Major General Vikram Kumar (Retd.) is a second-generation Army officer with nearly four decades of selfless service to the nation. He joined the National Defence Academy at the age of sixteen and a half and, after four years of rigorous training, was commissioned into The 64th Cavalry, a tank regiment, in June 1988 — a unit he later went on to command. A thoroughbred cavalry officer, he has served with distinction in all terrains and operations of war against both China and Pakistan.

He is an alumnus of the School of Armoured Warfare, Army War College, College of Air Warfare, Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School and the Defence Services Staff College. He holds a Diploma in Senior Defence Management, a master's degree in Defence Studies and an M.Phil in Strategic Studies and International Relations, and is pursuing a doctorate in Strategic Studies from Madras University.

He has served in the plains of Punjab, the deserts of Rajasthan, the mountains of Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, and the jungles of the North East, including extensive tenures with counter-terrorist and counter-infiltration forces such as the Rashtriya Rifles and Assam Rifles in J&K, Nagaland and Punjab — a true scholar warrior.

As an instructor at the Armoured Corps Centre & School and the Defence Services Staff College, he trained future military leaders of India and of almost 35 friendly foreign countries, and served as Chief Instructor at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. He superannuated on 31 December 2025 as Additional Director General of the NCC Directorate, Uttar Pradesh, where — with 11 NCC Groups and 110 battalions under his command — he trained approximately 1.85 lakh cadets to become responsible citizens and future leaders. An avid sportsman, he is a keen cyclist, biker and horse rider.