Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja Appointed Next DGAFMS to Head Armed Forces Medical Services
The Government has appointed Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, SM, VSM & Bar, as the next Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, handing one of the Indian military’s top medical appointments to a senior officer with nearly four decades of experience in clinical care, teaching, administration and operational health support.
Air Marshal Thareja is currently serving as Director General Medical Services (Air). He will take over as DGAFMS after the retirement of the incumbent, Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, on August 31, 2026.
The DGAFMS heads the Armed Forces Medical Services, the tri-service medical organisation that provides healthcare and medical support to personnel of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, along with their families and other entitled beneficiaries.
An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Air Marshal Thareja was commissioned into the Armed Forces in December 1986. Since then, his career has covered a wide span of military medicine, including patient care, academic work, hospital administration and support for operational requirements.
His higher medical training began with an MD in Medicine in 1997. He later pursued super-specialisation in Gastroenterology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, completing his DM in Gastroenterology in 2005. During his time at AIIMS, he received the Best DM Student Award.
Alongside his medical qualifications, Air Marshal Thareja has also built a strong record in professional military education. He secured an 'A' grading in all his military courses and is an alumnus of the National Defence College.
Over the course of his service, he has held several key appointments within the Armed Forces Medical Services. These include Senior Consultant (Medicine) at the Office of the DGAFMS, Commandant of Military Hospital Pathankot, Commandant of Command Hospital Lucknow, and Director & Commandant of Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.
He later became Director General Medical Services (Air), one of the senior-most medical posts in the Indian Air Force.
In that role, Air Marshal Thareja worked on improving operational medical preparedness. His tenure also contributed to strengthening the Armed Forces Medical Services’ readiness for India’s Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight Mission.
He was also involved in the operationalisation of the BHISHM Cube, a portable modular medical facility intended to provide rapid emergency healthcare during military operations, disasters and humanitarian assistance missions.
Beyond his administrative and operational responsibilities, he is known as an accomplished gastroenterologist, academician and medical teacher. Over the years, he has guided numerous postgraduate and super-speciality students.
His academic record includes more than 50 scientific publications in national and international medical journals.
For his service and professional contributions, Air Marshal Thareja has been awarded the Sena Medal and the Vishisht Seva Medal twice, the latter recognised through the VSM & Bar.
His elevation comes at a time when the Armed Forces are placing greater emphasis on operational medical readiness, advanced healthcare technologies and medical support for emerging domains such as human spaceflight.
