The Centre has appointed Lieutenant General N.S. Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), succeeding General Anil Chauhan, whose tenure concludes on May 30, 2026. Raja Subramani will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes office.

Currently serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat since September 2025, Raja Subramani earlier held the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff between July 2024 and July 2025. He also served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army’s Central Command from March 2023 to June 2024.

According to the Ministry of Defence, Raja Subramani is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy. Commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985, he has undergone training at leading military institutions in India and abroad, including the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in New Delhi.

The government also announced the appointment of Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of Naval Staff. He will assume office on May 31, 2026, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, and is expected to remain in the role until December 31, 2028.

A specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare, Vice Admiral Swaminathan was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987. During his career, he has held several operational, staff, and training appointments, including command of key naval platforms such as INS Vidyut, INS Vinash, INS Kulish, INS Mysore, and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.