Born in an affluent family in Hyderabad, he joined the Indian Air Force Volunteer Reserve (IAFVR) during World War II. After joining the Coastal Flight at Karachi, he spent a year in the United Kingdom with the Royal Air Force. As part of the No. 3 Squadron IAF, he served in the Burma Campaign. After the partition of India, he chose to stay with the IAF. He commanded the No. 4 Squadron IAF and led the squadron in the fly-past during the first Republic Day parade in 1950. He commanded a squadron at the Joint Services Wing, the precursor to the National Defence Academy.