Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth Appointed Army Chief

The Central Government has appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth (PVSM, UYSM, AVSM) as the 31st Army Chief, effective from June 30, 2026. He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff. The incumbent Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, is retiring from service on the same day.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence noted that Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.

Lieutenant General Seth will be the third Army Chief to hail from the '2nd Lancers,' one of the country's oldest armoured regiments. Additionally, he will be the first Armoured Corps officer to become Army Chief in the last 30 years, following General Shankar Roychowdhury (1994–97).

Former Army Chiefs General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja (who was also the first 'Chief of Army Staff' of the Indian Army post-independence, serving from 1953 to 1955) and General Bipin Chandra Joshi (1993–94) were also commissioned into the '2nd Lancers.'

This General Officer has held command at every level across diverse operational environments. His command assignments include leading an armoured regiment in the desert sector, an armoured brigade in the Western Theatre, and a counter-insurgency force in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth

As a Lieutenant General, he commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, one of the Indian Army's key strike formations.

Subsequently, he served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Delhi Area, where he oversaw major national and international military activities and ceremonial responsibilities. Upon being promoted to the rank of Army Commander, this officer commanded the South Western Command and the Southern Command.

The next COAS has commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps—one of the Army's key strike formations—served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Delhi Area, and commanded both the South Western Command and the Southern Command.

Lieutenant General Seth holds a unique distinction: he has commanded two of the Army's operational commands—South Western Command and Southern Command—and has exercised strategic oversight in critical theatres for over two and a half years