Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari took charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, IAF on May 2, 2025.
The Air Marshal completed his schooling at Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) in Dehradun before joining the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasala, He passed out from NDA in Jun 1985 with the President’s Gold Medal. He was commissioned as a Fighter Pilot in the Indian Air Force on 07 Jun 1986. The Air Marshal has over 3600 hours of flying experience on various types of aircraft. Besides being a Qualified Flying Instructor and an Experimental Test Pilot, the Air Marshal is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, USA. He has also served as Directing Staff at the IAF Test Pilots’ School and the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington. His extensive field experience encompasses operational testing of various weapons and systems, including a key role in operationalising the ‘Litening’ Laser Designation Pod during the Kargil Operations in 1999. He was actively involved in the flight testing of the LCA from 2006 to 2009 and later in 2018-19, wherein, as the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Centre, he was involved in the Final Operational Clearance of the aircraft. The Air Marshal served as the Air Attache at Paris from 2013 to 2016. He has also held appointment Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air HQ (VB).
Prior to assuming charge as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at South Western Air Command. In recognition of his distinguished service, the Air Marshal was awarded the Presidential Award of Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022, and Vayu Sena Medal in 2008.
He is married to Mrs. Richa Tiwari, a postgraduate in Cytology. The couple is blessed with two daughters.
