Newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani addresses media after he receives Guard of Honour, at the South Block Lawns, in New Delhi on Sunday | Photo Credit: ANI

General NS Raja Subramani, after taking charge as the new Chief of Defence Staff on Sunday, said that his primary focus would be towards transforming the armed forces and ushering in reforms ensuring theaterisation of command. He also assured to accelerate the development, induction and integration of indigenous weapon systems into the armed forces.

Gen Subramani took over as the country’s senior-most military commander from General Anil Chauhan, whose desire to roll out the threaterisation of command during his tenure remained unfilled.

In a brief statement to media, Gen. Subramani, said, “Our armed forces consistently demonstrated professionalism and operational decisiveness in safeguarding our national interests. We are committed to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.”

Prior to this, Gen Subramani served as the Military Advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), following retirement as the Vice Chief of Army Staff on July 31, 2025.

He occupies the post of CDS at a time when global insecurities have become the new normal and the tri-services are undergoing reforms – from integration to technology absorption to keeping up with modern warfare challenges. West Asia conflict-induced trade blockades have also put the economy under stress.

In his illustrious career spanning over 40 years, Gen Subramani, acknowledged as an expert on China and Pakistan, served across a wide spectrum of conflict and terrain profiles and held a host of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.

Naval staff chief

Meanwhile, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan also assumed charge as the 27th Chief of the Naval Staff on Sunday, taking over from Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who superannuated after 41 years of distinguished service.

CNS Admiral Swaminathan said, “Being selected by the top leadership of the country for this job has been the highest honour and privilege of my life. Indian Navy stands vigilant to protect national interests wherever they are and is very actively deployed in a regional security environment that continues to remain challenging, complex, unpredictable and uncertain.”

On countering emerging maritime threats, he stated, “It shall be my endeavour to sustain the growth momentum of the Navy, consolidate all ongoing programmes, scale up where required, and sharpen our operational capabilities through the induction of niche and emerging technologies as soon as I can.”

He noted that indigenous defence manufacturing will remain a key result area (KRA) for his tenure. “The Navy is deeply committed to jointness, Atmanirbharata, and indigenisation, and that will also be one of my key result areas,” he added.

Published on May 31, 2026