NEW DELHI: Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth has been appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army. He will succeed the outgoing COAS, General Upendra Dwivedi, who is retiring on June 30.
He was born in New Delhi. He is the son of former Indian Army Lieutenant General Krishna Mohan Seth and comes from a distinguished military family deeply rooted in New Delhi and surrounding regions.
An alumnus of the National Armoured Corps officer, Lt Gen Seth brings with him nearly four decades of distinguished service, marked by extensive command, staff and strategic appointments across diverse operational and institutional domains.
The General Officer has commanded at every level in diverse operational environments. His command assignments include an Armoured Regiment in the Desert Sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre, and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir. As a Lieutenant General, he commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, one of the Indian Army’s premier strike formations. He subsequently served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, overseeing key national and international military engagements and ceremonial responsibilities.
On elevation to Army Commander, the officer commanded South Western Command and Southern Command, earning the rare distinction of commanding two operational Army Commands and providing strategic oversight across critical theaters for over a period of two and half years. He has held several key staff and strategic appointments that have significantly influenced operational planning, force management and capability development.
Widely recognised for his contributions to force modernisation, the General Officer has tenanted pivotal appointments in the Strategic Planning and Capability Development verticals of the Army Headquarters, shaping its modernisation trajectory, capability roadmap and long-term force structuring initiatives. His contributions have been instrumental in aligning operational requirements with emerging technologies and future battlefield imperatives.
An accomplished military professional, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth has consistently excelled in professional military education, securing top positions in courses of instruction. He is a graduate of the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College, and has also attended the prestigious Command & Staff Course in Paris, reflecting his broad strategic outlook and understanding of contemporary military affairs.
