Lt Gen Sandeep Jain Assumes Command of Southern Command in Pune

Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, AVSM, SM has taken over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command, succeeding Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, marking a key leadership transition in the Indian Army.

April 7 | Pune : Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain has assumed charge as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command on April 1, 2026. He succeeds Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, who has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen Jain was commissioned into the MAHAR Regiment in June 1988. Over a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, he has held a wide range of command and staff appointments across varied operational environments.

His command experience includes leading an infantry battalion in challenging terrains and during the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. He has also commanded an infantry brigade in a strike corps, a counter-insurgency force, and a pivot corps in Northern Command. His operational exposure includes participation in Operation Pawan, service as a military observer in Ethiopia, and multiple tenures in high-altitude and counter-insurgency areas along the Line of Control and in the North East.

Prior to this appointment, Lt Gen Jain served as Chief of Staff at Headquarters Southern Command, where he played a key role in enhancing operational preparedness, force restructuring, and capability development.

He has attended prestigious courses including the Higher Command Course at the Army War College and the National Defence Course in Kenya. In recognition of his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Sena Medal. On assuming command, Lt Gen Jain paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the Southern Command War Memorial and was accorded a Guard of Honour. He emphasised the need to maintain high standards of operational readiness across diverse terrains including deserts, coastal regions, and island territories, while focusing on jointness, indigenous capability development, and technology integration.

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