| No. | Name | Term In | Term Out | Bar | Governor-General |
| 1 | Sir Maurice Linford Gwyer (1878–1952) | 1 Oct 1937 | 25 Apr 1943‡ | Inner Temple | The Marquess of Linlithgow |
| | Sir Srinivas Varadachariar (Acting) | 25 Apr 1943 | 7 Jun 1943 | Madras High Court | The Marquess of Linlithgow |
| 2 | Sir William Patrick Spens (1885–1973) | 7 Jun 1943 | 14 Aug 1947 | Inner Temple | The Marquess of Linlithgow |
| 3 | Hiralal Jekisundas Kania (1890–1951) | 14 Aug 1947 | 26 Jan 1950 | Bombay High Court | The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma |
- The President of India appoints the Chief Justice of India and can hold office till the age of 65 years.
- The Chief Justice of India can be removed only through the process of impeachment by the Parliament.
- Yashwant Vishnu Chandrachud, the 16th Chief Justice of India, is the longest-serving Chief Justice, serving 7 years, 139 days (22 February 1978 – 11 July 1985).
- The 22nd Chief Justice, Kamal Narayan Singh, is the shortest serving Chief Justice of India for 17 days (25 November 1991 – 12 December 1991).
- 8th Chief Justice Amal Kumar Sarkar was the longest-serving Chief Justice of India, passed away at the age of 100.
- Sir HJ Kania (1st) the shortest living Chief Justice of India, died in office at the age of 61.
- Sir HJ Kania, the first Chief Justice, was the uncle of the 23rd Chief Justice, MH Kania.
- Ranganath Mishra, 21st Chief Justice, was the uncle of 45th Chief Justice Dipak Misra.
- 46th Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi K.C. Gogoi, former Chief Minister of Assam.
- Mo. The 11th Chief Justice of India, Hidayatullah, being a Muslim, was the first Chief Justice of India from the minority community.
- KG Balakrishnan, 37th Chief Justice, was the first Chief Justice of the Dalit community.
- JS Kehar, 44th Chief Justice, was the first Chief Justice of India from the Sikh community.
- 30th Chief Justice Sam Piroj Bharucha was the first Chief Justice of the Parsi community.
- It is generally observed that a Chief Justice retires on his birthday.
- Five Chief Justices, A.N. Ray (14th), P.N. Bhagwati (17th), Kamal Narayan Singh (22nd), M. Narayana Rao Venkatachaliah (25th) and A.M. Ahmadi (26th) is a non-politician (between 90 and 99 years of age).
- The next seven Chief Justices can be predicted on the basis of tradition of seniority.
| No. | Chief Justice | Term In | Term Out | Bar | President |
| 49 | Uday Umesh Lalit (1957–) | 27 Aug 2022 | ~ | Bar Council of India | Droupadi Murmu |
| 48 | Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana (1957–) | 24 Apr 2021 | 26 Aug 2022 | Andhra Pradesh HC | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 47 | Sharad Arvind Bobde (1956–) | 18 Nov 2019 | 23 Apr 2021 | Bombay HC | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 46 | Ranjan Gogoi (1954–) | 3 Oct 2018 | 17 Nov 2019 | Guwahati HC | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 45 | Dipak Misra (1953–) | 28 Aug 2017 | 2 Oct 2018 | Orissa HC | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 44 | Jagdish Singh Khehar (1952–) | 4 Jan 2017 | 27 Aug 2017 | Punjab & Haryana HC | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 43 | Tirath Singh Thakur (1952–) | 3 Dec 2015 | 3 Jan 2017 | Jammu & Kashmir HC | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 42 | Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu (1950–) | 28 Sep 2014 | 2 Dec 2015 | Karnataka HC | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 41 | Rajendra Mal Lodha (1949–) | 27 Apr 2014 | 27 Sep 2014 | Rajasthan HC | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 40 | P. Sathasivam (1949–) | 19 Jul 2013 | 26 Apr 2014 | Madras HC | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 39 | Altamas Kabir (1948–2017) | 29 Sep 2012 | 18 Jul 2013 | Calcutta HC | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 38 | Sarosh Homi Kapadia (1947–2016) | 12 May 2010 | 28 Sep 2012 | Bombay HC | Pratibha Patil |
| 37 | K. G. Balakrishnan (1945–) | 14 Jan 2007 | 11 May 2010 | Kerala HC | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 36 | Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal (1942–2015) | 1 Nov 2005 | 13 Jan 2007 | Delhi HC | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 35 | Ramesh Chandra Lahoti (1940–2022) | 1 Jun 2004 | 31 Oct 2005 | Madhya Pradesh HC | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 34 | S. Rajendra Babu (1939–) | 2 May 2004 | 31 May 2004 | Karnataka HC | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 33 | Vishweshwar Nath Khare (1939–) | 19 Dec 2002 | 1 May 2004 | Allahabad HC | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 32 | Gopal Ballav Pattanaik (1937–) | 8 Nov 2002 | 18 Dec 2002 | Orissa HC | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 31 | Bhupinder Nath Kirpal (1937–) | 6 May 2002 | 7 Nov 2002 | Delhi HC | K. R. Narayanan |
| 30 | Sam Piroj Bharucha (1937–) | 1 Nov 2001 | 5 May 2002 | Bombay HC | K. R. Narayanan |
| 29 | Adarsh Sein Anand (1936–2017) | 10 Oct 1998 | 31 Oct 2001 | Jammu & Kashmir HC | K. R. Narayanan |
| 28 | Madan Mohan Punchhi (1933–2015) | 18 Jan 1998 | 9 Oct 1998 | Punjab & Haryana HC | K. R. Narayanan |
