General Manoj Pande Retires: A Legacy of Transformation and Combat Readiness

General Manoj Pande, superannuated yesterday after more than four decades of distinguished service and relinquished the appointment of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). His tenure will be remembered for high state of combat readiness, impetus to the process of transformation besides his strong push towards Atmanirbharta initiatives.

General Manoj Pande, as COAS accorded highest priority to operational preparedness along the Northern and Western borders. He frequently visited forward areas in Jammu & Kashmir, Eastern Ladakh, and the North East, taking first-hand account of operational preparedness and morale of all ranks.

General Manoj Pande initiated holistic transformation of the Indian Army with focus on technological absorption under five distinct pillars. Quantifiable progress was made under these technological initiatives, which will continue to steer the Indian Army towards transforming into a modern, agile, adaptive, and technology-enabled future-ready force.

His emphasis on adaptation of indigenous weapons and equipment under ‘Atmanir bharata’ initiative paved the way for long term sustenance of the Indian Army. He provided impetus to Human Resource development initiatives, that made positive impact on the lives of serving personnel, their families and the veteran fraternity.

As COAS, he encouraged Bilateral/ Multilateral exercises, seminars and discussions. Under his guidance, Chanakya Defence Dialogue was instituted to carry out a comprehensive analysis of security challenges in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. In addition, he accorded due diligence to military diplomacy through conduct of Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC) and enhancing the scale and scope of annual exercises with partner nations.

The four decade plus military journey of the General Officer commenced at National Defence Academy. He got commissioned in December 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers). He tenanted important and challenging command and staff appointments in different operational environments.

For his illustrious service, the General Officer has been conferred with the awards of Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.