The Government has appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, presently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, as the next Chief of the Army Staff with effect from the afternoon of June 30, 2026.

The present Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi retires from service the same day.

Lt Gen Seth assumed charge as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff on April 1, 2026, as part of a series of top-level appointments announced by the Indian Army across key operational commands.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Lt Gen Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. Over a distinguished military career spanning nearly four decades, he has served in a variety of operational environments, including extensive counter-insurgency assignments.

The officer has commanded an armoured regiment in the desert sector, an armoured brigade, and a counter-insurgency force in Jammu and Kashmir. As a Lieutenant General, he commanded the prestigious Sudarshan Chakra Corps and later served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Delhi Area.

Following his elevation as Army Commander, Lt Gen Seth headed both the South Western Command and the Southern Command, becoming one of the few officers to have commanded two major operational commands. His tenure saw him oversee critical operational responsibilities along India’s western front.

With vast experience in conventional operations, counter-insurgency and strategic leadership, Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth is set to take over the reins of the Indian Army at a time of evolving regional security challenges and ongoing force modernisation efforts.