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

The Government of India has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who will also serve concurrently as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs.

He will assume charge following the completion of incumbent General Anil Chauhan’s tenure on May 30, 2026.

His appointment marks the third consecutive time that an Army officer has been chosen to helm the country’s highest military position.

With extensive operational experience spanning both the western and northern frontiers, the seasoned General Officer brings a comprehensive understanding of India’s most strategically critical theatres. His on-ground command across borders facing Pakistan and China positions him as a well-rounded and battle-hardened choice to lead the country’s tri-services military establishment.

Notably, Lt Gen Subramani had retired from active Army service in July 2025 before being called upon to serve as Military Adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat.

With his appointment as CDS, he becomes the second officer in India’s history to be brought back from retirement for the nation’s top military post, after General Anil Chauhan, who had similarly been recalled to serve as CDS in 2022.

A Decorated Career Spanning Four Decades Lt Gen Subramani brings with him over 40 years of distinguished military service marked by extensive experience across diverse conflict zones and terrains. 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 an alumnus of the Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (UK), and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an M.Phil in Defence Studies from Madras University.

Key Roles and Commands

Most recently, Lt Gen Subramani served as Military Adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat since September 1, 2025. Before this, he held the position of Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 2024 to July 2025, and served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, from March 2023 to June 2024.

Over the course of his career, he has commanded the 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam under Operation Rhino, the 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu & Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector.

Notably, he also commanded the 2 Corps—the Indian Army’s premier strike corps on the Western Front.

His staff and instructional appointments have spanned a broad range, including stints as Defence Attaché in Kazakhstan, Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence, Chief Instructor (Army) at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, and Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Command, among several others.

For his distinguished military service to the nation, Lt Gen Subramani has been conferred the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.