New Delhi: In a major reshuffle in India’s top military leadership, the Centre on Saturday announced the appointment of retired Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as the country’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), while Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been chosen as the next Chief of the Indian Navy.
Lt Gen Subramani will take over from General Anil Chauhan after his retirement on May 31. As CDS, he will also hold the post of Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and continue in office until further government orders, in line with service rules that allow the position to be held until the age of 65.
A highly decorated officer, Lt Gen Subramani currently serves as Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat, a responsibility he assumed in September last year. Commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985, he has built an extensive career across operational, strategic and diplomatic roles.
He has previously led key formations including the Central Army Command responsible for safeguarding sections of the Line of Actual Control in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. His field commands also include operations with 16 Garhwal Rifles in Assam under Operation Rhino, 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, 17 Mountain Division in the central sector, and the Army’s 2 Corps on the western front. He has also represented India as Defence Attaché in Kazakhstan.
An alumnus of the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in New Delhi, Lt Gen Subramani is regarded as a seasoned strategic planner with vast operational experience.
At the same time, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed the next Chief of Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who also retires on May 31.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1987, Vice Admiral Swaminathan is an expert in communication and electronic warfare. He currently serves as the Western Naval Commander and has held several critical appointments throughout his distinguished naval career.
His command experience includes leading missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish, destroyer INS Mysore, and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. He has also undergone advanced military training at the National Defence Academy, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the UK, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, and the US Naval War College in Rhode Island.
The twin appointments signal a significant transition in India’s military command structure as the armed forces continue to focus on modernization and strengthening joint operational readiness.
