Colonel Pratyush Kumar was born in 1978 in Almora, India, and joined the National Defense Academy, India as a cadet officer in 1995. He was commissioned as an Infantry officer and assigned to the 5^th Battalion of The Rajput Regiment in the Indian Army. He has served in combat and combat like situations in all parts of India, Africa, and Central Asia. He went on to command his Battalion from 2015-2019 along the Northern and Western Borders in a highly active field location, where he was decorated for Distinguished Services in War (YSM). He was promoted to Major in 2006, to Lt Col in 2013, and to Colonel in 2015.

He has served in various command and staff appointments in the Infantry and all arms environments including Company Commander, Intelligence, Operations, and Logistics staff in various roles. He has served in MONUSCO at Goma from 2013-15 and Peace Mission 2018 under the Shanghai Co-operation Organization at Chebarkul, Russia.

His most recent appointment was as Director Operations & Planning at the Strategic Movement Directorate in the Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

He has completed the Junior Command course in 2007, Defense Services Staff course in 2009, Senior Command Course in 2015, and Higher Command Course in 2020. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Jawahar Lal National University, India, Masters in Defense & Strategic Studies from Madras University, India, and Master of Philosophy from Osmania University, India in Political Science.

Colonel Pratyush Kumar is married with one daughter and lives in New Delhi, India.