Major Gen Sudhir Kumar Sharma of Patan conferred with Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

 

 

 

This is a moment of great pride for Chhattisgarh as Major General Sudhir Kumar Sharma, of Patan Durg and a senior officer of the Indian Army, has been conferred with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), one of the country’s prestigious military decorations, by the Government of India. This honour has been bestowed upon him for his outstanding and exceptional contributions in the fields of national security, defense production, and international defense cooperation. This is the fourth distinguished military honour bestowed upon Major General Sharma by the Government of India. Previously, he has received the Sena Medal twice and the Vishisht Seva Medal once. His achievement has brought immense pride not only to his family but also to the entire Durg-Bhilai region and State of Chhattisgarh. Currently, Major General Sudhir Kumar Sharma is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited.

 

This is a significant joint venture between India and Russia, which is manufacturing state-of-the-art AK-203 assault rifles for the Indian Army in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. (Contd on page 6) Major Gen Sharma conferred... Under this project, approximately 600,000 rifles are being manufactured for the Indian Army, at a total cost of around Rs. 5,300 crores. This project is considered a historic step towards realizing the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) vision. For the past two and a half years, Major General Sharma has been leading this ambitious defense project, ensuring remarkable achievements in indigenous weapons manufacturing, technology transfer, and timely production. Under his leadership, the plant in Amethi has become one of the country’s most important defense production centers. Previously, Major General Sudhir Kumar Sharma served as the Additional Director General (ADG), Capability Development, at Army Headquarters, New Delhi, where he played a crucial role in the modernization of the Indian Army, future war preparedness, and formulating long-term capability development strategies.

 

He has also served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Ram Division. His experience on the international stage has also been highly impressive. He served as India’s Defence Attaché in Paris, France, where he gave a new direction to defence cooperation and diplomacy with India, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. During this tenure, he also handled security, coordination, and defence matters during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s four official visits to France. Major General Sudhir Kumar Sharma, who was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1989, is originally from Patan in the Durg district. He is the son of Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Champa Mishra, who currently reside in Durg.

 

His journey, from his early education to the heights of his military career, has become an inspiration for the youth of Patan and Durg today. There is an atmosphere of joy and pride in the Patan and Durg regions over Major General Sharma’s achievement. Local citizens, ex-servicemen, and elected representatives have described it as a moment of glory for the land of Chhattisgarh. This honour proves that even those from small towns and cities can bring glory to the nation at the national and international levels.