Sureesh Mehta

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title: "Sureesh Mehta" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chiefs-of-the-naval-staff-(india)", "indian-navy-admirals", "directors-general-of-the-indian-coast-guard", "flag-officers-commanding-western-fleet", "1947-births", "high-commissioners-of-india-to-new-zealand", "living-people", "chiefs-of-personnel-(india)", "indian-naval-aviators", "recipients-of-the-param-vishisht-seva-medal", "recipients-of-the-ati-vishisht-seva-medal", "defence-services-staff-college-alumni", "national-defence-college,-india-alumni"] description: "Former Chief of the Indian Navy" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sureesh_Mehta" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Former Chief of the Indian Navy ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
honorific_prefix	Admiral
name	Sureesh Mehta
honorific_suffix	PVSM, AVSM
birth_date
image	Sureesh Mehta CNS.jpg
caption	Sureesh Mehta interacting with the media on the eve of the Navy Day 2007, in New Delhi
spouse	Maria Teresa Mehta
office	15th Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand
term_start	December 2009
term_end	December 2011
appointer	President of India (then, Pratibha Patil)
predecessor	K. P. Ernest
successor	Avanindra K. Pandey
office1	48th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
term_start1	30 September 2007
term_end1	31 August 2009
president1	Pratibha Patil
primeminister1	Manmohan Singh
predecessor1	Joginder Jaswant Singh
office2	19th Chief of the Naval Staff (India)
term_start2	31 October 2006
term_end2	31 August 2009
president2	A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Pratibha Patil
primeminister2	Manmohan Singh
predecessor2	Arun Prakash
successor2	Nirmal Kumar Verma
successor1	Deepak Kapoor
allegiance	India
branch

| | serviceyears | 1967 – 2009 | | rank | [[File:IN_Admiral_Shoulder_curl.png|20px]] [[File:14-Indian Navy-ADM.svg|20px]] Admiral | | commands | Eastern Naval Command Western Fleet | | unit | Indian Naval Air Arm | | battles | Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Operation Lal Dora Kargil War | | military_blank1 | Award(s) | | military_data1 | {{plainlist| | ::

| honorific_prefix = Admiral | name = Sureesh Mehta | honorific_suffix = PVSM, AVSM | birth_date = | death_date = | birth_place = | death_place = | placeofburial = | image = Sureesh Mehta CNS.jpg | caption = Sureesh Mehta interacting with the media on the eve of the Navy Day 2007, in New Delhi | nickname = | spouse = Maria Teresa Mehta | office = 15th Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand | term_start = December 2009 | term_end = December 2011 | appointer = President of India (then, Pratibha Patil) | predecessor = K. P. Ernest | successor = Avanindra K. Pandey | office1 = 48th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee | term_start1 = 30 September 2007 | term_end1 = 31 August 2009 | president1 = Pratibha Patil | primeminister1 = Manmohan Singh | predecessor1 = Joginder Jaswant Singh | office2 = 19th Chief of the Naval Staff (India) | term_start2 = 31 October 2006 | term_end2 = 31 August 2009 | president2 = A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Pratibha Patil | primeminister2 = Manmohan Singh | predecessor2 = Arun Prakash | successor2 = Nirmal Kumar Verma | successor1 = Deepak Kapoor | allegiance = India | branch =

| serviceyears = 1967 – 2009 | rank = [[File:IN_Admiral_Shoulder_curl.png|20px]] [[File:14-Indian Navy-ADM.svg|20px]] Admiral | commands = Eastern Naval Command Western Fleet | unit = Indian Naval Air Arm | battles = Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Operation Lal Dora Kargil War | military_blank1 = Award(s) | military_data1 = {{plainlist|

• [[File:Param_Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|20px]] Param Vishist Seva Medal
• [[File:Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|20px]] Ati Vishist Seva Medal | relations = | laterwork = Admiral Sureesh Mehta, PVSM, AVSM (born August 18, 1947) served as 19th Chief of the Indian Navy from 31 October 2006 until 31 August 2009. He was succeeded by Nirmal Kumar Verma. He is the first service chief from India's armed forces to be born post Indian Independence. He is married to Maria Teresa Mehta, and they have two children.

Early life

Admiral Mehta was born on 18 August 1947 at Gurdaspur, Punjab in a Hindu Punjabi Khatri Family. He studied in the National Defence Academy before joining the Indian Navy. Later, he also graduated from the Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College.

Military career

After graduating, Admiral Mehta joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Indian Navy, where he flew the Hawker Sea Hawk off the aircraft carrier, . He was the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet during the Kargil War. Later, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) from 30 September 2005 till his appointment as the Naval Chief. He was appointed the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) on 28 September 2007.

Awards and distinctions

In 1995, Admiral Mehta was awarded the Ati Vishist Seva Medal. In 2005, he received the Param Vishist Seva Medal.

High Commissioner to New Zealand

After retirement, the Indian government appointed him as India's High Commissioner to New Zealand.

Awards and decorations

References

• http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Navy-Chiefs/Chiefs-Navy21.html

| before = Joginder Jaswant Singh | title = Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee | years = 2007- 31 August 2009

after =Deepak Kapoor

References

1. "Admiral Sureesh Mehta is new envoy to New Zealand - Times of India".
2. (26 January 2010). "Indian High Commissioner in Lower Hutt".
3. (8 October 2010). "India warns of fallout over race slurs".

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