The Government of India has appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth as the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) with effect from the afternoon of 30 June 2026. He will succeed General Upendra Dwivedi, who is retiring on the same day.
Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
With nearly four decades of military service, Lt Gen Seth has held several key command and staff appointments. He has commanded an Armoured Regiment, Armoured Brigade, Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir, Sudarshan Chakra Corps, South Western Command, and Southern Command.
He has also attended prestigious military courses, including the National Defence College, Higher Command Course, and the Command and Staff Course in Paris, France.
