Pratik Sharma

The general officer is an alumnus of Uttar Pradesh Sainik School, Lucknow.^[6] He then attended the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He is also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and the National Defence College, New Delhi.^[7]

He was commissioned into the 2nd battalion of the Madras Regiment on 19 December 1987 from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.^[8] In a distinguished career spanning over 37 years he has served across vivid terrains and has undertaken many staff and instructional appointments. He has taken part in various operations in home and abroad, which includes UNOCI. As a Brigadier, he commanded 80 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir.^[9] As a Major General, he was appointed as General Officer Commanding 25 Infantry Division and also served in the Military Secretary's branch at the IHQ of MoD, New Delhi.^[10]

After being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, he was appointed as the Director General Information Warfare at the newly institutionalized Information Directorate at the Army Headquarters, New Delhi.^[11] On 21 March 2022, he took over as the General Officer Commanding Kharga Corps (II Corps) from Lieutenant general N. S. Raja Subramani.^[12] A year later on 1 July 2023, he assumed the appointment of Director General of Military Operations.^[13] After completing his term as the DGMO, on 1 November 2024 he took over as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) succeeding Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar Aich.^[3]

On 1 May 2025, Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma took over as the General Officer Commanding in Chief, Northern Command succeeding Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar when the latter superannuated on 30 April 2025.^[14]

He is an cyclist and reads with a penchant for research.^[15]

The general officer has been awarded with the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal on Independence Day 2025 for his role during Operation Sindoor,^[16] the Param Vishisht Seva Medal on Republic Day 2025,^[17] the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2021 and the Sena Medal.

Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal		Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal	Sena Medal		Samanya Seva Medal
Special Service Medal	Siachen Glacier Medal	Operation Parakram Medal	Sainya Seva Medal
High Altitude Medal	Videsh Seva Medal	75th Independence Anniversary Medal	50th Independence Anniversary Medal
30 Years Long Service Medal	20 Years Long Service Medal	9 Years Long Service Medal	UNOCI