Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area (FOTNA) is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy. One of the five Area Commanders of the Indian Navy, the FOTNA is a two star admiral holding the rank of Rear Admiral. The FOTNA is responsible for the operations and administration of all units and establishments in the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. The Current FOTNA is Rear Admiral Upal Kundu, VSM, who assumed office on 1 February 2025.
History A Naval office was set up in Chennai in the early 1940s. The first Naval Officer-in-Charge (NOIC) was Captain R. A. Malhuish. In 1946, the NOIC was re-designated Resident Naval Officer (RNO). With INS Adyar being recommissioned in 1954, the strength of the naval base grew and in 1968, the RNO was designated NOIC (Madras), and was responsible to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command. The NOIC (Madras) also discharged the duties of Commanding Officer INS Adyar.
With increasing responsibilities, a new appointment of NOIC (Tuticorin) was created in December 1994. The Commanding Officer INS Kattabomman dual-hatted as the NOIC(T) with the responsibility of local naval defence along the coast from the Gulf of Mannar up to Kerala. The units and installations along the coast in the Bay of Bengal up to the Pamban Pass was under the NOIC (Madras). The two appointments were merged again after a few years and the new appointment of NOIC (Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry) was created.
In November 2015, the billet was upgraded to two-star rank and rechristened Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area (FOTNA). Commodore Alok Bhatnagar, the NOIC (TN&P) was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and took over as the first FOTNA.
Organisation The FOTNA is assisted by the NOIC (TN&P), a one-star appointment. The NOIC (TN&P) also serves as the Chief Staff Officer at Headquarters Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area (HQTN&P). The FOTNA is responsible to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command for the operations and administration of all units and establishments in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This includes all ships and submarines based at the Karwar Naval Base as well. The establishments under the FOTNA include: The Naval Base INS Adyar The naval air station INS Parundu The naval air station INS Rajali The naval helicopter training school INAS 561 The VLF-transmission facility INS Kattabomman Naval Coast Battery, Chennai Forward Operating Base, Tuticorin Sagar Prahari Bal, Chennai
List of Commanders S.No. Name Assumed office Left office Notes1Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar 30 June 201531 March 2019First FOTNA. Later Additional Director General, NCC.2Rear Admiral K. J. Kumar 1 April 201930 June 2020Earlier Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area.3Rear Admiral Puneet Chadha 30 June 202020 May 2022 Later Additional Director General, NCC.4Rear Admiral S. Venkat Raman 20 May 2022 25 April 2023Earlier Commandant, Naval War College.5Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra 25 April 202312 January 20256Rear Admiral Satish Shenai 12 January 202531 January 20267Rear Admiral Upal Kundu 1 February 2026PresentCurrent FOTNA.
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