Manish Arora (officer)

Group Captain Manish Arora, VrC, SC is an officer of the Indian Air Force and a recipient of both the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra, making him a well decorated officer of the air force.^[1]

Group Captain Manish Arora VrC SC
Allegiance	India
Branch	Indian Air Force
Years of service	18 June 2005 – present
Rank	Group Captain
Service number	28462 F(P)
Battles / wars	2025 India–Pakistan conflict
Awards	Vir Chakra Shaurya Chakra

Military career

Arora was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 2005.^[2]

On 4 February 2010, as a Flight Lieutenant, Arora executed a recovery of a fighter aircraft after a canopy burst while at high altitude. Despite sustaining serious injuries, he retained control, recovered the aircraft and brought it safely back to base. For this act he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra.^[3][4][5]

In 2025, during 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, Arora served as a mission leader for strike missions. As per the Indian claims, these penetrated contested airspace and reportedly struck high-value targets. For his leadership and gallantry during those missions he was among the IAF personnel awarded the Vir Chakra. ^{[1][6][7][8][9]}