Who is ‘Pakistan and China expert’ Lt General NS Raja Subramani, the next Chief of Defence Staff of India?
Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani, set to be the next CDS of India, last served as the 47th Vice Chief of Army Staff until July 2025, before retiring.
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The union government has greenlit the appointment of Lieutenant General (Retd) NS Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), replacing General Anil Chauhan, whose tenure ends soon.
Lt Gen NS Subramani last served as the 47th Vice Chief of Army Staff until July 2025, before retiring and subsequently serving as a military advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat since September.
He will now take over as the third Chief of Defence Staff on May 31.
Who is Lt General NS Raja Subramani?
Born on July 21, 1968, in Mumbai, Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani was commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles in 1985.
Since then, he has held key leadership roles, including command of the II Corps and 17 Mountain Division.
Lt Gen Subramani holds advanced degrees in Defence Studies from the Madras University, where he completed a Master's of Arts (MA) degree and King's College, London, where he completed a Master's in Philosophy (M.Phil) degree, apart from being an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA).
Over the course of his almost four decades of service, he has served across a wide range of conflict zones and terrains and has held several Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.
{{/usCountry}}Over the course of his almost four decades of service, he has served across a wide range of conflict zones and terrains and has held several Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.
{{/usCountry}}He commanded the 16th battalion of the Garhwal Rifles in Assam, deployed in a counter-insurgency role as part of Operation Rhino. He was subsequently appointed as the Defence attaché at the Embassy of India in Astana, Kazakhstan. He also served as the Assistant Military Secretary in the MS branch at Army headquarters as a Colonel. Later, Lt Gen Subramani served as the Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command. He also served as the Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
{{/usCountry}}He commanded the 16th battalion of the Garhwal Rifles in Assam, deployed in a counter-insurgency role as part of Operation Rhino. He was subsequently appointed as the Defence attaché at the Embassy of India in Astana, Kazakhstan. He also served as the Assistant Military Secretary in the MS branch at Army headquarters as a Colonel. Later, Lt Gen Subramani served as the Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command. He also served as the Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
{{/usCountry}}Another key aspect of Lt Gen Subramani is his understanding of operational dynamics on both the Eastern and Northern borders. He is widely known as an expert on Pakistan and China.
Lieutenant General Subramani took over as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) II Corps, succeeding Lieutenant General Surinder Singh Mahal. After a year-long tenure, he moved to the Northern Command in Udhampur as the Chief of Staff, assuming the post in May 2022.
In March 2023, he took over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, succeeding Lieutenant General Yogendra Dimri, who superannuated in February 2023.
On July 1, 2024, Lt General Subramani took over as the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff. He assumed the post from General Upendra Dwivedi upon his elevation as the Chief of Army Staff.
Lt. General NS Subramani is one of the most decorated soldiers, receiving several military honours for his service. These include the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM) and the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).
