New Delhi, July 29 (IANS) Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma Friday took over as the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee (COSC) from outgoing Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik.

The committee comprises of the chiefs of the army, navy and air force. The senior-most among them is the chairman of the panel.

"He (Verma) received the baton of chairman of COSC from Naik in a brief ceremonial function at South Block, the defence ministry headquarters," a defence ministry release said here Friday.

Indian Army chief Gen. V.K. Singh was also present on the occasion along with other senior officers from the the services .

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1970, Admiral Verma is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare, and has four decades of experience spanning across various afloat and ashore appointments.

His sea tenures include commands of INS Ranvir, a Kashin Class Destroyer, and India's lone aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

He is an alumnus of the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, and the US Naval War College, Rhode Island.

In the flag rank, he has been the Flag Officer Commanding of Maharashtra Naval Area, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans), Chief of Personnel, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, and the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.