Rear Admiral Shantanu Jha, NM, assumed charge as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA) from Rear Admiral Anil Jaggi at a ceremonial parade held at INS Kunjali on Thursday, October 16.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1993, Rear Admiral Jha is a specialist in Navigation and Direction with extensive operational experience, having served aboard six frontline warships, including INS Viraat. He has also held key sea commands of INS Nishank, Kora, and Sahyadri, and was the Executive Officer of INS Vikramaditya.
The officer`s distinguished staff appointments include roles at Naval Headquarters such as Commodore (Strategy, Concepts and Transformation), Commodore (Foreign Cooperation), and Naval Assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. He has also served as India`s Naval Attaché in Tehran.
An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the Royal College of Defence Studies, London, he holds Master’s degrees in Defence Studies and International Security and Strategy. A recipient of the Nao Sena Medal, Rear Admiral Jha has also been commended multiple times for his service.
Before taking over as FOMA, he served as the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at the Eastern Naval Command following his promotion to Flag Rank in January 2024.
