The next Chief of Naval Staff will be Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. He will assume command on May 31 from his current position as Western Naval Commander in Mumbai. His term will expire on December 31, 2028.
Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, who took over as the 26th Chief of the Naval Staff on April 30, 2024, will be replaced by him. Prior to that, Admiral Tripathi was the Vice Chief of Naval Staff and a graduate of the National Defence Academy and Sainik School Rewa.
On October 6, 2023, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan became Chief of Personnel. Later, he became the Western Naval Commander in Mumbai.

He has held a number of high-level roles over the years, such as Controller Personnel Services at Naval Headquarters and Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command.
A Career in the Military
Vice Admiral Swaminathan is an expert in communication and electronic warfare who joined the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987.
He has held a number of operational, staff, and training positions throughout his career. He has commanded the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and the missile ships INS Vidyut and INS Vinash.
Following his elevation to Flag rank, he worked at Headquarters Southern navy Command in Kochi as Chief Staff Officer (Training), where he was instrumental in managing navy training.Additionally, he played a key role in the establishment of the Indian Navy Safety Team, which oversees operational safety throughout the Navy.
He then became Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet after serving as Flag Officer Sea Training, where he oversaw the Navy's work-up organization.
Additionally, he advised the Indian government on offshore security and defence while serving as Flag Officer of the Offshore Defence Advisory Group.
Education and Training Vice Admiral Swaminathan graduated from Pune's National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla.
Additionally, he received training at the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, USA; the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, Maharashtra; and the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham, UK.

He graduated with a BSc from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, an MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kochi, an MA in Defence Studies from King's College London, an MPhil in Strategic Studies from Mumbai University, and a PhD in International Studies from Mumbai University.
Honours and Awards
For his service, Vice Admiral Swaminathan received both the Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.