Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, AVSM, SM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the 50th Vice Chief of the Army Staff. He was previously serving as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, prior to that he was Chief of Staff, Southern Command. He earlier served as the Commandant, Indian Military Academy and as General Officer Commanding XVI Corps. He is also the Colonel of the Regiment of the Mahar Regiment since 1 August 2024.
Early life and education He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He is also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the National Defence College, Kenya.
Military Career The general officer was commissioned into 13th Battalion of the Mahar Regiment on 11 June 1988 from the Indian Military Academy. In a career spanning over three decades, he has undertaken numerous command and staff appointments. He was a Sector Commander at United Nations Mission in Sudan, an Infantry Brigade in Strike Corps and was General Officer Commanding of a Counter Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir. He has also served with the Military Operations Directorate, Military Secretary’s Branch and as a Military observer in Ethiopia.
After being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, he assumed the appointment of Director General (Capability Development) at the Army Headquarters, New Delhi. On 24 December 2022, he took over as the General Officer Commanding XVI Corps. A year later on 1 February 2024, he took over as the Commandant of the Indian Military Academy. He subsequently assumed the appointment of Chief of Staff, Southern Command in June 2025.
On 1 April 2026, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command and relinquished the command of Southern Command on 30 June 2026.
On 1 July 2026, he took over as the 50th Vice Chief of the Army Staff succeeding General Dhiraj Seth upon his elevation as the Chief of the Army Staff.
Awards and decorations During his career, the general officer has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025 and the Sena Medal in 2022.
Ati Vishisht Seva MedalSena MedalSpecial Service MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva MedalHigh Altitude MedalVidesh Seva Medal75th Independence Anniversary Medal50th Independence Anniversary Medal30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service MedalUNMEEUNMIS
Dates of rank InsigniaRankComponentDate of rankSecond LieutenantIndian Army11 June 1988LieutenantIndian Army11 June 1990CaptainIndian Army11 June 1993MajorIndian Army11 June 1999Lieutenant ColonelIndian Army16 December 2004ColonelIndian Army11 June 2008BrigadierIndian Army13 June 2014 (acting) 29 October 2015 (substantive, with seniority from 14 September 2012)Major GeneralIndian Army6 February 2020 (seniority from 20 November 2018)Lieutenant GeneralIndian Army6 May 2022
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