Air Marshal P.V. Shivanand AVSM, VM, took charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command on 1 July 2026. The Air Marshal was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1988. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. The Air Marshal has a cumulative flying experience of over 2,800 hours on MiG-21 and the IL-76 AWACS.

The Air Marshal has held several command and staff appointments including a diplomatic appointment as the Defence and Air Attaché at the Embassy of India in Washington DC, USA with concurrent accreditation to Canada. He has commanded two frontline squadrons of the IAF and a premier airbase in the Eastern Sector. He has also undertaken key staff appointments at HQ SWAC and Air HQ specialising in the domain of Air Operations, Air Defence and Airborne Sensors and Networking.

During his career, he spearheaded the operationalisation of key platforms and several air defence initiatives, significantly enhancing surveillance capabilities and an integrated air defence architecture. Prior to taking charge of SWAC, he held the appointment of Senior Air Staff Officer, Headquarters Central Air Command