New IAF Chief Dixit Meets Rajnath Singh, Warship Deal Worth Rs 53,866 Cr

New Delhi: The newly appointed Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Sunday. The meeting marked the first official interaction between the two since Dixit took charge as the 29th IAF chief.

Dixit assumed command after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal AP Singh. Before his elevation, he was serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Force. He received a guard of honour on November 1, a day before the meeting.

After the meeting, Rajnath Singh praised Dixit as an outstanding air warrior known for his exceptional leadership. He congratulated him on his new responsibilities and expressed the hope that his tenure would prove fruitful.

In his own remarks after taking over, Dixit said he was proud and honoured to lead the Air Force. He expressed gratitude to the President, the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister for their confidence, and thanked AP Singh for his service. He also noted that AP Singh had handed over a well-prepared Air Force, and recalled how the service demonstrated the strength of precise and decisive air power during Operation Sindoor.

The defence ministry, on Monday, signed contracts totalling Rs 53,866.50 crore for the construction and procurement of eight warships. Rajnath Singh termed the deal a very good development for India's indigenous shipbuilding ecosystem. He said the Next Generation Corvettes project for the Indian Navy would strengthen cooperation among public sector defence units, private shipyards, MSMEs and other industrial partners, providing a significant boost to the shipbuilding sector.