Vikram Batra
Captain, 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles
"Yeh Dil Maange More! — This heart wants more!"
Biography
A dashing young officer from Himachal Pradesh, Captain Vikram Batra became the face of the Kargil War. He led the daring capture of the strategic Point 5140, radioing his victory signal 'Yeh Dil Maange More' — a soft-drink advertising slogan that became a national battle cry. His fearlessness and charisma made him famous across India even as the war still raged. In the final assaults he volunteered to lead the attack on the formidable Point 4875 in the Mushkoh Valley, and was killed leading a charge to clear the last enemy bunker and rescue a wounded comrade. He was twenty-four. Awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously, 'Sher Shah' (Lion King, his radio call-sign) became the immortal hero of Kargil, his life retold in books and film.
Did you know?
His victory slogan 'Yeh Dil Maange More,' borrowed from a Pepsi advertisement, became one of the most famous phrases of the Kargil War and of modern India.
Key Battles
Battle of Point 4875 (Batalik–Mushkoh)
India victoryJuly 4–7, 1999 · 500 total casualties
The taking of the last peaks completed the reconquest of the Kargil heights and made Vikram Batra a national legend. With the heights lost and the world condemning the intrusion, Pakistan withdrew, ending the war.
Life Journey
Timeline
September 9, 1974
🌅 Birth
Born in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
July 7, 1999
✝️ Death
Killed capturing Point 4875 at Kargil