Lt Gen. Sandeep Jain has assumed the appointment of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS). An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned into the Mahar Regiment in June 1988. Over nearly four decades of distinguished service, he has held a wide range of command and staff appointments across diverse operational environments.

He has commanded an infantry battalion in semi-desert terrain as well as in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, an infantry brigade in a Strike Corps, a counter insurgency force and a Pivot Corps in Northern Command. His operational experience includes participation in Operation Pawan, service as a military observer with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and multiple tenures in high-altitude areas and counter-insurgency operations along the Line of Control and in the Northeast. On elevation as Army Commander, he served as GOC-in-C, Southern Command.