Who is Lt Gen Sushil Chander Mahant? Army officer takes charge as Director General of Integrated Training

Lieutenant General Sushil Chander Mahant took charge as the Indian Army’s Director General of Integrated Training on November 1. The Himachal Pradesh native brings more than 35 years of experience and is the first Sainik School Sujanpur Tira alumnus to attain the rank of Lieutenant General.

Lieutenant General Sushil Chander Mahant has assumed charge as the Indian Army’s Director General of Integrated Training (DGIT), taking over the appointment at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army) in New Delhi on November 1.

With more than 35 years of military service, Mahant brings experience in logistics, ordnance services, strategic planning and operational preparedness to the role. His appointment is also a milestone for Himachal Pradesh, as he is the first alumnus of Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira, to attain the rank of Lieutenant General.

Who is Lt Gen Sushil Chander Mahant?

Mahant hails from Katrain village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district. He completed his early education at Government High School in Katrain before joining Sainik School, Sujanpur Tira.

He joined the National Defence Academy in January 1988 and was commissioned into the Indian Army from the Indian Military Academy in December 1991. He is also an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington and the National Defence College in New Delhi, according to SSBCrack.

What has been his military career?

During his career spanning over three-and-a-half decades, Mahant has held several command and staff positions, primarily in logistics and ordnance services.

During his career, Mahant served as the Commanding Officer of the 11 Field Ordnance Depot, overseeing the management and supply of ordnance stores. He also held the post of Brigadier Ordnance with a Strike Corps, handling logistics support for its operational requirements, and later served as Major General Ordnance Services in an Army Command guarding the northern frontier with China.

According to SSBCrack, he secured the top position in three Army courses and also completed a high-altitude warfare course at Gulmarg.

What is his role as Director General of Integrated Training?

As DGIT, Mahant will oversee important aspects of the Indian Army's training framework. His responsibilities include improving training standards, strengthening institutional capabilities, enhancing physical fitness and promoting excellence in sports.

The appointment is aimed at strengthening the Army's training ecosystem and preparing personnel for evolving operational requirements. His experience in logistics, administration and operational preparedness is expected to contribute to these priorities.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X