Biswajit Dasgupta

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix = Vice Admiral

| name = Biswajit Dasgupta

| honorific_suffix = PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = File:3. FOC-IN-C(E) Display Photo 8X10.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date =

| death_date =

| birth_place =

| death_place =

| placeofburial =

| placeofburial_label =

| placeofburial_coordinates =

| nickname =

| birth_name =

| allegiance = {{IND}}

| branch = {{navy|India}}

| serviceyears = 1985 - 31 July 2023

| rank = 20px 20px Vice Admiral

| servicenumber =

| unit =

| commands = Eastern Naval Command
Eastern Fleet
INS Viraat
{{ship|INS|Tabar|F44}}
{{ship|INS|Karmuk|P64}}
{{ship|INS|Nishank|K43}}

| battles =

| battles_label =

| awards = 20px Param Vishisht Seva Medal
20px Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
20px Yudh Seva Medal
20px Vishisht Seva Medal

| spouse =

| relations =

| laterwork =

| signature =

| website =

| memorials =

| module =

}}

Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM is a retired officer of the Indian Navy. He served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. He had earlier served as the Chief of Staff of ENC from 2020 to 2021, Controller of Personnel Services at Naval HQ from 2019 to 2020 and as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) from 2016 to 2018.

Early life and education

Dasgupta graduated from the National Defence Academy, Pune.

Naval career

Dasgupta was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the Executive branch in 1985. He is a specialist in Navigation and Direction. In the early years of his career, he served as the Navigating Officer of the {{sclass|Pondicherry|minesweeper|1}} INS Bhavnagar, the {{sclass|Arnala|corvette|1}} {{INS|Androth|P69|6}} and the {{sclass|Rajput|destroyer|0}} guided missile destroyer {{INS|Ranvir|D54|6}}. He has served as the flag lieutenant to the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. He also served briefly as the Deputy Squadron Commander of the Chukar Aerial Target Squadron.{{cite web |title=Controller of Personnel Services (CPS) {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/node/20439 |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}

He has completed the staff course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the higher command course at the Army War College, Mhow. He has also attended the National Defence College, New Delhi.

Dasgupta has commanded the {{sclass|Veer|corvette|0}} missile vessel {{INS|Nishank|K43|6}}, the {{sclass|Kora|corvette|1}} {{INS|Karmuk|P64|6}} as the commissioning commanding officer, the {{sclass|Talwar|frigate|0}} guided missile frigate {{INS|Tabar|F44|6}} and was the 20th commanding officer of the aircraft carrier {{INS|Viraat}}. He has also served as the second-in-command of the {{sclass|Astravahini|torpedo recovery vessel|1}} INS Astravahini.

Dasgupta has served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. In his staff appointments, he has served as the Commander Work Up and as the Staff Officer (ND) at Naval HQ. In his instructional appointments, Dasgupta has served as directing staff at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and as the Officer-in-Charge Navigation and Direction School. As a commodore, Dasgupta served as the Naval Assistant (NA) to the Chief of the Naval Staff.

=Flag Rank=

On promotion to flag rank, Dasgupta took over as the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) (CSO Ops) at the Western Naval Command. As the CSO Ops, he played a pivotal role in planning and conducting Operation Neer. He also led the planning and successful execution of Operation Raahat during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. For these two operations, he was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal (YSM).{{cite web |title=Navy honours bravehearts for sterling service |url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/4181-navy-honours-bravehearts-sterling-service |website=The Sunday Guardian Live |date=16 April 2016}}

File:JMSDF Rear Admiral Yoshihiro Goka, Indian Navy Rear Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, and U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Bill Byrne pose for a photo in primary flight control aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during Malabar 2017.jpg Biswajit Dasgupta (FOCEF) (center) with RAdm Yoshihiro Goka (Commander, Escort Flotilla One) (left) and RDML Bill Bryne (Commander, Carrier Strike Group 11) (right) aboard {{USS|Nimitz}} during Exercise Malabar 2017]]

The citation for the YSM reads as follows:

{{Quotation|

{{center|CITATION

Rear Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta

Chief Staff Officer (Operations), Western Naval Command}}

The officer has significantly and actively contributed to the planning, conduct and successful accomplishment of mission of national and humanitarian importance, and the resultant positive image of India in the Indian Navy. For this exceptional and distinguished service in planning and execution of naval missions in the conflict zone of Yemen resulting in evacuation of Indian nationals from the war zone, response to the national water crisis in Maldives and towards co-ordination of all operational activities resulting in the saving of 33 lives at sea, Rear Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta is awarded the Yudh Seva Medal.|sign=|source=}}

On 14 October 2016, Dasgupta assumed the office of Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, taking over from Rear Admiral S. V. Bhokare.{{cite web |title=Biswajit Dasgupta is chief of Eastern Fleet |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/Biswajit-Dasgupta-is-chief-of-Eastern-Fleet/article16071997.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=15 October 2016}}{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral B Dasgupta, YSM, VSM assumes Command as Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/rear-admiral-b-dasgupta-ysm-vsm-assumes-command-flag-officer-commanding-eastern-fleet |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}} For his command of the Eastern Fleet, Dasgupta was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2018.{{cite web |title=Distinguished service and gallantry award winners on Republic day 2020 |url=https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1600569 |website=pib.gov.in}} He handed over charge of the Eastern Fleet to Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on 15 January 2018.{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi takes over as Eastern Fleet Commander {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/rear-admiral-dinesh-k-tripathi-takes-over-eastern-fleet-commander |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}

On 12 June 2019, on promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, Dasgupta took over as the Controller of Personnel Services at Naval Headquarters.{{cite web |title=Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta AVSM YSM VSM assumes charge as Controller Personnel Services (CPS) at Naval Headquarters on promotion @HQ_IDS_India @SpokespersonMoD @IAF_MCC @adgpi @IndiaCoastGuardpic.twitter.com/CiQoidv3QK |url=https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1027515074280411136 |website=@indiannavy |language=en |date=9 August 2018}} On 12 June 2020, he took over as the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Naval Command from Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade.{{cite web |title=Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, AVSM, YSM, VSM Assumes Charge as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/vice-admiral-biswajit-dasgupta-avsm-ysm-vsm-assumes-charge-chief-staff-eastern-naval-command |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}

He took over the reins as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command succeeding Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh on 1 December 2021.{{cite press release|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1776739|title=VICE ADMIRAL BISWAJIT DASGUPTA, AVSM, YSM, VSM TAKES OVER AS THE FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, ENC|publisher=PIB|date=2021-12-01}}

He superannuated on 31 July 2023, and was succeeded Rajesh Pendharkar.{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/eastern-naval-command-chief-vice-admiral-dasgupta-retires-in-visakhapatnam/article67142331.ece|title=Eastern Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Dasgupta retires in Visakhapatnam|work=The Hindu|date=2023-07-31}}

Awards and decorations

He was awarded PVSM on 26 January 2023.{{cite press release|url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1893744|title=DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AND GALLANTRY AWARDS TO INDIAN NAVY PERSONNEL ON REPUBLIC DAY - 2023|publisher=PIB|date=2023-01-25}}

style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Param Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Yudh_Seva_Medal_ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Samanya_Seva_medal.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Vijay medal.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Sainya_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Videsh_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

colspan=4|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=75yearmedal.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}} {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_30_Years_Long_Service_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

Param Vishisht Seva Medal

|Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

|Yudh Seva Medal

|Vishisht Seva Medal

Samanya Seva Medal

|Operation Vijay Medal

|Sainya Seva Medal

|Videsh Seva Medal

75th Independence Anniversary Medal