Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth has been appointed the next Chief of the Army Staff and will assume office on June 30.
He is currently serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff and will succeed General Upendra Dwivedi upon his retirement.
A veteran Armoured Corps officer, Lt Gen Seth has commanded two operational Army Commands and held several key strategic appointments.
Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth Appointed Next Army Chief, To Take Charge On June 30
Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth will succeed General Upendra Dwivedi as the Chief of the Army Staff and serve until August 2028
Summary
Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was on Saturday appointed as the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), the government announced.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said President Droupadi Murmu had approved the appointment of Lt Gen Seth, who is currently serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS).
"I am directed to convey the approval of the President to the appointment of Lt General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM as the next Chief of the Army Staff in the substantive rank of General, with effect from June 30, 2026, vice General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, with a tenure up to August 31, 2028," the ministry said.
Lt Gen Seth will take over from General Upendra Dwivedi, who is scheduled to retire on June 30.
Nearly Four Decades Of Military Service
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Lt Gen Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
With a military career spanning nearly four decades, he has served across operational, strategic, capability development and institutional domains of the Indian Army.
According to the government, his command assignments have included an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir.
He has also commanded the prestigious Sudarshan Chakra Corps, served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) Delhi Area, and later led both the South Western Command and Southern Command.
Rare Distinction Of Leading Two Army Commands
Lt Gen Seth is among the few senior officers to have commanded two operational Army Commands — the South Western Command and the Southern Command.
The Defence Ministry noted that he provided strategic oversight across critical operational theatres for more than two-and-a-half years.
During his career, he has also held several important staff and strategic appointments, contributing to operational planning, force management and military capability development.
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He assumed charge as the Vice Chief of Army Staff in April this year and will now become the professional head of the Indian Army at a time of continued modernisation and evolving security challenges.
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