Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla joined the National Defence Academy in Jan 1978. Commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1982, he specialized in Navigation and Direction in 1988 and subsequently navigated two of the Navy’s frontline frigates. His five sea commands included Coast Guard Ship C-01 in 1986-87, INS Vinash (which he commissioned) from 1992-94, INS Kora from 2001- 02, INS Tabar from 2006-07, and INS Viraat from 2008 to 2010. His ashore and staff appointments include a stint as an instructor at the National Defence Academy (1989-90), Dy Director of the Navy’s Centre for Leadership and Behavioural Studies (1997-98), Defence Attaché in the Embassy of India, Jakarta (1998-2001), Senior Instructor (Navy) and HOTT (Navy) at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington (2002-04) and Naval Assistant to CNS (2004-2006). He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in Aug 2010 and was appointed as the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation & Intelligence) followed by Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at Naval Headquarters. As ACNS (P&P), he was responsible for the formulation of the Maritime Capability Perspective Plan 2012-27, the first Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan, the plan for the ‘Re-organisation of the Navy’, promulgation of the Weapon and Sensor Procurement (WASP) Guidelines for the Navy and envisaging the process for ‘IN-DRDO Synergy’, which has now been institutionalized. He commanded the Western Fleet from Aug 2013 to Oct 2014 and oversaw the integration of Vikramaditya into the IN’s concept of operations. On promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, he took over as the Director General of Naval Operations on 31 Dec 2014. He took over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command, Kochi on 31 Jul 18. Vice Admiral Chawla was conferred the Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 Jan 13 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 Jan 2015 for distinguished service. He was conferred with the honorary title of Aide-De-Camp to the President of India on 01 Dec 2019. He was awarded the Param Vishisht Medal for distinguished service of the highest order on 26 Jan 2020.