R. Hari Kumar

Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar AVSM VSM (born 12 April 1962) is the current and 13th Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, assuming the office on 2 December 2019. In his prior appointments, he served as the Chief of Personnel of the Indian Navy, the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Fleet, and as the Chief of the Staff of the Western Naval Command. He was the Commandant of the Indian Naval War College in Goa, and served as a naval advisor to the government of Seychelles. He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy and holds a M.Phil. in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Mumbai.

Kumar was born on 12 April 1962 in Trivandrum, Kerala, where he graduated from Mannam Memorial Residential High School. He completed a pre-degree course at the Government Arts College in Thiruvananthapuram.

He joined the 61st course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in January 1979, and was assigned to the Juliet squadron. He graduated from the NDA in December 1981. In 1996, he attended the Naval Staff Course at the US Naval War College in Newport. He completed his bachelors from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and his masters from King's College London. He holds a MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Mumbai.

As a part of his professional training, he attended the Army Higher Command Course at the Army War College in 2004, and also in the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2009. He pursued his postgraduate diploma in a shipping management course from the Narottam Morarjee Institute of Shipping in Mumbai.

Kumar was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 January 1983. His positions included the gunnery officer (GO) of the INS Ranjit, commissioning the GO VIII of the INS Ranvir and commissioning the GO of the INS Kuthar. He also served as the executive officier (EXO) of INS Vipul. As a commanding officer, he commanded the Coast Guard Ship C-01, the missile boat INS Nishank, the Rajput-class destroyer INS Ranvir, Kora-class missile corvette INS Kora, and Centaur-class aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

His fleet appointments include the Fleet Gunnery Officer and the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. His staff assignments include Command GO of the Western Naval Command, and naval advisor to the Government of Seychelles. He also served as the Training Commander for the INS Dronacharya. He was the Commandant of the Indian Naval War College in Goa. As a flag officer, he served as the Chief of the Staff of the Western Naval Command, the Flag Officer of Sea Training of the Southern Naval Command and the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) of the Western Fleet.

During the second phase of the UN intervention in Somalia, from December 1992 to June 1993, he served in the Civil and Military Operations Centre in Mogadishu. The admiral assumed charge on 1 August 2018 as the Chief of Personnel of the Indian Navy, succeeding Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla.

Kumar is married to Kala Nair, with whom he has a daughter. He enjoys swimming, playing badminton, and walking.

During his career, he has been awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2010 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2016 for his service.