General Om Prakash Malhotra was born on 6th August 1922 in Srinagar, Kashmir. He was appointed in the Regiment of Artillery in 1941. In the Second World War Om Prakash Malhotra saw the battle against Burma.From 1950 to 1961 General Om Prakash Malhotra was the commander of artillery regiments across India and subsequently he was made the instructor of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, and was the Military and Naval Attaché at the Embassy of India in Moscow from 1962-1965.Later he led an Artillery Brigade and then a Mountain Brigade in north-east India between August 1965 to January 1966.He rose to the rank of Major General in September 1967 and then commanded 36 Infantry Division in Saugor for two years. General Om Prakash Malhotra was posted as GOC of 4 Corps, in the Eastern Sector and he commanded 11 Corps in Jullunder in 1969. Subsequently General Om Prakash Malhotra was appointed as the GOC-in-C Southern Command located at Pune. For his exceptional performance he was decorated with the Param Vishist Seva Medal in 1976.Before being appointed as the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army on 31st May 1978, General Om Prakash Malhotra was the Vice Chief of Army Staff.He served as the Chief of Army Staff for three years. General Om Prakash Malhotra retired from the office on 31st May 1981 after completing 40 years of service.He was appointed Indian Ambassador to Indonesia from in 1981.He was the Governer of Punjub from 1991 to 1992.

Apart from his military service General Om Prakash Malhotra was very interested in sports.He was the President of Equestrian Federation of India and Delhi Golf Club. General Om Prakash Malhotra also established the Asian Equestrian Federation.He was the President India`s largest Non Govermental Organisation, the "National Association for the Blind" in New Delhi. General Om Prakash Malhotra was also the member of the Nehru Trust for the Indian Collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum and Kiwanis International in India. He is associated with few charitable organisations including Shiksha. In 1994,He was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honours Causa) by University of Jammu