- Narayan Ramakrishnan completes a remarkable century of life and service
- Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh joins IAF veteran’s 100th birthday celebration
- From pre-Independence India to a modern air power: a living link to IAF history
- IAF honours veteran whose lifetime spans the evolution of India’s air arm
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, SEPT 13
A century after his birth, Master Warrant Officer (Honorary Flying Officer) Narayan Ramakrishnan (Retd) has received a salute from the very institution whose history forms a remarkable part of his life, with Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh joining the Indian Air Force veteran’s 100th birthday celebrations.
Born on September 11, 1926, Ramakrishnan reached the rare milestone of a century this week. The IAF marked the occasion with a message that fittingly captured the extraordinary journey: “A Century of Life. A Legacy of Service.”
The celebration brought together the IAF’s present leadership and its veteran community, turning a personal birthday milestone into a tribute to generations of air warriors who have helped shape India’s air power.
The significance of Ramakrishnan’s century goes beyond the number. He was born six years before the Indian Air Force was formally established in 1932, and went on to serve in an institution that transformed dramatically through Independence, the Republic and successive generations of technological change. He retired from the IAF in 1981.
A living bridge to IAF history
When Ramakrishnan was born in 1926, the IAF did not yet exist as an independent service. The force was established on October 8, 1932, beginning with a modest fleet and a small band of personnel.
By the time he retired in 1981, the IAF had evolved into a much larger and technologically more sophisticated force, having passed through the crucible of the Second World War, Independence and several decades of nation-building and military modernisation.
His life therefore provides an extraordinary bridge across the history of Indian military aviation — from the era before the IAF’s birth to the modern age of advanced fighters, networked warfare and rapidly evolving aerospace technology.
Air Chief joins the century salute
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, the serving Chief of the Air Staff, joined the celebrations, underlining the enduring bond between the IAF and its veterans. Singh assumed office as the 28th Chief of the Air Staff in September 2024 after a career spanning four decades.
The IAF’s gesture also highlighted the service’s continuing tradition of recognising and remaining connected with its veterans long after their active service has ended.
Ramakrishnan’s honorary designation as a Master Warrant Officer (Honorary Flying Officer) further reflects the institution’s tradition of recognising distinguished service and maintaining a bond between serving air warriors and veterans.
A century across two Indias
Few individual milestones can so vividly mirror the transformation of a nation.
Ramakrishnan was born in British India, witnessed Independence and the birth of the Republic, served through decades of national transformation and retired from the IAF in 1981. His 100th birthday now comes at a time when India is seeking greater self-reliance and technological strength in aerospace and defence.
The IAF’s tribute therefore carries a resonance beyond one birthday: it celebrates the accumulated experience, sacrifice and institutional memory of generations of air warriors.
For an Air Force that has travelled from the Westland Wapiti era to fifth-generation ambitions, unmanned systems, space-linked capabilities and indigenous aerospace platforms, the centenary of one of its veterans offers a poignant reminder that institutions are ultimately built by people.
