<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> KM Cariappa </Td> <Td> General (later Field Marshal) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 16 January 1949 </Td> <Td> 14 January 1953 </Td> <Td> Rajput Regiment </Td> <Td> OBE </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Rajendrasinhji Jadeja </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 14 January 1953 </Td> <Td> 1 April 1955 </Td> <Td> 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) </Td> <Td> DSO </Td> </Tr> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Photo </Th> <Th> Appointment Date </Th> <Th> Left Office </Th> <Th> Unit of Commission </Th> <Th> Decorations </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Rajendrasinhji Jadeja </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 April 1955 </Td> <Td> 14 May 1955 </Td> <Td> 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse) </Td> <Td> DSO </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> SM Shrinagesh </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 15 May 1955 </Td> <Td> 7 May 1957 </Td> <Td> 19th Hyderabad Regiment (now Kumaon Regiment) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> KS Thimayya </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 8 May 1957 </Td> <Td> 7 May 1961 </Td> <Td> 19th Hyderabad Regiment (now Kumaon Regiment) </Td> <Td> Padma Bhushan, DSO, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> PN Thapar </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 8 May 1961 </Td> <Td> 19 November 1962 </Td> <Td> 1st Punjab Regiment </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> JN Chaudhuri </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 20 November 1962 </Td> <Td> 7 June 1966 </Td> <Td> 7th Light Cavalry </Td> <Td> Padma Vibhushan, OBE </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> PP Kumaramangalam </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 8 June 1966 </Td> <Td> 7 June 1969 </Td> <Td> Regiment of Artillery </Td> <Td> Padma Vibhushan, DSO, MBE </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> SHFJ Manekshaw </Td> <Td> General (later Field Marshal) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 8 June 1969 </Td> <Td> 15 January 1973 </Td> <Td> 12th Frontier Force Regiment (54th Sikhs (Frontier Force)) </Td> <Td> Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, MC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> GG Bewoor </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 16 January 1973 </Td> <Td> 31 May 1975 </Td> <Td> 10th Baluch Regiment </Td> <Td> PVSM </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> TN Raina </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 June 1975 </Td> <Td> 31 May 1978 </Td> <Td> Kumaon Regiment </Td> <Td> Padma Bhushan, MVC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> OP Malhotra </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 June 1978 </Td> <Td> 31 May 1981 </Td> <Td> Regiment of Artillery </Td> <Td> PVSM </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> KV Krishna Rao </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 June 1981 </Td> <Td> 31 July 1983 </Td> <Td> Mahar Regiment </Td> <Td> PVSM </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> AS Vaidya </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 August 1983 </Td> <Td> 31 January 1985 </Td> <Td> 9th Deccan Horse </Td> <Td> Padma Vibhushan, PVSM, MVC (Bar), AVSM </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Krishnaswamy Sundarji </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 February 1985 </Td> <Td> 31 May 1988 </Td> <Td> Mahar Regiment </Td> <Td> PVSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> V N. Sharma </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 June 1988 </Td> <Td> 30 June 1990 </Td> <Td> 16th Light Cavalry </Td> <Td> PVSM, AVSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> SF Rodrigues </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 July 1990 </Td> <Td> 30 June 1993 </Td> <Td> Regiment of Artillery </Td> <Td> PVSM, VSM </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> BC Joshi </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 July 1993 </Td> <Td> 19 November 1994 </Td> <Td> 64th Cavalry </Td> <Td> PVSM, AVSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> S Roy Chowdhury </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 20 November 1994 </Td> <Td> 30 September 1997 </Td> <Td> 20th Lancers </Td> <Td> PVSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> VP Malik </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 October 1997 </Td> <Td> 30 September 2000 </Td> <Td> Sikh Light Infantry </Td> <Td> PVSM, AVSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Sundararajan Padmanabhan </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 October 2000 </Td> <Td> 31 December 2002 </Td> <Td> Regiment of Artillery </Td> <Td> PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> NC Vij </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 January 2003 </Td> <Td> 31 January 2005 </Td> <Td> Dogra Regiment </Td> <Td> PVSM, UYSM, AVSM </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> JJ Singh </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 February 2005 </Td> <Td> 30 September 2007 </Td> <Td> Maratha Light Infantry </Td> <Td> PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Deepak Kapoor </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 October 2007 </Td> <Td> 31 March 2010 </Td> <Td> Regiment of Artillery </Td> <Td> PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> VK Singh </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 April 2010 </Td> <Td> 31 May 2012 </Td> <Td> Rajput Regiment </Td> <Td> PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Bikram Singh </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 June 2012 </Td> <Td> 31 July 2014 </Td> <Td> Sikh Light Infantry </Td> <Td> <P> PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Dalbir Singh </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1 August 2014 </Td> <Td> 31 December 2016 </Td> <Td> 5 Gorkha Rifles </Td> <Td> PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> Bipin Rawat </Td> <Td> General </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 31 December 2016 </Td> <Td> Incumbent </Td> <Td> 11 Gorkha Rifles </Td> <Td> UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Photo </Th> <Th> Appointment Date </Th> <Th> Left Office </Th> <Th> Unit of Commission </Th> <Th> Decorations </Th> </Tr>

First chief of army staff of independent india