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Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla on Friday assumed charge as the new Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Indian Navy. He succeeded Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, who superannuated the same day after an illustrious career.
According to an official release from the ENC, Vice Admiral Bhalla took charge at an impressive ceremonial parade held at the Command headquarters in Visakhapatnam on October 31. Upon assuming Command, he inspected the ceremonial guard and reviewed platoons comprising naval and Defence Security Corps (DSC) personnel representing various ships and establishments of the Command.
The ceremony was attended by all flag officers and commanding officers of ships, submarines, and shore establishments under the Eastern Naval Command.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 1, 1989, Vice Admiral Bhalla is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare. With a distinguished career spanning over 36 years, he has held key operational and staff appointments both at sea and ashore.
At sea, he has commanded several frontline warships, including INS Nishank, INS Taragiri, and INS Beas, besides serving as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF). During his tenure as FOCEF, he led major naval events, including the President’s Fleet Review (PFR-22) and the sea phase of the multinational exercise MILAN-22, which involved participation from numerous friendly foreign navies.
Ashore, Vice Admiral Bhalla has held significant appointments, including Assistant Chief of Personnel (Human Resource Development) at Naval Headquarters, Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command, and Director, Maritime Doctrine and Concepts Centre (MDCC). He has also served in a diplomatic role overseas.
Before assuming his current assignment, Vice Admiral Bhalla served as the Chief of Personnel (COP) at Naval Headquarters, overseeing the Indian Navy’s manpower planning, training, and human resource management.
Team BharatShakti
