Secunderabad, June 2026: Air Vice Marshal GKJ Reddy has assumed appointment as the Commandant of the College of Defence Management (CDM), Secunderabad, one of India’s premier tri-service institutions for higher defence management and strategic leadership training. He succeeds Major General G Srinivas, who moves on to take over as General Officer Commanding, Telangana and Andhra Sub Area.
A distinguished fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force and a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor, Air Vice Marshal Reddy brings with him rich operational, instructional, technological and leadership experience. His appointment to CDM comes at a time when the Indian Armed Forces are placing renewed emphasis on jointness, integration, technology-driven decision-making and professional military education.
Commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1990 from the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, AVM Reddy is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has flown a wide range of aircraft and accumulated over 4,500 hours of incident-free flying. His flying experience includes the MiG-21, MiG-29 UPG, HPT and Hawk aircraft.
His career reflects a strong blend of frontline fighter operations, instructional excellence and high-level staff exposure. As a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor, he has contributed significantly to the training and mentoring of aircrew, a role that demands exceptional flying skill, judgement, discipline and instructional ability.
Before assuming charge as Commandant, CDM, AVM Reddy served as Associate Director (PMT) at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This assignment gave him valuable exposure to India’s indigenous aerospace development ecosystem and defence technology programmes.
AVM Reddy is also a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Higher Air Command Course at the College of Air Warfare, and the National Defence College, New Delhi. These prestigious qualifications underline his deep understanding of operational art, higher defence management, national security strategy and tri-service functioning.
The College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, functions under Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff and is commanded by a two-star officer from the three services in rotation. CDM is a tri-service institution established in 1970 to impart contemporary management skills to senior leadership from the three services, paramilitary forces, Ministry of Defence and officers from friendly foreign countries. The college focuses on effective decision-making, efficient resource management, higher defence management and strategic studies.
CDM conducts the flagship Higher Defence Management Course and several other management development programmes for senior officers. The institution is also affiliated with Osmania University for academic programmes and has developed a strong reputation in research, consultancy, net assessment and professional military education.
As Commandant, AVM GKJ Reddy will be responsible for steering the institution’s academic, professional and strategic training mandate. His experience as a fighter pilot, instructor, senior staff officer and defence technology professional is expected to add significant value to CDM’s mission of preparing future military leaders for complex security challenges.
His assumption of charge marks another important chapter in the continuing evolution of CDM as a centre of excellence for defence management, joint warfare thinking and strategic leadership in the Indian Armed Forces.
