Air Marshal PP Khandekar assumed the responsibilities of Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance at Air HQ, New Delhi on 02 May 16. The Air Marshal is a graduate of VNIT, Nagpur and was commissioned in Indian Air Force is Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics) stream on 25 Jul 1977. He is a Post Graduate in Industrial Engineering from NITIE, Mumbai an alumni of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Master in Science in Defence & Strategic Studies from Madras University.

He is a fellow of IETE and Member of AeSI, IIE, CENJOWS and CSI. Air Marshal PP Khandekar has rich experience on aircraft such as Su-7, MiG-23 and MiG-27. He has commanded Air Force Station High Grounds and Air Force Station Kanpur. He has held various prestigious appointments at HQ MC, HQ IDS & Air HQ and has the unique distinction of being the first Commandant and Director of MILIT, a tri-service technology training institute. He has held the appointment of Senior Maintenance Staff Officer of an Operational Command and ACAS (Maintenance Plans) at Air HQ. Prior to taking over as AOM, he was Senior Maintenance Staff Officer at HQ Maintenance Command.

Air Marshal PP Khandekar has presented papers at National Seminars and AeSI Chapters on topics such as Blue Print of Strategy for Ageing Aircraft, C412 perspective, Life Extension Programme and India’s Foreign Policy- A Case of Continuity and Change Management & Absorption of Futuristic Technologies, Public-Private Convergence, Higher Education Format to Feed Aerospace Industry etc. At present he is pursuing Ph D with DIAT, a deemed university.

The Air Officer is married to Mrs Manisha Khandekar, a home maker. She hails from Indore and has been President AFWWA (L) at Air Force Station High Grounds, Air Force Station Kanpur and was the first President of Defence Wives’ Welfare Association- Local (DWWA-L) at MILIT, Pune. She has keen interest in welfare of specially abled children. While performing as President AFWWA (R) at HQ MC, she was awarded Commendation by the AOC-in-C for her exceptional contribution for social services and welfare activities by building a self-motivated team of Sanginis. They are blessed with two daughters who are IT Engineers and married.