General Manoj Mukund Naravane (retd) served as the twenty-eighth Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army from 31 December 2019 to 30 April 2022. He did his initial schooling in the Air Force Central School, Delhi Cantt, and Jnana Prabodhinee Prashala, Pune. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla (Pune); the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun; the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; and the Army War College, Mhow, where he was also on the faculty. Gen Naravane holds a master’s degree in defence studies, an MPhil degree in defence and management studies, and a PhD based on his experiences in Nagaland.

In a distinguished military career covering more than four decades, he served as the Vice Chief of Army Staff and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Training and Eastern Commands. He has vast experience in foreign affairs, having been part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, a Defence Attaché at Yangon, Myanmar, and the head of the Indian delegation to several countries.

Gen Naravane has many national and international awards to his credit, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Distinguished Public Service Award 2022, conferred by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). Since September 2023, he has been an adviser to the USISPF board. He has delivered a number of talks on national security and leadership at prestigious institutions, including the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, London; the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore; and the Institute of National Defence Studies and Research, Taiwan. Gen Naravane also writes a bi-weekly column for ThePrint India, on matters of national security.