NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, SEPT 18
Lieutenant General Manish Erry, UYSM, AVSM, SM has assumed command of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, on 18 September 2025. He succeeds Lieutenant General Virendra Vats, YSM, SM, VSM, who completed a distinguished three-year tenure that saw significant advances in academic rigour, joint training, and international military collaboration at the prestigious institution.
Lt Gen Manish Erry, UYSM, AVSM, SM, took over as Commandant, Defence Services Staff College #DSSC, Wellington on 18 Sep '25, succeeding Lt Gen Virendra Vats, YSM, SM, VSM. Lt Gen Erry is a decorated Infantry Officer with 37 yrs of illustrious service.@artrac_ia
Contd ..1/2 pic.twitter.com/ISLVTwTGj8
— Defence PRO Chennai (@Def_PRO_Chennai) September 18, 2025
A Legacy of Excellence
Established in 1905 in Quetta (now in Pakistan) and relocated to Wellington, Tamil Nadu in 1947, DSSC is India’s foremost Tri-Services training establishment. The college trains selected officers from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, alongside participants from friendly foreign nations, in leadership, jointmanship, strategy, and staff functions. Having recently completed 77 years of excellence at Wellington, the college continues to shape the next generation of military leaders for India and its partner nations.
- He pledges to further enhance the college’s standing as a centre of excellence in professional military education, with a strong emphasis on jointmanship and future-ready leadership.
About Lt Gen Manish Erry
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (Khadakwasla), the Indian Military Academy (Dehradun), and DSSC itself, Lt Gen Erry was commissioned into the 9 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in December 1988.
A highly decorated officer with 37 years of service, he has commanded his battalion in the Northern Glacier and in high-altitude areas of Chushul, Eastern Ladakh, raised an Infantry Brigade in the Eastern Theatre as part of the Mountain Strike Corps, and later led both a Mountain Division and the Gajraj Corps in the Eastern Theatre.
In staff roles, he has served as Inspector General (Operations) at NSG, Chief of Staff, South Western Command, and Director General of Strategic Planning at the Integrated HQ of MoD (Army).
A Vision for the Future
On assuming command, Lt Gen Erry expressed gratitude to the civilian staff and local community for their steadfast support to DSSC. He pledged to further enhance the college’s standing as a centre of excellence in professional military education, with a strong emphasis on jointmanship and future-ready leadership.
