Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja Assumes Charge as 47th DGAFMS in New Delhi

Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja took charge as the 47th Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) on 1 September 2026, assuming responsibility for the apex post that oversees medical support across India’s Defence Forces. Before formally taking over, he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, paying tribute to the fallen soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the nation.

His appointment comes at a time when the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) is navigating a broad phase of transformation. The organisation is continuing to place emphasis on operational medical preparedness, greater jointness among the three Services, modernisation of military healthcare, digital health initiatives, medical research and innovation, human-resource development, and the delivery of high-quality care to serving personnel, veterans and their dependants.

An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Air Marshal Thareja was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in December 1986. He is a physician and gastroenterologist with specialist qualifications that include an MD in Medicine from Delhi and a DM in Gastroenterology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he has held a wide range of clinical, academic, operational and administrative appointments. Among the key posts he has served in are Commandant of the 167 Military Hospital, Brigadier In-Charge Administration and Commander Troops at Base Hospital Delhi Cantt, and Commandant of Command Hospital (Central Command).

His experience in hospital leadership also included a demanding stint at Base Hospital Delhi Cantt during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was required to manage complex and fast-changing medical and administrative challenges. Later, as Commandant of Command Hospital, Lucknow, he oversaw the preparation of the Detailed Project Report for a new Command Hospital in record time, helping lay the groundwork for the long-term expansion of military healthcare infrastructure.

Air Marshal Thareja also played a major role in shaping medical education and research during his tenure as Director and Commandant of AFMC Pune. At the premier Armed Forces medical institution, he led initiatives aimed at strengthening professional education, enhancing research capability and developing future medical professionals for the Services.

His responsibilities extended beyond conventional military healthcare. As DGMS (Air), he gave significant impetus to the medical aspects of the Gaganyaan Mission and took a leading role in analog experiments connected with astronaut selection and training. These efforts supported India’s human spaceflight preparedness from a medical and physiological standpoint.

During his stewardship, the AFMS also expanded its humanitarian medical outreach. BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) cubes were gifted to the Maldives by the Prime Minister, and the same capability was also used for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief support to countries including Jamaica, Cuba, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

The range of appointments held by Air Marshal Thareja reflects the widening scope of the AFMS, which now extends well beyond routine military healthcare to include operational medicine, advanced medical research, space medicine, disaster response, medical education and international humanitarian assistance.

As DGAFMS, he will now lead the organisation at a moment when the Services are seeking to strengthen medical preparedness for current and future operational requirements. Technology-enabled healthcare, innovation, research and integrated medical support are expected to remain central to the AFMS’s efforts as it works to provide resilient and responsive medical capabilities.

With Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja now at the helm as the 47th DGAFMS, the AFMS enters a new phase of leadership with a focus on operational readiness, modernisation and medical excellence, while continuing to serve personnel, veterans and their families.