New Delhi: In a major top-level military transition, the Government has named Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, as the next Chief of the Army Staff. He will officially take charge on the afternoon of June 30, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, who retires from service on the same day.
Lieutenant General Seth graduated from the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. His career spans nearly forty years, during which he has accumulated vast experience across operational, strategic, capability development, and institutional domains.
Throughout his service, Lieutenant General Seth has held commands at every level across diverse operational environments. His leadership roles include commanding 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 led the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, a premier strike formation, and later served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, where he oversaw major military engagements and ceremonial responsibilities.
Upon promotion to Army Commander, he achieved the distinction of leading two operational commands, the South Western Command and the Southern Command, managing strategic oversight across key theaters for over two and a half years. He has also held critical staff and strategic positions that influenced operational planning, force management, and capability development.
Lieutenant General Seth has been a key figure in force modernization. Working within the Strategic Planning and Capability Development verticals of the Army Headquarters, he helped shape the long-term force structuring, capability roadmap, and modernization trajectory of the Indian Army, focusing on integrating emerging technologies with future battlefield needs.
His professional military education includes top placements in several advanced courses. He is a graduate of the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College, and he also attended the Command and Staff Course in Paris, contributing to his strategic perspective on contemporary military affairs.