Our First Colonel

Capt Sir Arthur Hope, KCIE, MC
Governor of Madras
25 September 1942 to 09 August 1946

Capt Sir Arthur Hope as the first Colonel-in-Chief of the Madras Regiment was responsible for the resurrection of The Madras Regiment in 1941. He inaugurated the Training Centre of the Regiment at Madukarai on 23 September 1942. He held the appointment of Colonel-in-Chief of the Madras Regiment from 25 September 1942 to 09 August 1946.

Gen Archibald Nye, GCIE, KCB, KBE, MC
Governor of Madras
10 August 1946 to 31 March 1949

A distinguished General of the British Army, he succeeded Capt Sir Arthur Hope as Governor of Madras and Colonel-in-Chief of the Madras Regiment. He was Colonel-in-Chief of the Madras Regiment from 10 August 1946 to 31 March 1949. He was singularly instrumental in shifting of Centre to occupy the famous Wellington (later Shrinagesh) Barracks in 1947.

Gen SM Shrinagesh
01 April 1949 to 31 March 1961

Gen SM Shrinagesh was commissioned in 1925 into the Staffordshire Regiment. He held prestigious appointment of Deputy Chief of the Indian Military Mission in Germany in 1945 and Commander 268 Infantry Brigade in Japan in 1946. He has the honour of becoming the first Indian Colonel of the Madras Regiment from 01 April 1949 to 31 March 1961. After retirement, he continued as Honorary Colonel of the Regiment till 10 May 1965.

Commissioned into the 7/19 Hyderabad Regiment on 15 February 1941. During the World War II, he was awarded the Military Cross twice for gallantry. A Graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff Course, Fort Leavenworth and the Imperial Defence College in Britain, he commanded a Brigade Group in Congo as part of the UN Peace Keeping Force from 1962-63. He retired as Deputy Chief of the Army Staff.

Maj Gen SP Mahadevan, AVSM
05 September 1973 to 30 June 1982

Commissioned into the Madras Regiment on 28 April 1946, he graduated from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington in 1958 and National Defence College in 1971. During his illustrious career of 36 years, he held prestigious appointment of BGS during 1971 War and thereafter Chief-of-Staff of a Corps along the Indo-Pak border. He retired as General-Officer-Commanding of ATNKK & G Area.

Lt Gen Sami Khan, PVSM, SM
01 July 1986 to 31 March 1989

Commissioned on 10 July 1951 into the Madras Regiment. He was awarded the Sena Medal for exemplary courage in Congo during 1962 - 63. After command of the prestigious National Defence Academy, the General Officer commanded the most active Corps in J & K. He retired as GOC-in-C, Central Command in March 1989.

Commissioned on 11 December 1955 into the Madras Regiment, he commanded a company during 1962 operations and a battalion in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defence College, New Delhi, he held the coveted appointment of DGMO at Army Headquarters. He was appointed as Honorary ADC to the President of India on 01 January 1994. He retired as Military Secretary at Army Headquarters.

Lt Gen MM Walia, PVSM, AVSM, SM
01 April 1994 to 30 April 1996

Commissioned on 13 December 1959 into the Madras Regiment, he graduated from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the Royal College of Defence Studies (UK). He commanded a Mountain Brigade and Mountain Division in the Eastern Sector. He retired as Chief of Staff Northern Command on 30 April 1996.

Lt Gen AS Rao, PVSM, AVSM
01 May 1996 to 31 October 2001

Commissioned on 10 June 1962 into the Madras Regiment, he held various staff and instructional appointments during his service, important among these being a tenure as instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Colonel GS of an Infantry Division. He held the prestigious appointment of Commandant, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He retired as Director General NCC.

Lt Gen DS Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM
01 November 2001 to 31 December 2003

He was commissioned into the Madras Regiment in 1962. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he was Brigade Major of an Armd Bde, Col GS of a Corps in ‘OP PAWAN’ and Commanded a Brigade in Sri Lanka. After command of an Inf Div, he took over as Commandant, Infantry School, Mhow and then Military Secretary at Army Headquarters. He retired as GOC-in-C, Central Command.

Lt Gen AK Chopra, PVSM, AVSM
22 December 2004 to 30 November 2006

Commissioned into the Madras Regiment on 11 June 1967, he was a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He had held the appointment of Defence Attache at Myanmar. Besides various staff and instructional appointments, the General Officer was BGS and later Chief of Staff of the most active Corps in J & K. He retired as Commandant, National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla.

Maj Gen VDI Devavaram, SM, VSM
01 January 2004 to 21 December 2004 and
01 December 2006 to 31 December 2007

Commissioned on 20 December 1970 into the Madras Regiment, the General Officer served with the IPKF in Srilanka. A graduate of the National Defence College, New Delhi, he commanded a Mountain Division in Eastern Sector and served as Major General General Staff of the newly raised South Western Command. He retired as Commander, Junior Leader Wing, The Infantry School, Belgaum. He is the first Officer to hold the ‘Colonelcy’ twice.

Lt Gen PG Kamath, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM
01 January 2008 to 31 Mar 2013

He was commissioned on 17 June 1973 into the Madras Regiment. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defence College, New Delhi. He has held noteworthy Instructional appointments at Inf School, Mhow, Army War College and IMTT in Bhutan. The General also represented the country as ‘Defence Adviser’ at High Commission of India in Malaysia. After command of an Infantry Division, he was Addl MS at IHQ of MoD (Army). On promotion to the rank of Lt Gen, the officer assumed the appointment of DG DC & W and was COS, Central Command, Lucknow. He retired as Commandant, Army War College, Mhow on 31 Mar 2013. 

Lt Gen Jai Prakash Nehra, AVSM**
01 April 2013 to 31 Oct 2014

Commissioned in June 1974 into the Madras Regiment. He is an alumni of Sainik School, Chittorgarh and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He has a rich and varied command, staff and instructional experience. He was Deputy Force Commander and Deputy Head of Mission, UNIFIL (Lebanon), where he served for two years, during which he played a key role in managing the mission during the intense 34 days Israel – Hezbollah conflict, as also post conflict expansion of the mission. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, was nominated for Higher Defence Management Course and also holds Post Graduate Degrees of M.Sc (Defence Studies), MMS and M.Phil (Defence and Strategic Studies). On promotion to the rk of Maj Gen, he was on deputation to Assam Rifles as Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland. For his distinguished service in Nagaland, he was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. Later he was posted as Additional Director General Assam Rifles at Headquarters Directorate General of Assam Rifles, Shillong.

On promotion to Lt Gen, he took over the command of White Knight Corps where he exhibited visionary zeal to effect transformatory changes in all spheres of command and he was awarded Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2012. After commanding a Corps, the General Officer was assumed the coveted appointment of Adjutant General in Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army. Presently the General Officer is Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (IS & T), the Second General Officer from the Regiment to rise to this appointment.