Pune, Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan was
commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1988. A specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems, he has
held a wide range of command, operational and staff assignments over his distinguished naval career spanning
more than three decades.
At sea, the Flag Officer has served onboard various frontline warships, including as the Commissioning crew
of the Guided Missile Destroyer INS Mysore, INS Nishank and pre-Commissioning crew of Coast Guard
OPV ICGS Sangram. He also served as the Executive Officer of INS Mysore. He has commanded Coast
Guard ship C-05, Missile Vessels INS Vibhuti and INS Nashak, Missile Corvette INS Kuthar and Guided
Missile Frigate INS Sahyadri (Commissioning Commanding Officer). In Feb 2020, he took over as the Flag
Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, and led numerous operational deployments and exercises during a time
of heightened maritime activity, post events at Galwan.
A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, Goa and the prestigious
National Defence College, New Delhi, the Flag Officer has also excelled in key strategic and policy-oriented
Staff roles. His appointments at Naval Headquarters include Joint Director and Director of Personnel (Policy),
Director Naval Plans (Perspective Planning) and Principal Director Naval Plans.
On promotion to Flag Rank in Feb 2018, he served as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans)
prior to Commanding the Eastern Fleet. For his exceptional leadership and meritorious service of very high
order, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021. Thereafter, he served as the Deputy Commandant
of the National Defence Academy and later, in Dec 2021, he was appointed as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval
Command (ENC). In this capacity, he steered ENC's operational readiness, personnel development and
infrastructure augmentation.
Prior to taking over as the VCNS, he served as Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS) -
Operations and thereafter as DCIDS (Policy, Plans and Force Development) at HQ IDS, where he played
a key role in coordination of operations, enhancing integration, jointness, force development and framing
policies promoting indigenisation in the three Services.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan is married to Sarita and they have a son, an Economics graduate who has
completed his MBA from Indian School of Business, and a daughter who has graduated in Humanities.****
VM/SPS
(Release ID: 2151178)