WThe Chief of the Naval Staff is the head of the military staff of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff is the highest ranking naval officer on active service of the Indian Armed Forces unless the Chief of Defence is a navy officer. The Chief of Naval Staff is the primary adviser to the Government of India on naval affairs. The Chief is responsible for governing and directing the naval staff, the supreme decision making body consisting of the highest ranking naval officers of the Indian Navy, who is the navy's chief executive and the chief naval advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication, and is always held by a full Admiral. The Chief of the Naval Staff is assisted by the Vice Chief of the navy staff.
WAdmiral Rabinder "Robin" Kumar Dhowan PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC was the 22nd Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. He assumed office on 17 April 2014, succeeding Admiral D.K. Joshi.
WAdmiral Devendra Kumar Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.) is the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Vice Chairman of Islands Development Agency (IDA). He was an Admiral in the Indian Navy and served as the 21st Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, having assumed office on 31 August 2012. He is a specialist in anti-submarine warfare. He resigned on 26 February 2014, taking responsibility for a series of accidents, thus becoming the first Indian Navy Chief to resign.
WAdmiral Ram Dass Katari, PVSM, AVSM was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as the 3rd Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) from 22 April 1958 to 4 June 1962. He was the first Indian to hold the office and succeeded the last British officer to the post, Vice Admiral Sir Stephen Hope Carlill. He led the Indian Navy in the conflict during the annexation of Goa against the Portuguese Navy.
WAdmiral Sushil Kumar Isaac, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, NM was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. A native of Neyyoor (Nagercoil), he ceased to use his surname of Isaac because it caused confusion with his brother, who shares the same initials and is also a naval officer.
WAdmiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC is a retired Indian naval officer who served as the 23rd Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. He assumed the office on 31 May 2016 after Admiral Robin K. Dhowan and demitted office three years later on 31 May 2019. During this time, he also served as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the President of India.
WAdmiral Sureesh Mehta, PVSM, AVSM served as Chief of the Indian Navy from 31 October 2006 until 31 August 2009. He was succeeded by Nirmal Kumar Verma. He is the first service chief from India's armed forces to be born post Indian Independence. He is married to Maria Teresa Mehta and they have two children.
WAdmiral Jayant Ganpat "Podgy" Nadkarni, PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as the 14th Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy from 1 December 1987 to 30 November 1990.
WAdmiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda, PVSM, AVSM was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as the 8th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 March 1970 until 28 February 1973. He led the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and successfully executed a naval blockade of both West and East Pakistan, helping India achieve an overwhelming victory during the war. He is one of the most notable commanders in the history of the Indian Navy.
WAdmiral Sir William Edward Parry, was an officer of the Royal Navy.
WAdmiral Arun Prakash, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, VSM, ADC is a former Flag Officer of the Indian Navy, who served as the Chief of the Naval Staff from 31 July 2004 to 31 October 2006 and as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 31 January 2005 to 31 October 2006. He is one of India's most decorated naval officers.
WAdmiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, is the 24th and current Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy. The "Grey Eagle" of the Navy, he replaced Admiral Sunil Lanba as the CNS after Admiral Lanba's retirement on 31 May 2019. Prior to his ascension, Admiral Singh served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and Flag Officer
WAdmiral Madhvendra Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC was Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy between 29 December 2001 and his retirement from service on 31 July 2004. He had by that date completed over 41 years of service. He was also the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 2002 to 2004
WAdmiral Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman was an Indian Navy Admiral. He was in command of the Indian Navy from 1962 to 1966 as the 4th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).
WAdmiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani was a senior officer in the Indian Navy. He served as the 13th Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 December 1984 until 30 November 1987. His prior commands included those as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C) of the Western Naval Command, FOC-IN-C of the Southern Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF). A carrier-based aircraft pilot, he also served as the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant (R11).
WAdmiral Nirmal Kumar Verma is a former senior naval officer who served as the Chief of the Naval Staff of Indian Navy, from 31 August 2009 to 31 August 2012. In November 2012, he was appointed as the High Commissioner to Canada.