Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia Retires After 37 Years of Distinguished Indian Air Force Service
Air Marshal Sanjiv Ghuratia, AVSM, VSM, PhD, AOM, retired from the Indian Air Force on August 31, 2026, ending a 37-year career that spanned engineering, maintenance leadership, flight testing and senior staff appointments. As he concluded his service, he paid tribute at the National War Memorial to the Armed Forces personnel who made the supreme sacrifice.
Commissioned into the Aeronautical Engineering stream of the IAF on September 12, 1988, Air Marshal Ghuratia built his career through a series of technical and command assignments across key formations and headquarters. His postings included Air Headquarters, Maintenance Command and No. 3 Base Repair Depot, reflecting a long focus on aircraft upkeep, capability support and engineering management.
Among his notable appointments, he served as Air Officer Commanding of No. 3 Base Repair Depot at Chandigarh from January 2019 to January 2021. He later took over as Air Commodore (Engineering Helicopter) at Air Headquarters and then served as Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Engineering B. In June 2024, he was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal and appointed Senior Maintenance Staff Officer at IAF Maintenance Command in Nagpur.
He subsequently assumed the appointment of Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance at Air Headquarters on September 1, 2025, placing him among the Indian Air Force’s senior technical leaders responsible for sustainment, maintenance policy and operational availability.
Air Marshal Ghuratia is an alumnus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani and also studied at Government Engineering College, Jabalpur. His academic record includes further qualifications from BITS Pilani and the University of Madras, along with a doctorate from Bhopal University. His professional military education includes the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Air Force Test Pilots School, Bengaluru, and the Air Force Technical College, Bengaluru.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, London, the Aeronautical Society of India and the Institute of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering. BITS Pilani highlighted his career path as an example of progression from academic training to senior leadership in the Indian Air Force, congratulating him on his appointment as Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance in September 2025 and recognising his 37 years of service, leadership responsibilities and decorations. The institution described him as embodying the BITSian spirit of discipline, innovation and nation-building.
Over the course of his career, Air Marshal Ghuratia developed wide-ranging expertise in aircraft engineering, flight testing, weapons and sensor integration, maintenance management and capability development. He served as Chief Engineering Officer at a flying base, Chief of Aircraft at a Base Repair Depot and Chief Engineering Officer with the United Nations Mission in Congo.
His work as a Flight Test Engineer included contributions to several weapon and sensor integration projects involving air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, helmet-mounted display systems and laser designator pods on fighter aircraft. These assignments placed him at the intersection of engineering and operational capability, where technical modifications directly affected combat aviation performance.
He also played a significant role in sustaining helicopter operations in demanding high-altitude conditions. During his tenure at Thoise, his initiative in reviving 50-hour servicing of Mi-17 IV helicopters helped preserve valuable flying hours for Operation Meghdoot. In the same broad operational sphere, he contributed to efforts to analyse recurring technical issues involving helicopter tail drive shafts, helping address potential safety risks.
His engineering leadership extended to major recovery and overhaul efforts as well. He was instrumental in recovering the Indira Radar, which had remained stationary for years at a remote location at approximately 9,000 feet altitude, and in organising the first on-site overhaul of the ST-68 radar. At a Base Repair Depot, he also enabled the overhaul of Mi-17 and Mi-8 helicopters despite difficulties in obtaining critical spares.
At the Directorate of Air Staff Requirements, he used his technical background and project-management experience to help resolve complex procurement and capability-development issues, including work related to the modernisation and induction of weapons and ground-based air defence systems.
His service also included an international assignment with the United Nations Mission in Congo, where he was commended by the UN Force Commander for his distinguished contribution. That recognition added another dimension to a career already marked by technical depth and operational responsibility.
For his distinguished service, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025 by the President of India.
With his retirement, the Indian Air Force parts ways with an officer whose career brought together engineering expertise, flight-test experience, maintenance leadership and long years of service in demanding assignments. His final homage at the National War Memorial reflected the military tradition of remembrance that accompanied the close of his professional journey.
