New Delhi: The Indian Navy has announced a change of command in its Western Fleet, with Rear Admiral Srinivas Maddula assuming command from Vice Admiral Vivek Dahiya on July 29, 2026.
Rear Admiral Maddula is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Virginia, and the Indian Naval War College (INWC), Goa.
During his distinguished naval career, he has held several key command and staff appointments both ashore and afloat. His command assignments include INS Nipat, INS Ganga, INS Godavari, INS Trikand, INFACT-80, and the base depot ship INS Kadamba.
After being promoted to the rank of Flag Officer, Rear Admiral Maddula served as the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) at the Southern Naval Command (SNC), Kochi, and later as the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Force Levels and Capability Infrastructure – FCI) at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi.
The appointment marks a significant leadership transition in the Western Fleet, one of the Indian Navy’s premier operational formations responsible for safeguarding India’s maritime interests in the western seaboard and the Arabian Sea.