A. K. Bharti Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About A. K. Bharti

• On 13 June 1987, A. K. Bharti joined the fighter branch of the Indian Air Force.

• He is a trained Fighter Combat Leader.

• In 1997, the then Chief of Air Staff praised him for his dedication to duty.

• A. K. Bharti served as the Squadron Commanding Officer from 16 August 2005 to 2 September 2007 at The No.30 Squadron in Lohegaon Air Force Station, Pune, Maharashtra.
• He worked as the Flight Commander of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft during the same period.
  

  An old picture of A. K. Bharti

• The No.30 Squadron was inspected by the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection in November 2006. They were tested on many different missions that the aircraft could perform.

• Under his professional and effective leadership, during important missions, the squadron was rated as ‘Above Average’ and ‘Exceptional’ and also received an ‘Average Plus’ grade.

• A. K. Bharti played a major role in making the Indian aircraft weapon systems ready to use and helped in creating new techniques for using the aircraft in missions.

• He was praised for his performance in two joint operations, Indradhanush 2006 with the Royal Air Force (UK) and Garuda 2007 with the French Air Force.

• On 26 December 2014, A. K. Bharti was appointed as the Air Officer Commanding in Lohegaon (Pune). He served in the position till 1 January 2017.

• From 1 December 2017 to 31 July 2018, he served as the Principal Director (Operations, Information, and Electronic Warfare) at Delhi Air Headquarters.

• On 1 March 2018, he was appointed as the Squadron Commodore Commandant at the Indian Air Force.

• A. K. Bharti served as the Air Commandant (Operations, Information, and Electronic Warfare) at Delhi Air Headquarters from 1 August 2018 to 4 December 2019.

• On 1 December 2019, he was appointed as the Chief Staff Officer (Air Vector Strategy) at Strategic Forces Command, Delhi.

• On 1 September 2021, A. K. Bharti started working as an Air Officer Commanding at Eastern Air Command Headquarters in Calcutta.

• From 23 November 2022 to 31 August 2023, he served as the Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Offensive Operations at Air Headquarters in New Delhi.

• On 1 August 2023, A. K. Bharti was appointed as Senior Air Staff Officer (Air Marshal) at Central Air Command in Allahabad. He served in the position till 30 September 2024.

• In October 2024, he became the Director General of Air Operations (Air Marshal) and started working at Air Headquarters in New Delhi.

  

  A. K. Bharti, after being appointed as the Director General of Air Operations (October 2024)

• In 2024, A. K. Bharti took part in the Air Force exercise Gagan Shakti, which was conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to test its capabilities and readiness for high-intensity operation.

• In 2025, A. K. Bharti became the Director General of Air Operations (DGAO) at Air Headquarters in New Delhi.

• After a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April 2025, that killed 26 civilians, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor.

  

  A press briefing regarding ‘Operation Sindoor’ by Col. Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force

• This operation was a joint military effort against terrorist camps and military targets in Pakistan.

• As DGAO, A. K. Bharti led the planning and execution of several air strikes.

• During this time, during a media conference, he confirmed that the Indian Air Force successfully hit main targets, including terror camps in Bahawalpur and Muridke, and air bases in Chaklala, Rafiq, and Rahim Yar Khan in Pakistan.

• On 11 May 2025, A. K. Bharti released a statement and confirmed that all the Indian pilots had come back home. He said that the objective of the operation was achieved. He said,
  

  We are in a combat scenario and losses are part of combat. However, we have achieved all our objectives and all our pilots are back home.”

  He also mentioned that all Pakistani planes were stopped from entering the Indian border. He said,

  We have downed a few Pakistani planes. So, we don’t have wreckage with us, but definitely, we have downed a few Pakistani planes; numbers, we would not like to hazard a guess out here, I have the numbers and we are getting into technical details to establish it. So, I would like to put a figure at this time.

  

  Lt. General Rajiv Ghai with Air Marshal AK Bharti, Vice Admiral AN Pramod, and Major General SS Sharda during a press conference on ‘Operation Sindoor’ in New Delhi (2025)