Air Vice Marshal Arvind Thakur, a native of Tiara village in Kangra tehsil of Himachal Pradesh, has been promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal in the Indian Air Force. He assumed charge as the Senior Maintenance Staff Officer (SMSO) of the IAF’s South Western Air Command on July 1, 2026.
Career and Background
Commissioned into the Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) Branch in 1994, Air Vice Marshal Thakur has a distinguished career spanning over 32 years. His assignments include serving as Command Engineering Officer of Western Air Command, Chief Engineering Officer of a premier airbase, and Commanding Officer of the Rafale Training School. For his exemplary service, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) on January 26, 2019.
Education and Training
He completed his schooling at Sacred Heart High School, Sidhpur in Dharamsala, and DAV College, Kangra. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, and an MBA from FMS, Delhi University. He has also attended the Technical Staff Officer Course, Higher Command Course at the College of Defence Management (CDM), the Flight Safety Course in the USA, and advanced training on Rafale aircraft in France.
His promotion and new role mark a significant milestone for the officer and his home district of Kangra.
