The Speaker:
Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, AVSM & Bar, VSM, is currently Director-General of the National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi.  He retired in 2013 after an illustrious four-decade-long career in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy.  His sea-going service incorporated for command tenures, culminating in his command of the aircraft carrier, the Viraat.  As a Flag Officer, he was the Navy’s first Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation & Intelligence) and conceptualised and executed the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).  As a Vice Admiral, he has been Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command; and was, in his last naval appointment, the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy (Ezhimala).  He has been commended three times by the President of India for sustained distinguished service. 

Not one to rest on past laurels, he has remained active even after retirement and is a much sought-after thought-leader, mentor and a globally renowned maritime analyst. He is a visiting faculty at all Service-specific and tri-Service higher-command establishments in the country and the National Defence College.  He is also a prolific writer with over 85 published professional articles and papers and a respected Adviser and Fellow of several important think-tanks. He is also an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College, the Naval War College, and the National Defence College, with BSc, MSc and MPhil degrees under his belt.