Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command and recently appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff, paid a farewell courtesy visit to Jishnu Dev Varma at Maharashtra Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, according to an official release.

During the meeting, the Governor congratulated Vice Admiral Swaminathan on his new appointment and wished him a successful and distinguished tenure as the head of the Indian Navy. As per the Ministry of Defence, Vice Admiral Swaminathan assumed command as the 34th Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command on July 31, 2025. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, he specializes in Communication and Electronic Warfare.

An alumnus of National Defence Academy, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, and the United States Naval War College, he has built a distinguished naval career. Vice Admiral Swaminathan has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal. Over the years, he has held several important operational, training, and staff appointments, including commanding missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish, guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

After being promoted to Rear Admiral, he served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Southern Naval Command headquarters in Kochi, where he played a significant role in naval training initiatives. He also helped establish the Indian Naval Safety Team, responsible for overseeing operational safety across the Navy. He later headed the Navy’s Work Up Organisation as Flag Officer Sea Training before taking charge as Flag Officer Commanding of the Western Fleet.

Following his leadership of the Western Fleet, he was appointed Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor on Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India. Upon promotion to Vice Admiral, he served in several senior positions, including Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, Controller of Personnel Services, and Chief of Personnel at Naval Headquarters. Before assuming his current role, he was the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.

Vice Admiral Swaminathan holds a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, an MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology, an MA in Defence Studies from King's College London, an MPhil in Strategic Studies from University of Mumbai, and a PhD in International Studies from the same university.