General Dhiraj Seth has officially taken charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, following a ceremonial event held at the South Block Lawns in New Delhi. He succeeds General Upendra Dwivedi, who has recently superannuated after over 40 years of dedicated service to the nation. The change of command ceremony included a presentation of a Ceremonial Guard of Honour to General Dwivedi, who also laid a wreath at the National War Memorial.
General Seth, who was previously serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, assumes his new responsibilities effective from June 30, 2026, with a tenure set to extend until August 31, 2028, as noted by the Ministry of Defence on June 13, 2026.
Having built a distinguished career over nearly four decades, General Seth is an officer of the Armoured Corps. He was commissioned into the 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) on December 20, 1986, after passing out from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. He is noted for being the third Chief of the Army Staff from the 2nd Lancers and is the seventh to emerge from the Armoured Corps—a historic moment, as he is the first to hold this office since General Shankar Roy Chowdhary in 1997.
General Seth has an extensive background in operational leadership. His command experience includes leading an armoured regiment in the desert sector, managing the Patiala-based 98 Armoured Brigade, and overseeing a division-level Uniform Force in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the counter-insurgency grid. As a Lieutenant General, he commanded the XXI Corps, often referred to as the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, from July 2021 to July 2022. He has also held pivotal roles as General Officer Commanding of the Delhi Area and subsequently as Army Commander, managing two operational commands along the Western Front: the South Western Command and the Southern Command.
In addition to his operational command roles, General Seth’s institutional contributions are noteworthy. He has served in various strategic positions, including Brigade Major of an independent armoured brigade and Brigadier General Staff (Operations) at South Western Command. His expertise extends to perspective planning, capability development, and influential positions within the Strategic Planning Directorate and Army Headquarters. His international experience includes serving as Operations Officer with the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III) and holding instructional positions at the National Defence Academy and the School of Armoured Warfare.
General Seth is highly educated and has attended prestigious military institutions, including the Defence Services Staff College where he stood out as the best all-round student in 2006, the Army War College in Mhow, and the National Defence College in New Delhi. He has furthered his education internationally at the French Collège interarmées de Défense and the Naval Postgraduate School in the U.S., where he completed courses of significant professional value.
His impressive service record has earned him several awards, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) in 2025, the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) in 2026 for his leadership as Southern Army Commander, and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2022. In addition, he has received numerous commendations from the Chief of the Army Staff and Army Commanders, alongside various campaign and service medals.
General Seth comes from a notable military family; his father, Lieutenant General Krishna Mohan Seth, served as the Adjutant General of the Indian Army and commanded significant corps. His brother, Rear Admiral Ravnish Seth, is active in the Indian Navy. On the personal front, General Seth is married to Komal Seth, and they have two daughters. A well-rounded individual, he has a penchant for sports, particularly tennis and golf.
The appointment of General Dhiraj Seth is significant for the Indian Army as it highlights a focus on operational experience and a commitment to technological modernization and integrated warfighting capabilities. His extensive background in mechanized formations and strategic command positions equips him well to navigate ongoing transformation initiatives. As he embarks on his new role, General Seth aims to ensure the Army’s readiness and its adaptation to emerging technologies, fulfilling the nation’s defense requirements along critical borders.
The entire defense community looks forward to his leadership and wishes him success in what is anticipated to be an impactful and transformative tenure.
