The Admiral’s ancestral home is at Chomu, a principality located 32 km north of Jaipur. Chomu formed part of the Princely State of Jaipur prior to the formation of the Indian Republic in 1950. The family is descended from the Royal family of Jaipur. It branched out in 1528 AD when Gopalji, the fourth son of Maharaj Prithviraj, ruler of Amer, as Jaipur was then known, was granted a separate Principality to rule. The family has, since then, had a very illustrious military tradition. In 1548 Gopalji was appointed to command the vanguard of the Jaipur army and the first seat on the right-hand side of the Maharaja was granted to him in Darbar – a privilege the ruler of Chomu enjoyed till the 20th century.

The family has been closely associated with the Kingdom that was Jaipur and was one of the first families to move from Amer to the new city of Jaipur in 1737 (Now referred to as “The Pink City”).
A military tradition has continued through the centuries and the Admiral’s father, Major General K. Bhagwati Singh ( sixth son of Devi Singhji ) was the first Indian Commissioned officer (IC No:1) to graduate from the newly formed Indian Military Academy in 1934. The Admiral joined the National Defence Academy in 1957 and the Indian Navy as a cadet in June 1961 and was awarded the coveted Telescope and the Sword of Honour. He retired as Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff on 31 Jul 2004 and has returned to his home in Jaipur. He and his wife Kumu reside in Govind Niwas, adjoining Devi Niketan.

Kumu, a Princess of the erstwhile Tehri Garhwal State, is a Special Educator who focuses on teaching children with mental and physical disabilities. She played an active role in managing special education schools for the Indian Navy.

After retirement the Admiral and his wife work as volunteers at “Umang” - a Center for the Disabled. The Admiral is also a Trustee of the World Wide Fund (India) and on the Advisory Council of a Charitable Hospital. Their son Bhriguraj Singh is Head, Trading Services (India) in HSBC Bank at Mumbai and their daughter Piyusha is settled in Albany, NY, USA and works as a Programme Director at Excelsior College.