Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was appointed on Satruday the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), the government said in a statement, adding that he will assume office on June 30.
“I am directed to convey the approval of the President to the appointment of Lt General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM as the next Chief of the Army Staff in the substantive rank of General, with effect from 30 (th) June, 2026 vice General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, with a tenure upto 31st August, 2028,” a statement of the Ministry of Defence said.
Lt General Seth was serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS), a position he assumed in April this year. He will assume the office of the army chief as the present army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, retires from service on June 30.
Lt General Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
All about Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth
With a career spanning nearly four decades, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth has had extensive experience across the operational, strategic, capability development and institutional domains.
{{/usCountry}}With a career spanning nearly four decades, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth has had extensive experience across the operational, strategic, capability development and institutional domains.
{{/usCountry}}“His command assignments include an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre, and a Counter Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir,” the government statement said.
The next COAS has commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, one of army's premier strike formations; served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area; and commanded South Western Command and Southern Command.
Lt General Seth has a rare distinction of commanding the two operational Army Commands – South Western Command and Southern Command – and providing strategic oversight across critical theatres for over a period of two and a half years.
During the course of his service, he held several key staff and strategic appointments that significantly influenced operational planning, force management and capability development.