Retired as Director General of Artillery in Oct 2016, Lt. Gen. Shankar has vast operational experience and has held many important command, staff and instructional appointments in the Army. An alumnus of Defence Services Staff College Wellington, Army War College Mhow, Naval PostGraduate School Monterey and National Defence College Delhi, he gave great impetus to the modernization of Artillery through indigenization. He has a deep understanding and experience of successful defense planning and acquisition spanning over a decade. He is presently a Professor in the Aerospace Department of IIT Madras and leads the Tamils Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor. The General writes extensively in all leading publications on strategic, geo political and military issues.