Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif is a former Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force. He was the first Indian Muslim to become the head of the Indian Air Force.
Idris Hasan Latif was born in Hyderabad on June 9, 1923, in a Sulaimani Bohra family. His father, Hasan Latif, was the Chief Engineer of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. He was educated at the prestigious Nizam College. Later, he did graduation in the Defence Services Staff College. Wellington, and the National Defence College.
Air Chief Marshal Latif was commissioned into the Royal Indian Air Force in 1942, and took part in the Burma Campaign on the Arakan Front during World War II. Later, he was a member of the Indian Advisory Group to Indonesia that helped the Indonesian Air Force induct jet fighters. He also served as Air Defence commander and senior air staff officer in Eastern Air Command. During 1961-65, Latif was the air attaché at the Indian embassy in Washington D.C. During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, he was Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans).
In 1971, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. In 1974, Latif was promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal, and posted as air Officer-in-Charge (Administration) at Air Headquarters. He led Air Force relief operations during the Patna floods in 1975. In 1977, then Air Marshal Latif was posted as Vice Chief of Air Staff and took over as Chief of Air Staff on 1 September 1978.
After retirement from active military service, Air Chief Marshal IH Latif was appointed as Governor of Maharashtra, on 6 March 1982, completing his tenure on 16 April 1985.
Following retirement, Air Chief Marshal IH Latif was appointed Ambassador of India to France, a post he held until 1988.
He is married to Mrs. Bilkees Latif, a noted social worker.