Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani Appointed as India’s New Chief of Defence Staff

New Delhi: The Central Government has appointed NS Raja Subramani as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will also serve as the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes office.

The appointment comes as the incumbent CDS, Anil Chauhan, is set to complete his tenure on May 30, 2026.

Currently serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat since September 2025, Lt Gen Subramani previously held the post of Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 2024 to July 2025. Before that, he served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command between March 2023 and June 2024.

Commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the The Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985, Lt Gen Subramani is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He has also attended the Joint Services Command Staff College in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in New Delhi.

Over a military career spanning more than four decades, Lt Gen Subramani has held several key command, staff and instructional appointments across varied operational theatres. He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam under Operation Rhino, led 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, and headed the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector. He also commanded the strategically significant 2 Corps on the western front.

His experience includes assignments as Defence Attaché in Kazakhstan, Chief Instructor (Army) at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, and Chief of Staff of the Northern Command. He has also served in important operational roles at Army Headquarters and Eastern Command, gaining extensive experience in military intelligence and border operations.

Lt Gen Subramani holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from University of Madras.

For his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).