The Indian government has appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth as the country’s next Chief of Army Staff, who will assume charge on 30 June following the retirement of General Upendra Dwivedi.
According to a letter from the Ministry of Defence, the president has approved Lt Gen Seth’s appointment to the substantive rank of General with effect from 30 June 2026. His tenure will run until 31 August 2028.
Lt Gen Seth is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and has held several key staff and strategic positions throughout his career.
According to a post on the Indian Ministry of Defence’s X page, Lt Gen Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and was commissioned as an Armoured Corps officer in 1986. With nearly four decades of service, he has extensive experience across command, staff, and strategic roles in various operational and institutional settings.
The Government has appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, presently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, as the next Chief of the Army Staff in the substantive rank of General with effect from the afternoon of 30 June 2026.
An alumnus of the National… pic.twitter.com/RExcCKjWJh
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) June 13, 2026
He has attended several prestigious training programmes, including the Defence Services Command and General Staff Course at the Military College in Paris, France, the International Defence Acquisition Management Course at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, the Higher Command Course in Mhow, and the National Defence College in New Delhi.
Lt Gen Seth has commanded an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the developed sector, and a Counter Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir. He also commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps and later served as General Officer Commanding of the Delhi Area, where he managed major national and international events.
He led the Pune-headquartered Southern Command during Operation Sindoor last year and subsequently oversaw key tri-services exercises conducted along the Western Border.
His staff and strategic appointments include Brigade Major of an Independent Armoured Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, Operations Officer with the United Nations Mission in Angola, Assistant Military Secretary at Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Staff Operations at Headquarters South Western Command, and Director General of Discipline, Ceremonial and Welfare.
