Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth next Chief of the Army Staff | Photo Credit: -

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, who is serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, will be the next Army Chief, taking over the charge from incumbent General Upendra Dwivedi on June 30 when the latter superannuates.

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. Over a distinguished military career of nearly four decades, he has had extensive experience across the operational, strategic, capability development and institutional domains, contributing significantly to the Army’s combat effectiveness and long-term transformation, General Seth’s profile released by the Ministry of Defence on Saturday read.

diverse portfolio

The General Officer has commanded at every echelon across diverse operational landscapes. His command assignments include an armored regiment in the desert sector, an armored brigade in the western theater, and a counter-insurgency force in Jammu & Kashmir. As a Lieutenant General, he led the Sudarshan Chakra Corps—one of the Indian Army’s premier strike formations—before serving as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, where he oversaw key national, international, and ceremonial military engagements.

On elevation to Army Commander, the officer led both the South Western and Southern Commands. This earned him the rare distinction of helming two operational Army Commands, providing strategic oversight across critical theaters for over two and a half years. Throughout his career, he has held pivotal staff and strategic appointments that have significantly shaped operational planning, force management, and capability development.

Widely recognised for his contributions to force modernisation, the General Officer has held key portfolios within the Strategic Planning and Capability Development verticals at Army Headquarters, the Ministry stated. In these roles, he drove the Army’s modernisation trajectory, capability roadmap, and long-term force structuring initiatives, effectively aligning operational requirements with emerging technologies and future battlefield imperatives.

He is a graduate of the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College, and has also attended the prestigious Command & Staff Course in Paris, reflecting his broad strategic outlook and understanding of contemporary military affairs.

Published on June 13, 2026