Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM, took over as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on 01 August 2025, bringing with him over 36 years of exceptional leadership, operational command, and strategic experience in the Indian Navy.
Highlights:
- Assumed charge as 47th VCNS on 01 August 2025.
- Laid a wreath in tribute at the National War Memorial, New Delhi.
- Specialist in Gunnery and Missile Systems, commissioned in 1988.
- Led major naval warships such as INS Sahyadri, INS Kuthar, and INS Nashak.
- Former Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet during high maritime tensions.
- Held top-level policy and operational posts at Naval HQ and HQ IDS.
- Honoured with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021 for exemplary leadership.
- Alumnus of NDA, DSSC, Naval War College, and NDC.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM, took charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on 01 August 2025. To honour the occasion, he paid tribute to the nation’s fallen heroes by laying a floral wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
A Gunnery and Missile Systems specialist, Vice Admiral Vatsayan was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 January 1988. A proud alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune, he has since built an illustrious career with a diverse range of command, operational, and strategic staff appointments.
At sea, he has served on several frontline warships including as commissioning crew of INS Mysore and INS Nishank, as well as pre-commissioning crew of ICGS Sangram. He commanded INS Vibhuti, INS Nashak, INS Kuthar, and INS Sahyadri, where he served as the commissioning commanding officer. In February 2020, he assumed command of the Eastern Fleet, steering it through critical operations and exercises following heightened tensions post-Galwan.
Vice Admiral Vatsayan holds esteemed academic credentials, having graduated from the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, the Naval War College in Goa, and the National Defence College in New Delhi. His strategic acumen was further sharpened through pivotal staff roles including Director Naval Plans, Principal Director Naval Plans, and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans).
In the rank of Flag Officer, he served as Deputy Commandant of the National Defence Academy, Chief of Staff at Eastern Naval Command, and most recently as Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS), first in Operations and later in Policy, Plans & Force Development. In these roles, he was instrumental in coordinating joint operations, shaping defence policy, and advancing indigenisation across the armed forces.
For his exceptional service, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021.
Vice Admiral Vatsayan is married to Sarita, and the couple has two children — a son with an MBA from ISB and a daughter with a degree in Humanities. His assumption of the VCNS role marks the continuation of dedicated, strategic, and future-ready leadership at the helm of the Indian Navy.
