Govt appoints Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani as next Chief of Defence Staff

Centre has appointed Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd.) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), with effect from the date he assumes charge and until further orders.

An official order said Lt Gen Raja Subramani will also function as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs.

The present 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.

Before that, he served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025.

He had also served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army’s Central Command from March 2023 till June 2024.