| 27 | Jagdish Sharan Verma (1933–2013) | 25 Mar 1997 | 17 Jan 1998 | Madhya Pradesh HC | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| 26 | Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi (1932–) | 25 Oct 1994 | 24 Mar 1997 | Gujarat HC | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| 25 | M. N. Rao Venkatachaliah (1929–) | 12 Feb 1993 | 24 Oct 1994 | Karnataka HC | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| 24 | Lalit Mohan Sharma (1928–2008) | 18 Nov 1992 | 11 Feb 1993 | Patna HC | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| 23 | Madhukar Hiralal Kania (1927–2016) | 13 Dec 1991 | 17 Nov 1992 | Bombay HC | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 22 | Kamal Narain Singh (1926–) | 25 Nov 1991 | 12 Dec 1991 | Allahabad HC | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 21 | Ranganath Misra (1926–2012) | 26 Sep 1990 | 24 Nov 1991 | Orissa HC | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 20 | Sabyasachi Mukharji (1927–1990) | 18 Dec 1989 | 25 Sep 1990+ | Calcutta HC | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 19 | E. S. Venkataramiah (1924–1997) | 19 Jun 1989 | 17 Dec 1989 | Karnataka HC | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| 18 | Raghunandan Swarup Pathak (1924–2007) | 21 Dec 1986 | 18 Jun 1989+ | Allahabad HC | Zail Singh |
| 17 | Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati (1921–2017) | 12 Jul 1985 | 20 Dec 1986 | Gujarat HC | Zail Singh |
| 16 | Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud (1920–2008) | 22 Feb 1978 | 11 Jul 1985 | Bombay HC | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| 15 | Mirza Hameedullah Beg (1913–1988) | 29 Jan 1977 | 21 Feb 1978 | Allahabad HC | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| 14 | Ajit Nath Ray (1912–2009) | 26 Apr 1973 | 28 Jan 1977 | Calcutta HC | V. V. Giri |
| 13 | Sarv Mittra Sikri (1908–1992) | 22 Jan 1971 | 25 Apr 1973 | Bar Council of India | V. V. Giri |
| 12 | Jayantilal Chhotalal Shah (1906–1991) | 17 Dec 1970 | 21 Jan 1971 | Bombay HC | V. V. Giri |
| 11 | Mohammad Hidayatullah (1905–1992) | 25 Feb 1968 | 16 Dec 1970 | Bombay HC | Zakir Husain |
| 10 | Kailas Nath Wanchoo (1903–1988) | 12 Apr 1967 | 24 Feb 1968 | Allahabad HC | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| 9 | Koka Subba Rao (1902–1976) | 30 Jun 1966 | 11 Apr 1967+ | Madras HC | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| 8 | Amal Kumar Sarkar (1901–2001) | 16 Mar 1966 | 29 Jun 1966 | Calcutta HC | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| 7 | Pralhad Balacharya Gajendragadkar (1901–1981) | 1 Feb 1964 | 15 Mar 1966 | Bombay HC | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| 6 | Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha (1899–1986) | 1 Oct 1959 | 31 Jan 1964 | Patna HC | Rajendra Prasad |
| 5 | Sudhi Ranjan Das (1894–1977) | 1 Feb 1956 | 30 Sep 1959 | Calcutta HC | Rajendra Prasad |
| 4 | Bijan Kumar Mukherjea (1891–1956) | 23 Dec 1954 | 31 Jan 1956+ | Calcutta HC | Rajendra Prasad |
| 3 | Mehr Chand Mahajan (1889–1967) | 4 Jan 1954 | 22 Dec 1954 | Lahore HC | Rajendra Prasad |
| 2 | Mandakolathur Patanjali Sastri (1889–1963) | 7 Nov 1951 | 3 Jan 1954 | Madras HC | Rajendra Prasad |
| 1 | Hiralal Jekisundas Kania (1890–1951) | 26 Jan 1950 | 6 Nov 1951+ | Bombay HC | Rajendra Prasad |
- Uday Umesh Lalit (born 9 November 1957) is the 49th and current Chief Justice of India, having previously served as a judge of the Supreme Court of India.
- Justice Lalit is one of the six senior advocates who have been directly elevated to the Supreme Court.
- Uday U. Lalit was born in U.R. Lalit, a former Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court Nagpur Bench and a senior advocate practicing in the Supreme Court of India.
- He is a law graduate from Government Law College, Mumbai.
- Lalit enrolled as an advocate in the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in June 1983.
- He served as advocate M.A. Rane, who was considered a proponent of radical humanistic ideology and believed that social work was as important as the creation of a solid legal practice.
- Uday Umesh Lalit shifted his practice to Delhi in 1985 and joined the chamber of Senior Advocate Pravin H. Parekh. From 1986 to 1992, Lalit worked with Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney General of India.
- On 3 May 1992, Lalit qualified and was registered as an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court.
- In 2011, a Supreme Court bench of Justices GS Singhvi and Ashok Kumar Ganguly appointed Lalit as Special Public Prosecutor for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2G spectrum cases, observing that "in the interest of fair prosecution of the case, the U.N. The appointment of U. Lalit is very appropriate."
- On 29 April 2004, Lalit was designated as a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court.
- On 10 August 2022, the President of India Draupadi Murmu appointed him as the 49th Chief Justice of India.
- He was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of India on 27 August 2022 by President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- Uday Umesh Lalit is the second person directly from the bar to be appointed as the Chief Justice of India.
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