Overview
- Lieutenant General Vijay Oberoi died on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at the Command Hospital in Chandimandir after a brief illness, and his passing has drawn condolences from serving officers and veterans.
- Commissioned into the Maratha Light Infantry in June 1961, Oberoi was grievously wounded in the Dachigam forests in August 1965 when his right leg was shattered and later amputated, but he continued an active career that ended with his retirement as Vice Chief on September 30, 2001.
- He held senior posts including Director General Military Operations, GOC‑in‑C of Army Training Command (ARTRAC) and Western Command, and he is widely credited with driving post‑Kargil doctrinal and training reforms to update the Army’s operational concepts.
- After retirement he founded the Centre for Land Warfare Studies to build land‑war thinking and the War Wounded Foundation to secure long‑term rehabilitation and livelihoods for disabled veterans, and he publicly symbolised resilience when he ran the Mumbai Marathon on a prosthetic at age 72.
- His death is likely to renew public and institutional attention to veteran rehabilitation and Army training priorities, and his funeral with full military honours reflected the deep respect he commanded across the defence community.