IAF Celebrates 100th Birthday of Veteran MWO Narayan Ramakrishnan, Retired in 1981
The Indian Air Force on September 11, 2026, celebrated a rare centenary milestone as veteran MWO (HFO) Narayan Ramakrishnan (Retd) turned 100, with the Chief of the Air Staff joining Air Force veterans to honour a man whose life has spanned almost the entire history of the service.
Born on September 11, 1926, Ramakrishnan served the Indian Air Force for several decades before retiring in 1981. His long association with the force, and the respect he continues to command within the Air Force fraternity, made the occasion a deeply symbolic one for serving personnel and veterans alike.
The centenary celebration was marked not just as a personal family milestone, but also as a moment of institutional remembrance. By attending the event alongside veterans, the Chief of the Air Staff helped underscore the enduring bond between the current Air Force leadership and those who shaped the service in its earlier years.
In its tribute, the Indian Air Force described the occasion as “A Century of Life. A Legacy of Service,” a line that captured both Ramakrishnan’s personal longevity and the decades of contribution associated with his career.
Ramakrishnan’s birth came nearly six years before the Indian Air Force was established in 1932, placing him among the very few living witnesses to the service’s evolution from its formative period to its present status as one of the world’s major air forces. His life, in that sense, has run parallel to the growth of the institution he served.
The Air Force’s public celebration of the veteran’s 100th birthday also served as a broader salute to generations of air warriors whose service helped build and strengthen the organisation over the decades. For the IAF community, Ramakrishnan’s centenary represented more than an individual achievement; it was a reminder of the continuity of service, memory and tradition within the force.
For the veteran himself, the day marked the completion of a century of life and a long-remembered career that ended in 1981. For the Indian Air Force, it was an opportunity to honour one of its oldest living links to the service’s past.
