Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra to assume charge as South Western Army commander on July 1 (Photo: X)
Jaipur: In a significant leadership transition within the Indian Army, Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra has been appointed the next general officer commanding in chief (GOC-in-C) of the South Western Command, also known as the Sapta Shakti Command, headquartered in Jaipur. He will take over the reins of the Jaipur-based command from Lt Gen Manjinder Singh, an Infantry officer, who superannuates at the end of this month.
The handover is scheduled for July 1, 2026, and comes as part of a broader wave of top-level command reshuffles across the Indian Army.
Alongside this appointment, Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, currently serving as the General Officer Commanding of 2 Corps at Ambala, has also been appointed as the GOC-in-C of the Southern Command.
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Lt Gen Malhotra, a decorated Armoured Corps officer, brings over three decades of operational experience to the post. Commissioned into the 47 Armoured Regiment on June 10, 1989, after graduating from the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he has also completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course in the United Kingdom.
His command portfolio is extensive – spanning the 47 Armoured Regiment, an Independent Armoured Brigade, the 1 Armoured Division (Airawat Division), and most recently the XII Corps (Konark Corps/Desert Corps), headquartered at Jodhpur, which he commanded from June 2023 to June 2025.
On assuming command of the Konark Corps, Lt Gen Malhotra urged all ranks to focus on operational preparedness for “Assured Victory” in the modern day battlefield.
He has also served as Additional Director General, Strategic Communication at Army Headquarters, and as Chief of Staff, Eastern Command.
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He carries the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and the Sena Medal (SM) for distinguished service.
The South Western Command, raised in 2005, oversees the country’s western frontier with Pakistan, including the critical desert sector. Lt Gen Malhotra’s deep familiarity with the XII Corps, a formation that directly falls under this command, is expected to bring continuity and operational sharpness to its functioning.
His appointment also comes at a pivotal moment, as the Army simultaneously manages the retirement of Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi and the transition to new leadership under Army Chief designate Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth.
