3 min readNew DelhiJun 14, 2026 02:03 AM IST
First published on: Jun 13, 2026 at 03:29 PM IST
Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth will be the next Chief of the Army Staff, the Ministry of Defence announced Saturday.
An Armoured Corps officer, Lt Gen Seth is currently serving as the Army’s Vice Chief. He will take over as the COAS on June 30 when current Army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, retires from service.
Lt Gen Seth will be the third Army chief from the 2nd Lancers, one of the oldest armoured regiments in the country, and the first Armoured Corps officer to be appointed Army chief in the last 30 years after General Shankar Roy Chowdhury (1994-97).
Former Army chiefs General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja, also the first Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army after Independence (1953 to 1955), and General Bipin Chandra Joshi (1993-94) were also commissioned into the 2nd Lancers.
Lt Gen Seth will oversee the ongoing absorption of technology, modern equipment and platforms in the Army, and the process of integration with the other services. He comes from a family with a military background, and people who have worked with him describe him as a meticulous officer and a keen sportsman. His brother is a senior naval officer.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said Lt Gen Seth has extensive experience across operational, strategic, capability development and institutional domains in a distinguished military career spanning nearly four decades. He has contributed significantly to the Indian Army’s combat effectiveness and long-term transformation, it said.
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,” the Ministry said.
He has also commanded South Western Command and Southern Command, a rare feat of commanding two operational Army Commands and providing strategic oversight across critical theatres for over a period of two and half years.
Lt Gen Seth 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,” the statement said.
His contributions have been instrumental in aligning operational requirements with emerging technologies and future battlefield imperatives.
He has also 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.
Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and an Armoured Corps officer. (Photo: X/Defence Ministry) 
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