The current Vice Chief of Army Staff will take over as Chief of Army Staff on June 30 following the retirement of General Upendra Dwivedi
The government has appointed Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth as the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). Currently serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, he will assume charge on June 30 after General Upendra Dwivedi retires.
The appointment was approved by the President of India and announced by the Ministry of Defence on Saturday. Lt Gen Seth will take over in the substantive rank of General and is expected to serve as Army Chief until August 31, 2028.
In an official communication, the Ministry of Defence said the President had approved the appointment of Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM and AVSM, as the next Chief of the Army Staff with effect from June 30, 2026.
A highly decorated officer from the Armoured Corps, Lt Gen Seth was commissioned into the Indian Army in 1986 after graduating from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he has held several key operational, command and strategic appointments.
Before becoming Vice Chief, he served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command. He also played an important role in Operation Sindoor and oversaw major tri-services military exercises along India’s western frontier.
Lt Gen Seth has commanded an Armoured Regiment, an Armoured Brigade, a Counter-Insurgency Force and the prestigious Sudarshan Chakra Corps. He also served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, handling several major national and international engagements.
His professional military education includes advanced courses in India, France and the United States, including programmes at the Military College in Paris, the Naval Postgraduate School in California and the National Defence College in New Delhi.
The senior officer has also served with the United Nations Mission in Angola and held several important appointments at Army Headquarters and operational commands.
With General Upendra Dwivedi set to retire at the end of June, Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth will take over leadership of the Indian Army at a time of evolving security challenges and military modernisation.
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