Lt Gen N.S. Raja Subramani Appointed India’s New Chief of Defence Staff

New Delhi, May 2026 : The Centre on Friday appointed N. S. Raja Subramani as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), succeeding Anil Chauhan, whose tenure is scheduled to conclude on May 30.

With this appointment, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani will become the country’s top military officer and principal military adviser to the government on matters concerning the armed forces. In addition to taking charge as CDS, he will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes office until further orders.

Announcing the decision, the Ministry of Defence described Lt Gen Raja Subramani as a highly decorated and experienced military officer with more than four decades of distinguished service across operational, strategic and administrative assignments.

“A highly decorated officer with over four decades of distinguished service, Lt Gen Raja Subramani is currently serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat since September 2025. He earlier served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff and GOC-in-C, Central Command, besides commanding key operational formations along the Western and Northern fronts,” the Ministry stated.

Lt Gen Raja Subramani began his military career after graduating from the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985. Over the decades, he built an extensive profile through leadership roles in critical military operations, intelligence assignments and strategic planning positions.

During his career, he attended the prestigious Joint Services Command and Staff College in Bracknell, United Kingdom, where he underwent advanced military training. Following his return to India, he took over as Brigade Major of a mountain brigade, strengthening his experience in high-altitude and operational warfare environments.

He later pursued higher strategic studies at the National Defence College in New Delhi, one of India’s premier institutions for defence and national security studies.

Apart from his military credentials, Lt Gen Raja Subramani also possesses an impressive academic background. He earned a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an M.Phil in Defence Studies from University of Madras.

Throughout his long career spanning over 35 years, he served in several operational theatres and conflict-sensitive regions across the country. He also represented India internationally as Defence Attaché at the Embassy of India in Astana, Kazakhstan, further strengthening his diplomatic and strategic exposure.

As a Colonel, he served as Assistant Military Secretary at Army Headquarters and later as Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command. He also held a crucial assignment in Jammu and Kashmir as Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles sector, where he gained extensive counter-insurgency experience.

Following his promotion to Brigadier, he commanded the strategically significant 168 Infantry Brigade in Samba. He later served as Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence at Army Headquarters and subsequently as Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in Eastern Command.

In 2023, Lt Gen Raja Subramani was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command, succeeding Yogendra Dimri after his retirement. A year later, he became the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff, one of the highest-ranking positions in the Indian Army.

After retiring from active military service, he was appointed Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), a role he continued to hold until being selected as the next CDS.

Lt Gen Raja Subramani has received several prestigious military honours for his contribution to national security and distinguished service. His awards include the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM), and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).

His appointment comes at a crucial time as India continues to strengthen military modernisation, joint operational planning and integrated theatre command reforms under the evolving national security framework.