Pune: Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited India. During his visit, Lieutenant Colonel Harshavardhan Dhekane, a native of Pune, had the honour of leading the Guard of Honour contingent presented to him by all three branches of the Indian armed forces. Notably, Harshavardhan has led the Guard of Honour contingents for five other presidents and prime ministers besides Putin.
Born in Pune, Harshavardhan completed his schooling at New Marathi School, Jnana Prabodhini, and New English School, Ramanbaug. After completing his 11th and 12th at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati, he earned a science degree from Modern College in Shivajinagar, Pune. He was actively involved in the Maharashtra Cadet Corps (MCC) during his time at New English School, Ramanbaug, and later in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) during his college years.
After graduation, he was selected for the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun through the Combined Defence Services Examination (CDSE). He began his service in the army in 2007 with the Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force). In his 18 years of service, he has served in various regions, including the Himalayas, Manipur, Assam, and Congo. He has also participated in several important missions.
A Guard of Honour is presented to visiting presidents and prime ministers of India. Before leading the Guard of Honour for Russian President Vladimir Putin at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lieutenant Colonel Harshavardhan had already led the Guard of Honour contingents for five other presidents and prime ministers. Harshavardhan led the guard of honour for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on February 21, 2024, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on January 25, 2025, Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font on April 1, 2025, Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço on May 3, 2025, and Philippine President Ferdinand Bongbong Romualdez Marcos Jr. on August 5, 2025.
Inspiration for military service from his uncle
Harshavardhan's native village is Nimgaon Mhalungi in Shirur taluka of Pune district. His father, Shahaji Dhekne, was a former secretary of the state board, and his mother, Ratnamala Dhekne, is retired from state government service. His wife, Dr Pallavi, works as an assistant professor at Bharati Vidyapeeth. His uncle, Chandrakant Dhekne, was in the army. He used to return home during Diwali and summer vacations. Harshavardhan would get information about the armed forces and border areas from his uncle.
Seeing his uncle in a military uniform inspired Harshavardhan to join the army and serve the country. Furthermore, his training and camps with the National Cadet Corps (NCC) fostered a strong inclination towards the armed forces. Therefore, after graduation, Harshavardhan decided to join the army.
