New Delhi: The Central Government has officially appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, as the next Chief of the Army Staff. He will assume his new responsibilities in the substantive rank of General on the afternoon of June 30, 2026, succeeding the incumbent Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, who retires from service on the same day.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Lieutenant General Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. His appointment marks a significant milestone, as it is the first time in more than two decades that an officer from the Armoured Corps will rise to the position of Army Chief. Over a distinguished military career spanning nearly four decades, he has acquired extensive experience across operational, strategic, capability development, and institutional domains, contributing significantly to the Indian Army’s combat effectiveness and long-term structural transformation.
The General Officer has commanded units and formations at every level across highly diverse operational environments. His major command assignments include leading 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 (21 Strike Corps), which stands as one of the premier strike formations of the Indian Army. He subsequently served as the General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, where he oversaw key national and international military engagements alongside major ceremonial responsibilities.
Upon his elevation to the rank of Army Commander, the officer headed both the South Western Command and the Southern Command. This earned him the rare distinction of commanding two operational Army Commands and providing critical strategic oversight across vital theatres for a continuous period of over two and a half years. Throughout these tenures, he held several pivotal staff and strategic appointments at Army Headquarters within the Strategic Planning and Capability Development verticals, playing a central role in shaping the military’s modernisation trajectory, long-term force structuring, and the integration of emerging technologies to meet future battlefield requirements.
Widely recognised as an exceptionally accomplished military professional, Lieutenant General Seth has consistently excelled in professional military education, securing top positions in multiple institutional courses. He is a graduate of both the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College. Furthermore, he attended the prestigious Command and Staff Course in Paris, France, reflecting a broad global strategic outlook and an advanced understanding of contemporary international military affairs.
