Next Chief of Defence Staff: Lt General NS Raja Subramani Succeeds General Anil Chauhan
During a distinguished military career spanning more than four decades, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani held several key operational, instructional and staff appointments across varied theatres and terrains.
Lt General Raja Subramani will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs, from the date he assumes charge.
New Delhi: The Union government on Saturday appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs, with effect from the date he assumes charge and until further orders.
He succeeds General Anil Chauhan, who is set to complete his tenure on May 30, 2026.
Lieutenant General Raja Subramani is currently serving as Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat since September 1, 2025. Before this assignment, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 2024 to July 2025 and as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command between March 2023 and June 2024.
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 in Bracknell, United Kingdom, and the National Defence College. His academic credentials include a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from University of Madras.
During a distinguished military career spanning more than four decades, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani held several key operational, instructional and staff appointments across varied theatres and terrains.
He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam under Operation Rhino, 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu & Kashmir, and 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector under demanding operational conditions. He also commanded the prestigious 2 Corps, the Indian Army’s premier strike corps on the western front.
His staff and instructional assignments included Divisional Officer at the National Defence Academy, Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, Defence Attaché 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 & Kashmir, Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in Eastern Command, Chief Instructor (Army) at the Defence Services Staff College, and Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Command.
The officer is regarded as having deep operational understanding of both the western and northern borders.
For his distinguished service, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM), and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).
