He received his early education at the Indian National Congress' Tilak Vidyalaya and at a school in Sangli State.

[9] In 1952, he was appointed the first Indian Naval Officer-in-Charge (NOIC), Vishakapatnam, which oversaw the Boys' Training Establishment.

With the upgrading of the post, he was promoted to Rear Admiral on 12 June 1958 and reappointed Flag Officer Commanding Bombay (FOB).

[11] In April 1960, he took over as Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet (FOCIF), and was in charge of India's naval operations during the 1961 Liberation of Goa.

[13] In 1968, the post of CNS was upgraded to the rank of full admiral, and on 21 October 1980, Soman and Ram Dass Katari, his predecessor as CNS, were promoted to the honorary rank of full Admiral on the retired list by President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy.