Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani named next Chief of Defence Staff
New Delhi, May 9. The government has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes charge. The incumbent CDS, General Anil Chauhan, will complete his tenure on May 30, 2026.
Lt Gen Raja Subramani is currently serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat, a position he has held since September 1, 2025. Earlier, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 2024 to July 2025 and as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army’s Central Command from March 2023 to June 2024.
A graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985. He is also an alumnus of the Joint Services Command Staff College and the National Defence College. His academic credentials include a Master’s degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from the University of Madras.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Lt Gen Raja Subramani has served in diverse operational environments and held numerous command, staff, and instructional appointments. He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam under Operation Rhino, 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu & Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector. He also commanded 2 Corps, one of the Indian Army’s premier strike formations on the Western Front.
His staff and instructional assignments have included roles as Divisional Officer at the National Defence Academy, Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, Defence Attaché in Kazakhstan, Assistant Military Secretary, Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Eastern Command, Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles Sector in Jammu & Kashmir, Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence at Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Staff (Operations) at Eastern Command, Chief Instructor (Army) at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, and Chief of Staff at Northern Command. These roles have given him extensive operational insight into both the Western and Northern borders.
For his distinguished service, Lt Gen Raja Subramani has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.
