The Government of India has appointed Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja, SM, VSM & Bar, as the next Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), marking the culmination of an illustrious career spanning nearly four decades in military medicine, healthcare leadership and defence administration. Currently serving as the Director General Medical Services (Air), Air Marshal Thareja will assume the country’s highest military medical appointment after leading several premier Armed Forces medical institutions and commanding key military hospitals across India.
Air Marshal Thareja took over as Director General Medical Services (Air) on 10 February 2025, bringing with him extensive experience in clinical medicine, hospital administration and strategic healthcare management. An alumnus of the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, he was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps on 30 December 1986.
A highly accomplished physician and super-specialist, Air Marshal Thareja completed his post-graduation in Internal Medicine from the University of Delhi in 1997 before pursuing a Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in Gastroenterology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, in 2005. Demonstrating his interest in strategic and defence studies, he later earned an M.Phil. in Defence Strategic Studies from the National Defence College (NDC) in 2018, further broadening his expertise in military leadership and national security.
In the early years of his career, he served for four years as a Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) with 9 Rajput, gaining invaluable operational experience while supporting troops deployed in High Altitude Areas (HAA) and Counter-Insurgency (CI) operations across three different operational commands. This exposure laid the foundation for a career that combined frontline medical support with advanced clinical excellence.
He subsequently served as a medical specialist at Military Hospital Jodhpur, participated in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, and later served at Military Hospital Ranikhet before specialising in gastroenterology. Over the years, Air Marshal Thareja established himself as one of the Armed Forces’ leading gastroenterologists, serving in several super-speciality military hospitals.
His distinguished clinical career includes appointments as Head of the Department of Gastroenterology at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment, Command Hospital (Western Command) and the Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi—the Armed Forces’ premier tertiary care medical institution. In these roles, he played a significant part in strengthening specialised healthcare services for serving personnel, veterans and their families.
Beyond clinical practice, Air Marshal Thareja has held several important command and administrative appointments. He commanded Military Hospital Pathankot, later served as Commandant of Command Hospital Lucknow, and subsequently led the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, as its Director and Commandant. Under his leadership, AFMC continued to strengthen its reputation as one of India’s foremost institutions for military medical education, research and healthcare training.
He has also held key staff appointments, including Senior Consultant (Medicine) at the Office of the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) and Brigadier In-Charge Administration and Commander Troops at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment. In addition, he serves as the Commodore Commandant of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), an institution that plays a vital role in aerospace medicine, aviation physiology and medical support for the Indian Armed Forces’ aviation community.
Throughout his career, Air Marshal Thareja has been recognised for his exceptional professional competence and distinguished service. He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2011, the Sena Medal (SM) in 2022, and a Bar to the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024, reflecting sustained excellence in military healthcare, leadership and administration.
As the incoming Director General Armed Forces Medical Services, Air Marshal Thareja will head the integrated medical services of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, overseeing one of the country’s largest and most sophisticated military healthcare networks. The DGAFMS is responsible for medical policy, operational healthcare support, hospital administration, medical education, research, preventive medicine and the overall health and welfare of serving personnel, veterans and their dependents.
His appointment comes at a time when the Armed Forces Medical Services continue to modernise healthcare infrastructure, expand digital health initiatives, strengthen battlefield medical capabilities and integrate advanced medical technologies to support future military operations.
With an outstanding blend of operational experience, clinical expertise, academic excellence and institutional leadership, Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja is well positioned to lead the Armed Forces Medical Services into its next phase of transformation, further strengthening military healthcare while ensuring world-class medical support for India’s defence forces.
