India Appoints New Defence, Navy Chiefs, To Assume Office By Month-End

The Centre has appointed Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani as India's new Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Anil Chauhan.

Chauhan will complete his tenure on May 30.

Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani will also function as Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Military Affairs, with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders.

Government of India appoints Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd.) as the next Chief of Defence Staff, who will also serve as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs. He will assume office after Gen Anil Chauhan completes his tenure on 30 May 2026.

A highly… pic.twitter.com/wnbeitcpyX

— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) May 9, 2026

He began his journey in uniform at the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985. He went on to attend the Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (UK), following which he returned to India and was appointed Brigade Major of a mountain brigade.

Subramani then studied at the National Defence College in Delhi. He also holds a Master of Arts Degree from King's College, London, and an M Phil in Defence Studies from Madras University. In his illustrious career spanning over 35 years, Subramani served across a wide spectrum of conflicts and terrain profiles, including serving as the Defence attache at the Embassy of India in Astana, Kazakhstan.

In the rank of a Colonel, he served as the Assistant Military Secretary in the MS branch at Army headquarters. He later served as the Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command. In Jammu and Kashmir, he served as the Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles sector.

On promotion to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded the 168 Infantry Brigade in Samba.

Subramani served as the Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence (DDGMI) at Army Headquarters and was later promoted to Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in the Eastern Command.

In 2023, Subramani took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command, succeeding Lieutenant General Yogendra Dimri, who superannuated. A year later, he took over as the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff. Following his retirement from active military service, he was appointed as the Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) - until now.

For his distinguished service to the nation, Subramani has been awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.

India Gets New Chief Of Naval Staff

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the next Chief of Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi - who will complete his tenure on May 31.

Government appoints Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM as the next Chief of the Naval Staff. Currently serving as FOC-in-C, @IN_WNC, the Admiral brings nearly four decades of distinguished service, with extensive operational, strategic & personnel management… pic.twitter.com/5tFs4eR2xJ

— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) May 9, 2026

Swaminathan was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham in the United Kingdom, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, and the United States Naval War College.

A recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral has held several key operational, staff, and training appointments in his naval career, including the command of missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

On promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, he served as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) at Headquarters, Southern Naval Command in Kochi, and played a key role in the conduct of training across the Indian Navy. He was also instrumental in raising the Indian Naval Safety Team that oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy. He then went on to head the Work-Up Organisation of the Navy as the Flag Officer Sea Training, after which he was appointed as the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet. 

He also served as the Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor, Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India.

Swaminathan served as the 46th Vice Chief of Naval Staff in Mumbai and the Controller of Personnel Services and Chief of Personnel at the Naval Headquarters in Delhi. He currently serves as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.

He has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Sena Medal for his service to the nation.