Fali Homi Major

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = F H Major

| honorific_suffix = PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM, ADC

| image = The Air Chief Marshal FH Major addressing the inaugural ceremony of UN conceptual exercise ‘AMAN SENA’, at College of Defence Management (CDM), in Hyderabad on May 21, 2008.jpg

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|May|29|df=yes}}

| death_date =

| birth_place = Secunderabad, Hyderabad State, British Raj

| death_place =

| nickname =

| spouse = Mrs. Zareen Major

| children = 2

| office = 21st Chief of the Air Staff (India)

| term_start = 31 March 2007

| term_end = 31 May 2009

| president = A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Pratibha Patil

| predecessor = Shashindra Pal Tyagi

| successor = Pradeep Vasant Naik

| office1 = 26th Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command

| term_start1 = 5 September 2005

| term_end1 = 31 March 2007

| president1 = A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

| predecessor1 = Avinash Deodata Joshi

| successor1 = Pranab Kumar Barbora

| allegiance = {{flag|India}}

| branch = {{air force|India}}

| serviceyears = 31 December 1967 – 31 May 2009

| rank = 30px Air Chief Marshal

| unit =

| commands = Eastern Air Command
AFS Sarsawa
129 HU
127 HU
12 TAC
30 WG
4 AFSB
21 WG

| battles = Siachen conflict
Operation Pawan
Kargil War

| military_blank1 = Awards

| military_data1 = {{plainlist|

}}

| military_blank2 = Later work(s)

| military_data2 = {{plainlist|

Member, National Security Advisory Board
Independent Director, Air India
Independent Director, Reliance Defence & Engineering Limited

}}

Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, PVSM, AVSM, SC, VM, ADC served as the 21st Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, taking office on 1 April 2007, and becoming the first helicopter pilot in the service to be promoted to the office of Chief.{{cite web|title=Air Marshal Fali Homi Major is New IAF Chief|date=31 January 2007 |url=https://parsikhabar.net/history/air-marshal-fali-homi-major-is-new-iaf-chief/585/}} He retired on 31 May 2009, and was succeeded in office by Air Chief Marshal P V Naik.{{cite news|title=P V Naik takes over as IAF chief|newspaper=NDTV.com |url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/p-v-naik-takes-over-as-iaf-chief-395234}}

Air Force Career

Major was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 31 December 1967 as a helicopter pilot.{{cite web|title=Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/11442}} During his long and distinguished service spanning little over 39 years, he worked in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. Besides being a Fellow of the National Defence College, New Delhi, and the Army War College, Mhow, he attended a variety of courses like Junior Commanders' Course, Jungle and Snow Survival Course and Higher Command Courses. He was appointed Joint Director (Helicopter Operations) and Director Operations (Transport & Helicopter). In 1999, Major took over as the Air Officer Commanding Leh (Ladakh), in the aftermath of the Kargil conflict.{{cite web|title=Air Chief Marshal FH Major PVSM AVSM SC VM ADC|url=http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_exchief.php?pg_id=&ch=21|access-date=15 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815135705/http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_exchief.php?pg_id=&ch=21|archive-date=15 August 2017|url-status=dead}}

Credits and awards

Major has the distinction of having 7,765 hours flying experience and is the most decorated Indian Air Force officer.{{cite news|title=Air Chief Marshal FH Major takes over as The Chief of Air Staff.|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=26545|accessdate=28 July 2012|newspaper=Press Information Bureau, Government of India|date=31 March 2007}} For his leadership, successful accomplishment of tasks and distinguished service of a very high order, he was awarded the ‘Ati Vishist Seva Medal’ in Jan 2002. Major was promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal in Feb 2002 and appointed as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Personnel Airmen & Civilians) at Air Headquarters. On promotion to the rank of Air Marshal in Jan 2004 Major moved to HQ Integrated Defence Staff as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) and directed the relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations of the Indian Armed Forces, in India and abroad, in the aftermath of the Tsunami. On 5 September 2005, he was appointed as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command. That tenure saw the successful conduct of three major international air exercises with the United States Air Force, Republic of Singapore Air Force and the French Air Force. Major was awarded the ‘Param Vishisht Seva Medal’ by the President of India on 26 Jan 2006.{{cite web|title=Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, PVSM AVSM SC VM ADC Chief of Air Staff, 31 March 2007 - 31 May 2009|url=http://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Chiefs/271-FH-Major.html}}

Major commanded a helicopter unit, which took part in operations in Siachen, the world's highest battlefield and commanded a Mi-17 squadron during the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, for which he was decorated with the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry).{{cite news|title=Air Marshal Fali H Major named next chief|website=The Times of India |date=30 January 2007 |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Air-Marshal-Fali-H-Major-named-next-chief/articleshow/1538101.cms}}

While serving as a Group Captain, Major was awarded Shaurya Chakra for undertaking a very dangerous and exacting rescue mission on 14 October 1992 at Timber Trail in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh, where he along with his crew, winched eleven stranded tourists out from a cable car, by hovering precariously close to the set of cables that ran above it.

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|{{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}}

style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;" class="wikitable"

|align="center" | Param Vishisht Seva Medal

|align="center" | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

align="center" | Shaurya Chakra

|align="center" | Vayu Sena Medal

|align="center" | General Service Medal

|align="center" | Samanya Seva Medal

align="center" | Poorvi Star

|align="center" | Paschimi Star

|align="center" | Siachen Glacier Medal

|align="center" | Operation Vijay Star

align="center" | Special Service Medal

|align="center" | Sangram Medal

|align="center" | Operation Vijay Medal

|align="center" | Operation Parakram Medal

align="center" | Sainya Seva Medal

|align="center" | High Altitude Medal

|align="center" | Videsh Seva Medal

|align="center" | 50th Anniversary Independence Medal

align="center" | 25th Anniversary Independence Medal

|align="center" | 30 Years Long Service Medal

|align="center" | 20 Years Long Service Medal

|align="center" | 9 Years Long Service Medal

Career after the Air Force

Major served as an Independent Director of Air India. He was also a member of the National Security Advisory Board to the Government of India.{{cite web|title=Executive Profile Fali Homi Major (Retd.)| website=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=99395279&privcapId=60939265}} Major has served as an Independent Director at Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited since 2016.{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=http://reliancedefence.co/board_of_directors.html |publisher=Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited |access-date=14 March 2025 |archive-date=15 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815174947/http://reliancedefence.co/board_of_directors.html}}

Personal life

Major was born on 29 May 1947 in Secunderabad, Nizam's Dominion. He is an alumnus of Wesley High School, Secunderabad. Air Chief Marshal F H Major is married to Mrs Zareen Major and has one son (Zubin Major) and one daughter (Tooshna Major).{{cite web |url=http://indianairforce.nic.in/content/fh-major-pvsm-avsm-sc-vm-adc |website=indianairforce.nic.in|title=FH MAJOR PVSM AVSM SC VM ADC |publisher=Indian Air Force}} Major belongs to Parsi community and is an avid golfer and a cricket fan.