Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has taken charge as India's 27th Chief of the Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi. (PIB Photo)Admiral Krishna Swaminathan on Sunday took charge as India’s 27th Chief of the Naval Staff. He succeeded Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who retired from service. Before taking over the role, Admiral Swaminathan served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.“The Indian Navy remains alert to protect the country’s interests wherever required. It is actively deployed in a regional security environment that remains challenging and unpredictable,” he told reporters.He said his top priority would be to ensure the Indian Navy maintains a high level of operational readiness and combat capability to safeguard the country’s security and economic interests.Admiral Swaminathan said the Indian Navy is on a strong path of modernisation and capability development.He said his focus would be on maintaining the Navy’s growth, strengthening ongoing programmes and improving operational capabilities through the use of advanced and emerging technologies.#WATCH | Delhi: Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, says, “… The Indian Navy is deeply committed to jointness, Atmanirbharata, and indigenisation, and that will also be one of my key result areas. I’m extremely grateful to have this opportunity to work with the… pic.twitter.com/eXpgSDWyUU— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2026Admiral Swaminathan, NDA alumnus, awarded Param Vishisht Seva MedalHe is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakvasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja and the United States Naval War College in Rhode Island.Admiral Krishna Swaminathan took charge as the 34th Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command on July 31, 2025. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987 and specialises in Communication and Electronic Warfare.A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, Admiral Swaminathan has held several key operational, staff and training roles. He has commanded the missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.Story continues below this adServed as Chief Staff Officer at Southern Naval CommandAfter being promoted to Rear Admiral, he served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, where he played a major role in naval training. He also helped establish the Indian Naval Safety Team, which oversees operational safety across the Navy.He later headed the Navy’s Work Up Organisation as Flag Officer Sea Training and went on to command the Western Fleet. After leading the Western Fleet, he served as Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Adviser on Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India.Also Read | From film Uri to watching Navy officers: NDA toppers reveal their inspirations behind dreams of the uniformOutgoing Chief of Naval Staff says Navy’s commitment evidentOutgoing Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said it had been an honour to lead the Indian Navy. He said the Navy has always delivered whenever the nation has called upon it.Referring to Operation Sindoor and Operation Urja Suraksha, Admiral Tripathi said the Navy’s commitment and professionalism remain evident despite evolving regional security challenges, including the ongoing situation in West Asia.