Who is Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, India’s Newly Appointed Chief of the Army Staff ?

The Government of India has officially appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). Currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Seth will take charge of the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army on the afternoon of June 30, 2026. He will succeed General Upendra Dwivedi, who is scheduled to retire from service on the same day.

Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth has an illustrious career spanning nearly forty years and brings extensive operational expertise, strategic foresight and a deep focus on technological modernization to the top military post. 

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the elite Armoured Corps of the Indian Army in December 1986 throughout his career. The has continuously excelled in professional military education, securing top honors across multiple institutional courses. 

His educational and strategic background includes:

• Graduate of the Higher Command Course.

• Graduate of the National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi.

• Alumnus of the highly regarded Command and Staff Course in Paris, France, providing him with a nuanced understanding of contemporary global military affairs.

Lt Gen Seth possesses the rare distinction of commanding forces at every tier across diverse and volatile operational theaters. His notable command assignments include Commanded an Armoured Regiment in the critical desert sector and later an armoured brigade in the Western theatre, he led the Sudarshan Chakra Corps and one of the Indian Army’s premier strike formations.

GOC Delhi area served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Delhi Area, managing essential national and international military engagements alongside major ceremonial responsibilities.

Dual army commands achieved the uncommon milestone of serving as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) for two critical operational commands. The South Western Command and the Southern Command by exercising theatre-level strategic oversight for over two and a half years. 

Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth has been a central architect in shaping the future trajectory of India's land forces beyond field operations having tenanted pivotal staff appointments in the Strategic Planning and Capability Development verticals at army headquarters. 

The has been instrumental in engineering the Army's long-term capability roadmaps, aligning field operational requirements with emerging, cutting-edge technologies. Restructuring force planning to better navigate modern and  multi-domain battlefield imperatives.

Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth tenure as chief of the army staff comes at a crucial juncture as India navigates evolving regional security dynamics and accelerates its domestic defense manufacturing and technological integration.