The Government of India on Friday appointed Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will also function as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, with effect from the date of assuming charge and until further orders.

The present CDS, General Anil Chauhan, will complete his tenure on May 30, 2026.

Lt Gen Raja Subramani is currently serving as Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat, a position he has held since September 1, 2025. Before that, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025.

He also held the appointment of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Central Command, from March 2023 to June 2024, overseeing operational preparedness across a strategically significant region.

Known for his extensive operational and staff experience, Lt Gen Raja Subramani has served in a variety of command, instructional and strategic roles during his military career spanning nearly four decades. Defence officials said his appointment comes at a time when the armed forces are focusing on greater jointness, theatre command integration and modernisation of military capabilities.

The CDS is the senior-most uniformed officer in the country and acts as the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister on tri-services matters. The office was created in 2019 to promote coordination and integration among the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Gen Anil Chauhan, India’s second CDS, assumed office in September 2022 after the untimely demise of the country’s first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, in a helicopter crash in December 2021. During his tenure, Gen Chauhan pushed for integrated theatre commands, indigenous capability development and enhanced operational synergy among the three services.

Published on May 9, 2026