Advisory Board

Air Marshal (Retd) Ajit Bhavnani retired from the Indian Air Force in October 2006 as Vice Chief of Air Staff after 40 years of distinguished service to the nation. He participated in active operational missions during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and was awarded the Vayu Sena Gallantry medal for his outstanding contribution. His key career appointments in the IAF include:

• Combat flying instructor in the Middle East
• Leader of IAF team selected to induct the newly acquired Mirage 2000 aircraft from France
• Commandant of IAF’s Top Gun School: TACDE
• Defence Attache at Indian Embassy in Sweden & Scandinavian countries
• Commander of IAF’s premier air base, Gwalior
• Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s Strategic (nuclear) Forces Command
• Vice Chief of the IAF

Post retirement, he was appointed as member of the GoI’s DRDO Review Committee and member of the Civil Aviation Committee for modernization of Airports & Navigational Systems. In Nov 2008, he was selected as MD & CEO of a new TATA company, NOVA Integrated Systems, which engaged in manufacture of aerospace and defence systems. After five years in this appointment, he now continues with TATAs as Senior Advisor in strategies for Aerospace and Defence. He is also Director on the Board of SAMTEL Avionics.

Currently, Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani is a member of:

• CII’s Zonal Committee on Aerospace and Defence.
• Aspen Ananta Institute of ndia
• Global Zero movement on Nuclear Disarmament
• Member of Strategic Chain Dialogue with Brookings Institute.