Air Marshal Pradeep Padmakar Bapat conferred with Param Vishisht Seva Medal

Air Marshal Pradeep Padmakar Bapat held important field appointments and assumed the appointment of DG (Wks & Cer) on being promoted to the rank of Air Marshal on Aug 01,17.

Air Marshal Pradeep Padmakar Bapat has been conferred with Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Born on Dec 12 1959, Air Marshal Pradeep Padmakar Bapat was commissioned in Indian Air Force in the Administrative Branch on May 28 1983. A Post Graduate in Zoology from Vikram University Ujjain, he was commissioned as a fighter controller and worked for initial ten years in the Fighter Controller stream and then took to the Administrative stream, taking over the assignments of Senior Administrative Officer and Chief Administrative Officer in subsequent tenures.

He has held important field appointments, including Chief Administrative Officer of an Equipment Depot, Dy Chief Administrative Officer of a Mirage Fighter base and Chief Administrative Officer of a SU 30 base. He was also a member of the IAF team to participate in a joint exercise with the South African Air Force named Golden Eagle at Hoiedspruits in South Africa. He has also held important staff appointments, which included Camp Commandant at Air HQ. He was the Command Works Officer of SWAC before being promoted as an Air Cmde to take over the reins of AFS Avadi on Dec 01, 2011, as AOC 23 Equipment Depot, the mother depot for clothing, tentage, and SHD for small arms and ammunition etc. He relinquished his appointment as AOC 23 ED, AF, to take over as CPSO HQ CAC on Jan 14. 

After a short tenure at CAC, the Air Officer was posted to Air HQ to assume the appointment of Principal Director, AF Works, on Aug 14.  On promotion as Air Vice Marshal, he assumed the appointment of ACAS (AF Works) w.e.f Aug 01 2015. The Air Officer assumed the appointment of DG (Wks & Cer) on being promoted to the rank of Air Marshal on Aug 01 17.

On Nov 01, 18, the Air Mshl assumed the appointment of the Air Officer in charge of administration. The Air Officer is a recipient of the “Vishisht Seva Medal” for his distinguished service. The Air Marshal retired from active service after three and a half decades of yeoman service to the organisation on Dec 31 2019. He was also conferred with the “Param Vishisht Seva Medal” on Jan 26 2020, for his stupendous service post-retirement.

He is a keen sportsman, fond of the outdoors and keeping fit. He plays golf, Badminton and Cycle Polo. He has represented Madhya Pradesh twice in National Cycle Polo Championship. The Cycle Polo Federation of India appointed him as the Manager of the Indian Cycle Polo team during the Tri-series tournament between India, Pakistan, and Nepal held at Jodhpur. He has led the Indian Military sports contingent to china during world military games. Recently, he has taken over as President of the Cycle Polo Federation of India. He is also an avid music lover. He is married to Smita, and they have two sons.