Air Vice Marshal Indika Wickramasinghe officially took office as Vice Chancellor of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University on September 1, 2026, succeeding Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara.
Air Vice Marshal Indika Wickramasinghe has officially assumed the position of Vice Chancellor at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), taking office on September 1, 2026. He succeeds Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara, whose tenure has concluded. The formal handover ceremony took place at the KDU premises in Ratmalana and was attended by senior academic, administrative, and military officials.
Wickramasinghe is an aeronautical engineer with a distinguished career in the Sri Lanka Air Force. He has previously served in several key positions, including Director General of General Engineering and Director General of Aeronautical Engineering. According to the Ministry of Defence, he brings extensive experience in defence studies, strategic studies, and aerospace engineering to his new role.
The assumption of duties was marked by ceremonial elements including a guard turnout, a parade featuring KDU colours, and a symbolic tree planting. Religious observances featured in the event, with Pirith chanting by the Maha Sangha during the proceedings. Wickramasinghe addressed the Deans of all faculties following the ceremony, outlining plans to enhance KDU's standards through quality education, academic excellence, and increased research output. He called for staff support and active participation in achieving these objectives.
Wickramasinghe publicly acknowledged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the appointment and the Commander of the Air Force for the nomination. He also credited the guidance of former Kotelawala Defence Academy leaders for preparing him for the Vice Chancellor role.