Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth to lead Indian Army from June 30

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth has been appointed as the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), the government said in a statement on Saturday. Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, presently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, will assume charge as the next Army chief on June 30, 2026.

The present Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, will retire from service on the same day. Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, an alumnus of National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December



1986.

In a career spanning over four decades, he has had a distinguished military career with extensive experience across operational, strategic, capability development and institutional domains, contributing significantly to the Indian Army’s combat effectiveness and long-term transformation.

He has commanded in diverse operational environments ranging from an Armoured Regiment in the Desert Sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre, and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir.