King's Commissioned Indian Officer

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A King's Commissioned Indian Officer (KCIO) was an Indian officer of the British Indian Army who held a full King's Commission after training at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, as opposed to the Indian Commissioned Officers (ICOs) who were trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun and the Viceroy's Commissioned Officers (VCOs), who held positions analogous to British Army Warrant Officers.

KCIOs were introduced in the early 20th century under the Indianisation process. They were equivalent in every way to the British King's Commissioned Officers (KCOs), held the same ranks, and unlike VCOs had authority over British troops. In fact, most KCIOs served on attachment to a British unit for a year or two early in their careers.

Many officers who later held high rank in the post-independence Indian Army and Pakistan Army began their careers as KCIOs. Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, Kodendera Subayya Thimayya, S.P.P. Thorat, B.M. Kaul, and Ayub Khan were a few of the Sandhurst trained officers.

The last of the KCIOs in Indian Army Service was General P.P. Kumaramangalam, who retired in 1969.