Operation Sindoor commander Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra selected as Ram temple Trust’s first CEO

NewsIndia NewsOperation Sindoor commander Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra selected as Ram temple Trust’s first CEO

Operation Sindoor commander Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra selected as Ram temple Trust’s first CEO

Lucknow: Sixteen months after Operation Sindoor, the officer who commanded India’s western air operations has been chosen for a very different responsibility. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has selected Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.Speaking to TOI, Mishra said, “I came to know about my appointment via news, I’m yet to receive official communication from trust.”The decorated former Indian Air Force commander retired in April 2026 and will now oversee the temple Trust’s expanding administrative responsibilities. However, the standard operating procedure for the appointment and functioning of the CEO has not yet been finalised, said Govind Dev Giri, general secretary of the Trust.

Mishra was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command when Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Much of the air operations in four days was directed from the command rooms of the Western Air Command, one of the Air Force’s most important operational formations. Mishra oversaw decisions linked to the deployment of aircraft and air defence assets during the military response.

Also read | Ram Mandir’s first CEO has a war command pedigree: Meet Air Marshal Jitendra MishraHe was among the senior military commanders recognised for leadership during Operation Sindoor. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal on him in recognition of his distinguished service during the operation.Mishra’s appointment brings to the Trust a senior leader with extensive experience in operational planning, coordination, logistics and managing large formations.<div data-pos="0" class="id-r-component iIpbx undefined

In a recent podcast interview, Mishra spoke about the air campaign during Operation Sindoor and explained how Indian forces identified and struck targets deep inside Pakistan. He described how a target located around 314 km away was destroyed after a brief operational instruction to “shoot”.While discussing the operation, he highlighted the importance of planning, precision, technology and coordination among different arms of the armed forces. Several operational details, however, remain classified.Mishra has roots in Uttar Pradesh. He originally belongs to Bhopatpura in Deoria district, around three hours by road from Ayodhya. He comes from a middle-class family and his father was a lecturer.Mishra joined the National Defence Academy in 1983 and was commissioned as a fighter pilot in December 1986. He later qualified as an experimental test pilot, one of the most specialised roles in military aviation.During his career, he served as chief test pilot of both the Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. In the role, he flew aircraft during development and testing stages, assessing their performance and identifying technical limitations before induction and operational deployment.Following the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air base in Jan 2016, Mishra was selected to take over the station and strengthen its administration and security systems. He later commanded the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment in Bengaluru, which works with HAL, the Defence Research and Development Organisation and civilian scientists on aviation systems.Mishra also served for three years at Air Headquarters in New Delhi, where he handled defence procurement. He was associated with around 75 projects and led the Air Force’s role in the first emergency procurement tranche during 2019 and 2020. His professional training includes war management at the Air Command and Staff College in the United States and strategic studies at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.The Trust’s CEO selection process began with 5,585 applications. The selection committee, headed by retired Justice Permod Kohli and comprising Lieutenant General V.K. Chaturvedi and nuclear scientist Dr Suresh Haware, conducted technology-assisted screening, verification and online assessments. Join conversation

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When he's not chasing stories, you’ll likely find him exploring food lanes, indulging in mutton delicacies and sundaes. He is a journalist with a can-do spirit and a flair for compelling storytelling. From railways and aviation to defence, infrastructure, social development and various other diverse beats, his reportage reflects depth. His work has earned him the Times Scribe Award four times.

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