General Dhiraj Seth Takes Over as the New Chief of the Army Staff

General Dhiraj Seth on Tuesday assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after more than four decades of service.

The leadership transition was marked by a ceremonial change of command on the South Block lawns, where General Dwivedi received a farewell Guard of Honour, according to ANI. General Seth had been serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) since April 2026. With his appointment, he becomes the first officer from the Armoured Corps to head the Army since General Shankar Roy Chowdhary retired in 1997.

Extensive Operational Experience

Commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986, General Seth brings nearly four decades of operational, strategic and administrative experience to the Army's top post.

He is among the few officers to have commanded two operational army commands—the Jaipur-based South Western Command and the Pune-based Southern Command—both responsible for key sectors along India's western frontier with Pakistan.

Over the course of his career, General Seth has commanded an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the western theatre, and a Counter-Insurgency Force engaged in anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir. As a Lieutenant General, he led the Bhopal-based XXI Corps (Sudarshan Chakra Corps), one of the Army's principal strike formations, before serving as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Delhi Area, overseeing key operational and ceremonial responsibilities in the national capital.

Military Legacy and Academic Credentials

General Seth comes from a family with a long association with the armed forces. He is the son of Lieutenant General Krishna Mohan Seth, a former Adjutant General of the Indian Army who later served as the Governor of Tripura, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. In a rare coincidence, both father and son have commanded the prestigious Sudarshan Chakra Corps.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, General Seth topped the Junior Command Course and was adjudged the Best All-Round Student Officer at the Defence Services Staff College.

His professional military education includes the Higher Command Course, the National Defence College, and the Command and Staff Course in Paris. Earlier, he has also India as a United Nations Military Observer in Angola.

Steering the Army's Transformation

Apart from field commands, General Seth has played a key role in the Army's long-term capability development and force modernisation. He has held several important appointments, including Assistant Military Secretary at Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters South Western Command and Director General Discipline, Ceremonial and Welfare.

He assumes office as the Army continues its "Decade of Transformation" initiative. As COAS, General Seth is expected to oversee the rollout of integrated theatre commands, accelerate the induction of autonomous systems and drone warfare capabilities, and advance the operationalisation of Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) to strengthen joint operations with the Navy and the Air Force.

His emphasis on integrating armour, artillery, aviation and unmanned systems during large-scale exercises, including Exercise Shakti along the western frontier, is expected to shape the Army's transition towards faster, technology-driven and network-centric warfare.