Vice Admiral Anil Jaggi Takes Charge As NDA Commandant; Navy Veteran To Steer Academy’s Future Leaders
The Admiral is an alumnus of the Indian Naval Academy and was commissioned into the Navy on January 1, 1993. Image courtesy: PIB
Vice Admiral Anil Jaggi assumed charge as the Commandant of the National Defence Academy (NDA) on November 1, 2025, taking over from Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, AVSM, NM. A seasoned naval officer with over three decades of distinguished service, Vice Admiral Jaggi brings with him extensive operational, instructional, and diplomatic experience to lead India’s premier tri-services training institution.
An alumnus of the Indian Naval Academy, Vice Admiral Jaggi was commissioned into the Indian Navy over two decades ago on January 1, 1993. A specialist in Navigation and Direction, his illustrious career has seen him command frontline warships including INS Veer, a missile vessel, and INS Sahyadri, an indigenously built Shivalik-class stealth guided missile frigate.
He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, and the Naval War College, Goa, and has also completed the United Nations Observer Course from SWEDINT, Sweden. His academic and professional credentials highlight his deep commitment to operational excellence and international cooperation.
What key roles has he held before becoming NDA Commandant?
In his tenure as Commodore, Vice Admiral Jaggi gained valuable experience in strategic and diplomatic domains. He served as the Naval Adviser at the High Commission of India, London, and later as Commodore (Foreign Cooperation) at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi.
Following his promotion to Rear Admiral, he took charge as the Flag Officer Commanding Gujarat, Daman and Diu Naval Area, and subsequently as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA). In these leadership positions, he oversaw coastal defence operations, infrastructure expansion, welfare initiatives, and community engagement programmes under the Western Naval Command.
What lies ahead for NDA under his leadership?
With Vice Admiral Jaggi now at the helm, the National Defence Academy is set to continue its mission of producing leaders of exceptional calibre for the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. His extensive background in joint training, international cooperation, and naval operations is expected to further strengthen the Academy’s tri-service ethos.
Under his stewardship, the NDA is poised to uphold and expand its legacy as a world-class institution, along with its distinguished legacy of preparing and grooming the future leaders of the Indian Armed Forces.
