Sourendra Nath Kohli is a renowned Indian Navy veteran and former Chief of the Naval Staff. He served as the Chief of the Naval Staff from March 1973 to Feburary 1976 and was the 8th Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy.

Kohli was born on 21 June, 1916 in Amritsar, Punjab. Immediately following his graduation in May 1936, Kohli enlisted as a cadet in the Royal Indian Navy Volunteer Reserve. On June 25, 1938, he was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the RIN. On May 1, 1941, he was promoted to lieutenant. After completing his education, he began his military career as a cadet in the Indian Navy. Kohli's military career spanned over four decades, during which he held various positions of responsibility in the Indian Navy. He served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command and the Eastern Naval Command, and was also the Flag Officer Sea Training. He also served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff before being appointed as the Chief of the Naval Staff.

During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, Kohli held the position of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-IN-C) of the Western Naval Command and successfully commanded the Indian Navy's Western Fleet at Operation Trident and Operation Python against the Pakistan Navy fleet in Karachi. He formerly held the positions of commanding commander for the INS Mysore (C60) and the INS Rana (D115). He also served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff before being appointed as the Chief of the Naval Staff.Throughout his career, Kohli has received numerous awards for his contributions to the Indian Navy. He was honored with the Padma Bhushan in , which is one of the highest civilian awards in India. He also received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.

He received numerous awards for his contributions to the Indian Navy and his legacy continues to inspire future generations of naval officers.