The Union Government has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who will also serve as the Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on Saturday, the present Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, will complete his tenure on May 30.
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been named the next Chief of the Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who will be retiring from service on May 31.
Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani has been serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat since September 1, 2025. Before that, he served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, and as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, from March 2023 to June 2024.
The officer is a graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He was commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985.
He is also an alumnus of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Bracknell, United Kingdom, and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He holds a Master of Arts degree from King's College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.
During his career spanning more than four decades, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani has served across different conflict zones and terrain profiles and held several command, staff and instructional appointments.
He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam under Operation Rhino, 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, and 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector during a challenging operational environment. He also commanded 2 Corps, the Indian Army's premier strike corps on the Western Front, the statement from the MoD added.
His staff and instructional assignments include Divisional Officer at the National Defence Academy, Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, Defence Attache in Kazakhstan, Assistant Military Secretary in the Military Secretary's Branch, Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command, Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles Sector in Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence at Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army), Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in Eastern Command, Chief Instructor (Army) at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Command.
The Ministry of Defence said the officer possesses "insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the Western and Northern Borders."
For his distinguished service, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan is currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. The Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, and specialises in communication and electronic warfare.
He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom; the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the US Naval War College, Newport.
A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career.
He has commanded the missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
