A photograph from the National Defence Academy days of General Dhiraj Seth and Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has captured the imagination of military enthusiasts across the country, offering a remarkable glimpse into a journey that began nearly four decades ago.
The photograph, circulating widely on social media, is said to show the two young officers stepping out together from the NDA in December 1986. Barely around 19 or 20 years old, they were at the beginning of their military careers, with an entire lifetime of service ahead of them.
Few could have imagined then that nearly 40 years later, the two coursemates would rise to the very highest levels of India’s Armed Forces one leading the Indian Army and the other preparing to lead the Indian Air Force.
General Dhiraj Seth took over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on June 30, 2026. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986 and went on to build an exceptional career spanning operational commands, counter-insurgency assignments, strategic appointments and senior leadership roles.
Standing alongside him in that decades-old photograph is Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, another NDA alumnus from the same generation. He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. An Experimental Test Pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor, he has accumulated more than 3,500 hours of flying experience across aircraft including the Mirage-2000, MiG variants, Jaguar, Hawk and Tejas.
On October 6, 2026, the Government appointed Air Marshal Dixit as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff. He will assume the rank of Air Chief Marshal and take over the Indian Air Force on October 31, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
That makes the old NDA photograph even more extraordinary.
Two young cadets once walked together through the gates of an institution designed to produce military leaders. Decades later, one is commanding the Indian Army while the other is just weeks away from assuming command of the Indian Air Force.
Their journeys, however, were not built around one photograph or one remarkable coincidence. They were built through nearly four decades of service, demanding assignments, professional military education, operational experience, command responsibilities and thousands of decisions made far away from public attention.
General Seth rose through the Armoured Corps, commanding formations ranging from an armoured regiment and brigade to a counter-insurgency force and higher formations. Before becoming Army Chief, he commanded both the South Western Command and Southern Command and subsequently served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
Air Marshal Dixit’s career followed an entirely different battlefield the skies. A fighter pilot, test pilot and instructor, he participated in operations including Operation Safed Sagar and Operation Rakshak and later held senior command and staff appointments. He served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, and subsequently Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
Their careers eventually converged once again at the highest level of India’s military leadership.
For young NDA cadets and defence aspirants, the photograph carries a powerful message.
When a cadet enters the National Defence Academy, nobody knows exactly where that journey will lead. The person standing beside you in a squadron photograph, marching next to you on the drill square or sharing the hardships of training may one day command thousands of soldiers, sailors or air warriors.
More importantly, the photograph reminds aspirants that military leadership is rarely the result of a single spectacular moment. It is the cumulative outcome of discipline maintained for decades, professional competence repeatedly demonstrated, responsibilities accepted and standards upheld even when nobody is watching.
In December 1986, Dhiraj Seth and Ashutosh Dixit were simply two young men beginning their careers in uniform.
In 2026, General Dhiraj Seth leads the Indian Army, while Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit is preparing to take command of the Indian Air Force.
Forty years separate those two moments.
For anyone dreaming of wearing the uniform today, perhaps that is what makes the photograph so inspiring: nobody can know how far the journey will go when it begins.
Sometimes, the cadet walking beside you today could be standing beside you again decades later this time at the helm of India’s Armed Forces.
