Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth has been appointed Chief of the Army Staff with effect from June 30, the day the present Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi retires.
Lt General Seth, who has been serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
In a distinguished military career spanning nearly four decades, he has had extensive experience across operational, strategic, capability development and institutional domains, contributing significantly to the Indian Army’s combat effectiveness and long-term transformation.
Widely recognised for his contributions to force modernisation, Lt General Seth’s contributions have been instrumental in aligning operational requirements with emerging technologies and future battlefield imperatives.
He has commanded an armoured regiment, an armoured brigade and a counter-insurgency force in Jammu and Kashmir. As a Lieutenant General, he also commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, one of the Indian Army’s top strike formations.
He subsequently served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi area, overseeing key national and international military engagements and ceremonial responsibilities.
On elevation to Army Commander, Lt General Seth commanded the South Western Command and Southern Command, earning the rare distinction of commanding two operational Army Commands and providing strategic oversight across critical theaters for over two years.
An accomplished military professional, Lt General Seth has consistently excelled in professional military education, securing top positions in courses of instruction. He is a graduate of the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College, and has also attended the prestigious Command and Staff Course in Paris, reflecting his broad strategic outlook and understanding of contemporary military affairs.
General Dwivedi had taken over as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from General Manoj Pande (retired) in June 2024. General Dwivedi is an accomplished military leader, with over 40 years of service in the armed forces.
An alumnus of Sainik School in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa, he was commissioned into the Regiment of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in 1984. He has a unique distinction of balanced command as well as staff exposure across Northern, Eastern and Western theatres, in varied operational environments.
He took over as COAS at a time when the global geostrategic environment was dynamic, with challenges in the security domain becoming more pronounced due to technological advancements and ever-changing character of modern warfare.
