Captain Anuj Nayyar was born on 28 August 1975 in New Delhi to Professor Satish Kumar Nayyar and Smt. Meena Nayyar. He studied at Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, where he excelled academically as well as in sports, serving as captain of the school's volleyball team and participating in basketball, athletics and shooting competitions. Inspired by his grandfather, Lieutenant Bakshi Ram Nayyar, he developed a strong desire to join the Indian Army.
He joined the 90th Course of the National Defence Academy and, after completing his training, graduated from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned into the 17th Battalion of the Jat Regiment on 7 June 1997. His first posting was at Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, where he gained valuable field experience before his battalion was deployed to the Kargil sector during Operation Vijay in 1999.
On the night of 6–7 July 1999, Charlie Company of 17 Jat launched an assault on the heavily defended Pimple II feature of Point 4875 in the Mushkoh Valley. During the initial stages of the attack, the Company Commander, Major Ritesh Sharma, was wounded, and Captain Anuj Nayyar immediately assumed command of the company. Leading from the front under relentless artillery, mortar and automatic fire, he personally destroyed the first enemy bunker with rockets and grenades before leading assaults that eliminated two more fortified positions.
Despite the fierce resistance, Captain Nayyar continued to motivate and lead his soldiers. While attacking the fourth enemy bunker, he was struck directly by an enemy rocket-propelled grenade and attained Veergati. Before making the supreme sacrifice, he had personally eliminated nine enemy soldiers and destroyed three medium machine-gun bunkers, actions that proved decisive in securing the Pimple Complex and contributed significantly to the eventual recapture of Tiger Hill.
Captain Anuj Nayyar was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his conspicuous bravery, exemplary leadership and supreme sacrifice. His story has been commemorated in books, documentaries and films including LOC Kargil and Dhoop, and he remains one of the most revered heroes of the Kargil War.