Robin K. Dhowan

Admiral
Robin K. Dhowan
PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC
Admiral Robin K. Dhowan PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC
	Official Indian Navy portrait of Adm Robin K Dhowan, CNS
Chief of the Naval Staff
	In office; 17 April 2014 – 31 May 2016
President	Pranab Mukherjee
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Devendra Kumar Joshi
Succeeded by	Sunil Lanba
Personal details
Born	Rabinder Kumar Dhowan
Spouse(s)	Minu Dhowan
Awards	Param Vishist Seva Medal; Ati Vishist Seva Medal; Yudh Seva Medal
Military service
Allegiance	India
Branch/service	Indian Navy
Years of service	3 May 1975 – 31 May 2016
Rank	Admiral
Commands	Eastern Fleet; INS Delhi; INS Ranjit; INS Khukri

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Admiral Rabinder "Robin" Kumar Dhowan PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC was the 22nd Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. He assumed office on 17 April 2014, succeeding Admiral D.K. Joshi.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Military career[edit]

Dhowan graduated from the National Defence Academy (45th Course, Charlie squadron) on 1 January 1975. He was honoured with a "telescope" for being the "Best Cadet", and was later awarded the 'Sword of Honour' on completion of his midshipman training.^[4] He was commissioned an acting sub-lieutenant on 3 May 1975.^[5]

He is a "Navigation and Direction" specialist; and during his career he has commanded the missile corvette INS Khukri, and guided missile destroyers INS Ranjit and INS Delhi.

From 2002 to 2005, he was the Naval Adviser in the Indian High Commission at London.

Flag rank[edit]

After his elevation to flag rank, he served in various staff and instructional assignments. He was the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) in the Integrated Headquarters (Navy) and then commanded the Eastern Fleet.

He also served as the Chief of Staff at Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam and the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at the Western Naval Command.^[4] He then took charge as the Commandant of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, and later served as a Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.

He was appointed as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff in August 2011.^[6]

He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, and Naval War College, Rhode Island, USA, and has completed the Sea Harrier Direction course in the U.K.^[3]^[4]^[7]

Personal life[edit]

Dhowan with Minu Dhowan (right) and S. Ramsay, editor of Quarterdeck magazine, 22 February 2015.

Former Indian Navy chiefs with Admiral Robin K. Dhowan (fourth-to-right) at the Conclave of Chiefs, 2015.

Admiral Dhowan is married to Minu Dhowan, and the couple have a daughter and two sons.^[7]

He plays golf and does yachting.^[4]

Advisor[edit]

Currently, he is a member of the Board of Advisors of India's International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N.).^[8]

Awards[edit]

Admiral Dhowan (second-to-left), with Defence Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur (extreme left).

Param Vishisht Seva Medal	Ati Vishisht Seva Medal	Yudh Seva Medal	Special Service Medal
Operation Vijay Star	Operation Vijay Medal	Operation Parakram Medal	Videsh Seva Medal
50th Anniversary of Independence Medal	25th Anniversary of Independence Medal		30 Years Long Service Medal
20 Years Long Service Medal		9 Years Long Service Medal

References[edit]

↑ Robin Dhowan takes over as Navy chief The Times of India
↑ MoD moves files for appointing R K Dhowan as new Navy Chief The Indian Express
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 "Admiral R.K. Dhowan appointed new Navy chief". The Hindu. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 "Meet Robin K Dhowan, India's new Navy Chief". NDTV. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
↑ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 May 1975. p. 705.
↑ "R.K. Dhowan assumes charge as Naval Vice-Chief". The Hindu. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 "Admiral Robin Dhowan is new Chief of Naval Staff". Indian Navy. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
↑ "I.I.M.U.N. || Board of Advisors". new.iimun.in. Retrieved 17 July 2021.

Military offices
Preceded by Devendra Kumar Joshi	Chief of the Naval Staff 2014-2016	Succeeded by Sunil Lanba
Preceded by D.K. Dewan	Vice Chief of Naval Staff 2011-2014	Succeeded by Sunil Lanba
Preceded by Anup Singh	Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff 2009-2011	Succeeded by Satish Soni
Preceded by Air Marshal T. S. Randhawa	Commandant of the National Defence Academy 2008-2009
Preceded by Devendra Kumar Joshi	Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet 2007-2008

[1] Robin Dhowan takes over as Navy chief The Times of India

[2] MoD moves files for appointing R K Dhowan as new Navy Chief The Indian Express

[thin-3] 3.0 ^3.1 "Admiral R.K. Dhowan appointed new Navy chief". The Hindu. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.

[ndtv14-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 "Meet Robin K Dhowan, India's new Navy Chief". NDTV. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.

[5] "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 May 1975. p. 705.

[Hindu-6] "R.K. Dhowan assumes charge as Naval Vice-Chief". The Hindu. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2016.

[inpr-7] 7.0 ^7.1 "Admiral Robin Dhowan is new Chief of Naval Staff". Indian Navy. Retrieved 18 April 2014.

[8] "I.I.M.U.N. || Board of Advisors". new.iimun.in. Retrieved 17 July 2021.

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[8]

v t e Chief of the Naval Staff
Chief of the Naval Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy (1950-1955)	Edward Parry Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey
Chief of the Naval Staff (1955–present)	Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey Sir Stephen Hope Carlill Ram Dass Katari Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman Adhar Kumar Chatterji Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda Sourendra Nath Kohli Jal Cursetji Ronald Lynsdale Pereira Oscar Stanley Dawson Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani Jayant Ganpat Nadkarni Laxminarayan Ramdas Vijai Singh Shekhawat Vishnu Bhagwat Sushil Kumar Madhvendra Singh Arun Prakash Sureesh Mehta Nirmal Kumar Verma Devendra Kumar Joshi Robin K. Dhowan Sunil Lanba Karambir Singh (incumbent)
**Seconded from the Royal Navy