Chief of Materiel (Indian Navy)

Last updated
Chief of Materiel
Vice Admiral ensign of Indian Navy.svg
Flag of the Vice Admiral
Incumbent
B. Sivakumar
since 1 November 2025
Naval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy
TypePrincipal Staff Officer
AbbreviationCOM
Reports to Chief of the Naval Staff
Seat Naval Headquarters, New Delhi

The Chief of Materiel (COM) is a senior Indian Navy appointment in the rank of Vice-Admiral. As a Principal Staff Officer (PSO) at Naval Headquarters (NHQ), the COM is responsible for all aspects of maintenance management and life-cycle support of all engineering, electrical, electronic, weapons, sensors, and IT-related systems for ships and submarines, along with responsibility for the creation of major marine and technical infrastructure. The present COM is Vice Admiral B. Sivakumar who succeeded Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh on 1 November 2025.

Contents

History

In 1949, the Naval headquarters was reorganised and appointment of Chief of Material (COM) was created. The appointment was held by an officer of the rank of Captain. The COM was to look after the material resources of the service. The Director of Naval engineering, Staff Officer (Dockyard), Director Armament Supply and the Director of Electrical Engineering reported into the COM. [1]

The appointment was filled by the Chief of Administration as an additional charge until the early 1950s. Captain Daya Shankar, DSC was the first Indian to serve as the COM full-time.

Organisation

The COM heads the Materiel Branch at the Naval Headquarters. The following Directors General/Controllers/Assistant Principal Staff Officers report into the COM: [2]

Appointees

S.No.NameAssumed officeLeft officeNotes
Captain Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman February 1949October 1949While also serving as Chief of Administration. [1] [3]
1 Captain J. E. M. Glenny26 April 194915 March 1951While also serving as Chief of Administration. [1] [3]
2 Captain Albert Henry Fitch Hunt15 March 19516 October 1952Seconded from the Royal Navy. [4]
3 Captain Ian Frederick Montague Newnham7 October 195220 November 1954Seconded from the Royal Navy. Last British appointee. [5]
4 Commodore Daya Shankar DSC 20 November 1954 [n 1] 1 September 1957First Indian appointee. [5]
5 Commodore B. N. Lele15 December 195721 July 1958 [7]
6 Commodore P. K. Mukherjee22 July 19584 June 1960
7 Commodore B. S. Baswan4 June 19608 January 1962 [8]
8 Commodore Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda 20 February 196213 May 1962 [9]
9 Commodore C. L. Bhandari15 May 196221 January 1963Officiating. [10]
10 Commodore Sourendra Nath Kohli 21 January 196320 December 1964 [11]
11 Rear Admiral P. S. Mahindroo 11 February 1965 [n 2] 19 December 1967 [12] [13] [14]
12 Rear Admiral Vasudeva Anant Kamath 15 January 196822 December 1968 [14]
13 Rear Admiral Kamalakar Laxman Kulkarni 23 December 196812 March 1973 [15] [16]
14 Vice Admiral Rajendra Tandon PVSM , AVSM 26 March 1973 [n 3] 30 June 1976 [17] [18]
15 Vice Admiral J. T. G. Pereira PVSM , AVSM 1 July 197630 June 1979 [19] [20]
16 Vice Admiral A. K. Bhatia PVSM , AVSM , VSM 1 July 197931 January 1983 [20] [21]
17 Vice Admiral Narendra Bhalla AVSM 1 February 198329 March 1985 [22]
18 Vice Admiral L.R. Mehta30 March 198520 December 1985 [23]
19 Vice Admiral S.B.N. Singh PVSM , AVSM 28 February 198630 November 1989 [24]
20 Vice Admiral J. N. Sukul PVSM , AVSM 30 November 198931 December 1990 [25]
21 Vice Admiral I. C. Rao PVSM , AVSM 31 December 199031 March 1993 [26]
22 Vice Admiral Mauli Bhushan Ghosh PVSM , AVSM , NM 31 March 199331 January 1994 [27] [28]
23 Vice Admiral A.V.R. Narayana Rao PVSM , AVSM , VSM 28 March 199431 August 1995 [29]
24 Vice Admiral Adolph Britto PVSM , AVSM , VSM 31 August 199530 April 1997 [30] [31]
25 Vice Admiral A. S. Krishnan PVSM , AVSM , VSM 30 April 199731 December 2001 [32]
26 Vice Admiral P. C. Bhasin PVSM , AVSM , VSM 31 December 200130 January 2004 [33]
27 Vice Admiral Parvesh Jaitly30 January 200431 August 2005 [34]
28 Vice Admiral D. S. P. Verma AVSM , VSM 31 August 200530 November 2007 [35] [36]
29 Vice Admiral Birinder Singh Randhawa AVSM , VSM 30 November 200730 December 2008 [35]
30 Vice Admiral Dilip Deshpande AVSM , VSM 31 December 200831 October 2009 [37]
31 Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan AVSM , VSM 31 October 200930 April 2012 [38]
32 Vice Admiral B. Kannan AVSM , VSM 30 April 201231 October 2012 [39]
33 Vice Admiral N. N. Kumar AVSM , VSM 31 October 201231 March 2014 [40]
34 Vice Admiral K. R. Nair AVSM , VSM 31 March 201431 May 2015 [40]
35 Vice Admiral A. V. Subhedar PVSM , AVSM , VSM 31 May 201531 October 2016
36 Vice Admiral G. S. Pabby PVSM , AVSM , VSM 31 October 20161 September 2020 [41]
37 Vice Admiral S. R. Sarma AVSM , VSM 1 September 202031 May 2021 [42] [43]
38 Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani AVSM , VSM 1 June 202131 December 2023 [43]
39 Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh AVSM , VSM 1 January 202431 October 2025 [44]
40 Vice Admiral B. Sivakumar AVSM , VSM 1 November 2025Present [45]

