THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, May 9: The Centre on Saturday appointed Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of the Naval Staff, marking a major leadership transition in India’s armed forces.
Lt Gen Subramani will succeed Gen Anil Chauhan, whose tenure as the country’s senior-most military commander ends on May 30. Vice Admiral Swaminathan will take over from Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi after his retirement on May 31.
The defence ministry said Lt Gen Subramani will also serve as the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani to lead military theatreisation push
Widely regarded as an expert on Pakistan and China, Lt Gen Subramani is currently serving as the Military Advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). He retired as the Vice Chief of Army Staff on July 31 last year.
As CDS, his key responsibility will be to advance the government’s long-pending military theatreisation plan through integrated military commands and enhanced tri-services coordination among the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Gen Anil Chauhan had taken charge as CDS in September 2022, nearly nine months after India’s first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.
Four-decade military career across operational commands
Lt Gen Subramani has served in several operational and strategic roles during a military career spanning over four decades.
He served as Vice Chief of Army Staff from July 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, and earlier headed the Central Command as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief from March 2023 to June 2024.
Commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985, he is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA). He is also an alumnus of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Bracknell (UK), and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
Lt Gen Subramani holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.
During his career, he commanded the 16 Garhwal Rifles during Operation Rhino in Assam, the 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector. He also led two Army corps, including one of the Indian Army’s premier strike corps on the Western Front.
His staff assignments included serving as Defence Attaché in Kazakhstan, Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in Eastern Command, and Chief of Staff at Headquarters Northern Command.
“The officer possesses insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the Western and Northern borders,” the defence ministry said.
Lt Gen Subramani has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan named next Navy Chief
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, has been appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, the officer specialises in communication and electronic warfare.
He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham (UK), the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja, and the US Naval War College, Newport.
A recipient of the PVSM, AVSM and VSM, Vice Admiral Swaminathan has held several operational, staff and instructional appointments during his naval career.
He has commanded missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish, guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.