| 1st Commander in Chief of Indian Army | General Sir Robert Lockhart |
| 1st Indian Commander in Chief of Indian Army | General KM Cariappa (later Field Marshall) |
| 1st Chief of Army Staff | General Rajendrasinhji |
| The Chief of Army during 1962 war | General PN Thapar |
| The Chief of Army during 1965 war | General JN Choudhary |
| The Chief of Army during 1971 war | Field Marshall SHFJ Maneckshaw |
| First Army Chief to become Field Marshall | Field Marshall SHFJ Maneckshaw |
| First Sikh to become the Chief of Army Staff | General JJ Singh |
| First Army Chief to die in harness | General BC Joshi |
| First Chief of Naval Staff | Admiral Charles Thomas Mark Pizey |
| First Indian Chief of Naval Staff | Vice Admiral RD Katari |
| First Naval Chief in the rank of Admiral | Admiral AK Chatterji |
| The Chief of Naval Staff during 1962 and 1965 war | Vice Admiral BS Soman |
| The Chief of Naval Staff during 1971 war | Admiral SM Nanda |
| 1st Chief of Air Staff | Air Marshall Thomas Elmhirst |
| 1st Indian Chief of Air Staff | Air Marshall Subroto Mukherji |
| 1st Chief in the rank of Air Chief Marshall | Air Chief Marshall Arjan Singh |
| 1st Marshall of the Indian Air Force | Air Chief Marshall Arjan Singh |
| The Chief of Air Staff during 1962 war | Air Marshall AM Engineer |
| The Chief of Air Staff during 1965 war | Air Chief Marshall Arjan Singh |
| The Chief of Air Staff during 1971 war | Air Chief Marshall PC Lal |
| First Chief of Integrated Service Command | Lt Gen Pankaj S Joshi |