Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain assumed command as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command on 1 April 2026. He succeeded Lt Gen. Dhiraj Seth, who took over as the vice chief of the army staff on the same day.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen. Jain was commissioned into the Mahar Regiment in June 1988. Over a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, he has held a wide range of command and staff appointments across diverse operational environments.

The General Officer has commanded an infantry battalion in semi-developed 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 North East. He is also the colonel of the Mahar Regiment.

Prior to assuming command of Southern Command, he served as chief of staff at Headquarters Southern Command, where he contributed significantly to capability development, force restructuring and overall operational preparedness.

The General Officer has attended the Higher Command Course at the Army War College and the National Defence Course in Kenya. In recognition of his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Sena Medal.

On assuming command, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the Southern Command War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at Headquarters Southern Command. He stated that the Command will continue to focus on operational readiness across its diverse areas of responsibility, including deserts, the Rann and Creek Sector, coastline, island territories and hinterland. He emphasised strengthening jointness, indigenous capability development and technology absorption under the JAI framework and directed all ranks to maintain high standards of preparedness, professionalism and combat readiness in line with evolving operational challenges.