The Centre on Saturday appointed Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of the Naval Staff, ushering in a major leadership transition in the armed forces.
Lt Gen Subramani will replace Gen Anil Chauhan, whose tenure as the country’s senior-most military commander ends on May 30, while Vice Admiral Swaminathan will succeed Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi following his retirement on May 31.
The defence ministry said Lt Gen Subramani will also function as the secretary of the Department of Military Affairs.
Widely regarded as an expert on Pakistan and China, Lt Gen Subramani is currently serving as the Military Advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). He retired as the Vice Chief of Army Staff on July 31 last year.
As Chief of Defence Staff, Subramani’s primary responsibility will be to implement the military theatreisation model by rolling out integrated military commands and strengthening tri-services synergy.
Gen Chauhan had taken charge as CDS in September 2022, more than nine months after the death of India’s first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.
In a military career spanning over four decades, Lt Gen Subramani served in a range of operational roles across varied terrains and conflict zones. He served as Vice Chief of Army Staff from July 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, and earlier headed the Central Command as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief from March 2023 to June 2024.
Commissioned into the eighth battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985, the officer is a graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He is also an alumnus of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Bracknell (UK), and the National Defence College in New Delhi.
Lt Gen Subramani holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.
He commanded the 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam under Operation Rhino, the 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector. He also led two corps, including one of the Indian Army’s premier strike corps on the Western Front.
His staff and instructional assignments included Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, Defence Attaché in Kazakhstan, Assistant Military Secretary, Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles Sector in Jammu and Kashmir, and Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army).
He also served as Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in Eastern Command, Chief Instructor (Army) at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, and Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Command.
“The officer possesses insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the Western and Northern borders,” the defence ministry said.
For his distinguished service, Lt Gen Subramani has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan appointed next Navy Chief
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, has been appointed as the next Navy Chief.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, Vice Admiral Swaminathan 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 operational, staff and training appointments during his naval career.
He has commanded the missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
