Retired Army Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal Sparks Debate Over ₹180 Instagram Subscription

Retired Indian Army officer Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal has found himself at the centre of an online row after introducing a paid subscription on his Instagram account, prompting a wider debate over whether former armed forces personnel should monetise their public following after retirement.

The subscription is reportedly priced at ₹180 and has already drawn around 1,200 subscribers. According to the details shared online, members get access to exclusive content, subscriber badges, early access to posts and reels, and interactive “ask-me-anything” sessions with Sambyal.

The discussion intensified after an X user criticised the move, calling it “a shame and a downgrade for the Army.” That remark quickly opened up a broader argument on social media, with some users asking whether a former officer should be allowed to draw commercial value from the recognition gained during his military career.

But the reaction was far from one-sided. Many users defended Sambyal, arguing that retirement gives him the right to pursue an income source of his choosing and that his military service should not be judged through the lens of a post-service social media venture.

Sambyal himself responded briefly to the criticism, writing: “Some see a downgrade. A soldier sees another way to serve.”

Supporters of the retired officer have pointed out that he is no longer in uniform and is free, like any other citizen, to choose his profession and source of income. They argue that optional paid content on Instagram does not diminish the value of years spent in service to the country.

Sambyal’s military background has also drawn attention because of the breadth of his career before retirement. He cleared the NDA examination and underwent training at both the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy before joining the Indian Army.

He served with the Jat Regiment and led its contingent during the 2021 Republic Day Parade, when the regiment won the Best Marching Contingent Trophy. He later volunteered for 4 Para (Special Forces) and earned the Balidaan Badge, a distinction closely associated with the unit.

In March 2023, Sambyal was selected as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to President Droupadi Murmu, a prestigious posting that brought him wider public recognition. His appearances alongside the President also helped make him a familiar face on social media.

He took premature retirement from the Army in August 2026. Sambyal has previously said that leaving the service was one of the hardest decisions of his life, and that family circumstances as well as the years spent away from home influenced his choice.

Before stepping away from the Army, he also called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and expressed gratitude for the guidance and experience he received during his tenure as ADC.

The online controversy has also reopened a larger conversation about how retired military officers are viewed when they move into second careers. Former officers have gone on to work in business, corporate roles, education, coaching, media and other fields after leaving the Armed Forces, and social media has increasingly become another platform for building an audience and earning from that reach.

Instagram’s subscription feature is designed precisely for this kind of creator-follower arrangement, allowing users to pay voluntarily for exclusive material while others continue to access the public content for free. On that basis, criticism of Sambyal’s entire service record because he charges ₹180 for optional online content appears misplaced to his supporters.

The debate, in their view, would be more serious if a retired officer were to disclose sensitive military information, misrepresent himself as still serving, or misuse the reputation of the Armed Forces to deceive people commercially. In this case, they say, the issue is limited to a retired officer charging for extra social media content.

Whether the subscription is worth the price is ultimately for followers to decide. But the controversy has made one thing clear: Sambyal’s Instagram move may be open to criticism as a digital product, yet his years in uniform remain a separate matter, to be judged on his service record rather than on a subscription button activated after retirement.

You can follow Major Rishabh Singh Sambyal on instagram here.