New Delhi, June 13: The Government of India has appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, as the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). He will assume office with effect from the afternoon of June 30, 2026.
The appointment was announced on Saturday. The incumbent Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, is scheduled to retire from service on June 30.
Lieutenant General Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
During his military career, he has held a range of command, staff and instructional appointments. His command assignments include an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the western theatre and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir.
As a Lieutenant General, he commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps. He later served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area.
On promotion to Army Commander rank, Lt Gen Seth commanded the South Western Command and subsequently the Southern Command. He served in these appointments for more than two-and-a-half years.
At Army Headquarters, he held appointments related to strategic planning and capability development. He also served in positions associated with operational planning, force management and capability development.
Lt Gen Seth is a graduate of the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College. He also attended the Command and Staff Course in Paris. He is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and will take over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on June 30, 2026.
The appointment of Lt Gen Seth comes amid a broader reshuffle in the senior military leadership. Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, currently serving as Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), has been appointed Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
He will succeed General N. S. Raja Subramani, who recently assumed office as the Chief of Defence Staff. According to reports, Lt Gen Ghai is the first serving three-star officer to be appointed Military Adviser in the NSCS since the position was revived in 2018.
Lt Gen Ghai, an officer of the Kumaon Regiment, has held several key appointments during his military career, including Director General of Military Operations and General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based XV Corps.
He was appointed Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) in June 2025 while continuing to hold the responsibilities of DGMO. In his role as Deputy Chief (Strategy), the Army’s operations, military intelligence, information warfare and operational logistics verticals reported to his office.
The Military Adviser serves within the National Security Council Secretariat and acts as a key interface between the armed forces and the national security decision-making apparatus. The position has previously been held by retired senior military officers and an air marshal after their retirement from service.
