Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 02 June 2025
Lieutenant General Dinesh Singh Rana, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, Ph.D, on 1st June 2025, assumed command as the 18th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), India’s only tri-services operational command.
Headquartered at Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) plays a crucial role in safeguarding India’s strategic interests in the Indian Ocean Region, particularly along the critical trade route of the Malacca Straits. The ANC is unique in its integration of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard under a single command structure.
Lt Gen Rana, who was commissioned into the 10th Battalion of The Garhwal Rifles on December 19, 1987, brings with him over 37 years of distinguished military service. He previously commanded the same battalion and has held a wide range of key operational, instructional, and staff positions across varied terrains and assignments, both in India and abroad.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Lt Gen Rana is a postgraduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington. He is also an alumnus of the National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi; the Centre for National Defence Studies (CNDS), Madrid, Spain; and the National Defence University (NDU), USA. Throughout his career, he has maintained a distinguished academic record, having topped multiple professional military courses. He has served with the Indian Military Training Team, UN Interim Force in Lebanon, and commanded formations along the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern Sector, including the Gajraj Corps.
In addition to field commands, Lt Gen Rana has also made significant contributions in instructional roles at the Indian Military Academy, College of Defence Management, and Army War College. His senior staff roles include serving as the Director General Staff Duties at the Ministry of Defence and, most recently, as the Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). Notably, he is the first Chief of Defence Intelligence to be promoted to the rank of Commander-in-Chief — a milestone reflecting the growing prominence of military intelligence in India’s defence establishment.
Lt Gen Rana’s exemplary service has earned him numerous accolades, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation. He received the Sena Medal and COAS Commendation early in his career for gallantry in Kashmir. A noted scholar on military affairs, he holds a Ph.D. in China’s defence modernisation and is the author of ‘Two Decades that Shaped PLA as We Know Today (2023)’.
His appointment as CINCAN is seen as a strategic move to further enhance the operational synergy of the command, leveraging his deep expertise in joint operations, intelligence, and strategic affairs. (This story is based on a press release)