New Delhi, 9 May 2026 – The Government has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd), as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
He will also serve as Secretary to the Government, Department of Military Affairs, effective from the date of assumption of charge until further orders.
The current CDS, General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, is scheduled to complete his tenure on 30 May 2026.
Lieutenant General Subramani currently serves as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat, a position he has held since 1 September 2025.
Previously, he was Vice Chief of the Army Staff from 1 July 2024 to 31 July 2025, and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, from March 2023 to June 2024.
He is a graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.
Commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on 14 December 1985, Lieutenant General Subramani has over 40 years of experience across diverse operational environments.
He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam (Operation Rhino), the 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector.
He has also led 2 Corps, India’s premier strike corps on the Western Front.
His staff and instructional assignments include roles as Divisional Officer at the National Defence Academy, Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, Defence Attache in Kazakhstan, Chief Instructor (Army) at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Command.
These assignments reflect his extensive operational knowledge and expertise across both Western and Northern borders.
Lieutenant General Subramani holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London, an M Phil in Defence Studies from Madras University, and is an alumnus of the Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (UK), and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
For his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.
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