Pune: Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, AVSM, SM has assumed command as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Southern Command of the Indian Army on April 1, 2026. He succeeds Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, who has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen Sandeep Jain was commissioned into the MAHAR Regiment in June 1988. With a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, he has held a wide spectrum of command and staff appointments across varied operational environments.
During his illustrious service, he has commanded:
- An Infantry Battalion in semi-developed terrain and in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan
- An Infantry Brigade in a Strike Corps
- A Counter Insurgency Force
- A Pivot Corps in Northern Command
His operational experience includes participation in Operation Pawan, service as a Military Observer with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia, and multiple tenures in high-altitude and counter-insurgency operations along the Line of Control and in the North East. He is also the Colonel of the MAHAR Regiment.
Prior to this appointment, Lt Gen Jain served as the Chief of Staff at Headquarters Southern Command, where he played a key role in capability development, force restructuring, and enhancing operational preparedness. He has attended the Higher Command Course at the Army War College and the National Defence Course in Kenya. In recognition of his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and the Sena Medal (SM).
Upon assuming command, Lt Gen Jain paid tribute to the fallen soldiers at the Southern Command War Memorial and was accorded a Guard of Honour at Headquarters Southern Command. In his address, he emphasised that the Command will continue to focus on operational readiness across its diverse areas of responsibility, including deserts, the Rann and Creek sector, coastline, island territories, and hinterland. He stressed the importance of strengthening jointness, promoting indigenous capability development, and accelerating technology absorption under the JAI framework. He also urged all ranks to uphold the highest standards of preparedness, professionalism, and combat readiness in line with evolving operational challenges.