Ahmedabad: Air Marshal PV Shivanand AVSM VM assumed the appointment of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command, on July 1, 2026. On assuming the appointment, the Air Marshal paid homage to the Bravehearts at the South Western Air Command War Memorial, the Ministry of Defence said.

Air Marshal PV Shivanand was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1988. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment, and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. The Air Marshal has a cumulative flying experience of over 2,800 hours on the MiG-21 and the IL-76 AWACS.

In his illustrious service career, the Air Marshal has held several command and staff appointments, including a diplomatic assignment as the Defence and Air Attaché at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, USA, with concurrent accreditation to Canada. He has commanded two frontline squadrons of the IAF and a premier airbase in the Eastern Sector. He has also held key staff appointments at HQ SWAC and Air HQ, specialising in the domains of air operations, air defence, and airborne sensors and networking.

During his career, the Air Marshal has spearheaded the operationalisation of key platforms and several air defence initiatives, significantly enhancing surveillance capabilities and an integrated air defence architecture. Prior to taking charge of South Western Air Command, the Air Marshal was serving as the Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Central Air Command.

Air Marshal PV Shivanand succeeds Air Marshal Tejinder Singh PVSM AVSM VM, who has been appointed as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), HQ Integrated Defence Staff, with effect from July 1, 2026. DeshGujarat