Notes

  1. ↑ Post upgraded to Commodore 2nd Class on 24 September 1956. [6]
  2. ↑ Post upgraded to Rear Admiral 17 August 1965. [12]
  3. ↑ Post upgraded to Vice-Admiral in March 1973. [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "N.H.Q. Reorganised" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 February 1949. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "Materiel Branch | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in.
  3. 1 2 "Frigate Flotilla for the RIN" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 October 1949. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Senior Naval Officers' Meeting" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 May 1952. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Changes in Senior Naval Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 15 July 1954. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Two New Commodores for Navy - Upgrading of Naval HQ Posts" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 10 October 1956. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  7. ↑ "New Principal Staff Officer at Naval HQ" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 17 December 1957. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "ADMIRAL MARTADINATA IN DELHI" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  9. ↑ "New Deputy Chief of Naval Staff" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 14 May 1962. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Navy's New Chief - Admiral Soman's Flag Hoisted at INS India" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 June 1962. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Biodata" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 23 December 1971. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Naval Promotions to Flag Rank" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 17 August 1965. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "Marshal Zakharov Leaves for Home" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 8 March 1967. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Commodore Krishnan New Navy Vice-Chief" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 11 December 1967. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  15. ↑ "Senior Naval Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 3 November 1968. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "Admiral Krishnan to Head Cochin Shipyard" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 March 1973. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Naval Headquarters Reorganised" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 9 March 1973. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "New Naval Promotions" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 June 1976. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  19. ↑ "New Naval Promotions" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 June 1976. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  20. 1 2 "Vice Admiral Bhatia New Chief of Material" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 2 July 1979. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  21. ↑ "Vice Admiral Bhatia Appointed Captain Commandant of Electrical Branch" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 January 1983. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "New Chief of Material at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 1 February 1983. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Senior Naval Appointments" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 3 February 1986. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  24. ↑ "New Chief of Material at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 March 1986. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  25. ↑ "New Chief of Material at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 5 March 1986. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  26. ↑ "Naval Materials Chief Retires" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 25 March 1993. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  27. ↑ "Vice Admiral M B Ghosh New Chief of Materials" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 1 April 1993. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  28. ↑ "Change of Guard at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 31 January 1994. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  29. ↑ "New Chief of Materials at Naval Headquarters" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 28 March 1994. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  30. ↑ "Vice Admiral A. Britto Takes Over as Chief of Material" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 31 August 1995. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  31. ↑ "Admiral Britto Retires" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 30 April 1997. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  32. ↑ "COTS Seminar" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 19 July 2001. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  33. ↑ "COTS Seminar" (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India - Archive. 19 July 2001. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  34. ↑ "Rear Admiral Varma to take over new charge on Saturday". Zee News. 21 July 2001. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  35. 1 2 "Lt Gen Pande relinqusihes charge as DG Military Operations". OneIndia.com. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  36. ↑ "Senior Naval appointments announced". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  37. ↑ "Vice Admiral Dilip Deshpande, AVSM,VSM takes over as the Chief of Materiel Branch – Indian Navy". Press Information Bureau. 30 December 2008.
  38. ↑ "Vice Admiral Ganesh Mahadevan takes over as Chief of Material". Indian Navy. 30 October 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  39. ↑ "Appointments" (PDF). SP's Naval Forces. June–July 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  40. 1 2 "Vice Admiral KR Nair takes over as new Chief of Materiel". Indian Navy. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  41. ↑ "Vice Admiral GS Pabby, AVSM, VSM assumes charge as Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy". Indian Navy. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  42. ↑ "Vice Admiral SR Sarma, AVSM, VSM Assumes Charge as Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy". Indian Navy. Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  43. 1 2 "Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, AVSM, VSM, assumes charge as the Chief of Materiel". Press Information Bureau (Government of India). Press Information Bureau. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  44. ↑ "VICE ADMIRAL KIRAN DESHMUKH, AVSM, VSM, ASSUMES CHARGE AS THE CHIEF OF MATERIEL". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  45. ↑ "VICE ADMIRAL B Sivakumar, AVSM, VSM, ASSUMES CHARGE AS THE CHIEF OF MATERIEL". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
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