Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani appointed as India’s new Chief of Defence Staff

The Government of India has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will succeed General Anil Chauhan, who is scheduled to complete his tenure on May 30. Lieutenant General Subramani is currently serving as the Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat, a position he has held since September 1, 2025.

Before his current assignment, Lieutenant General Subramani served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025. He also held the position of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command between March 2023 and June 2024. The appointment also includes the responsibility of serving as Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs after assuming office.

Commissioned into The Garhwal Rifles in December 1985, Lieutenant General Subramani has served in the Indian Army for nearly four decades. During his military career, he held several command, staff and instructional appointments across different operational environments. He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam, led formations in Jammu and Kashmir, and also commanded the 2 Corps on the Western Front.

Lieutenant General Subramani is a graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He also attended the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in New Delhi. Academically, he holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.

For his distinguished service, Lieutenant General Subramani has received several military honours, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal. Alongside his appointment, the government also announced that Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will become the next Chief of the Indian Navy after Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi retires on May 31.