New Delhi: General Dhiraj Seth Takes Charge as New Chief of Army Staff

NEW DELHI: General Dhiraj Seth took over as the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi upon his retirement on Tuesday. An officer of the Armoured Corps, Gen Seth becomes the first officer from the combat branch to head the Army since 1997 after General Shankar Roychowdhury.

With nearly four decades of military service, he brings extensive operational, strategic and organisational experience, having served in key command, staff and capability-development appointments.

His tenure, which is expected to run until August 2028, comes at a critical juncture as the Army focuses on force modernisation, integrated theatre command structures, and enhanced operational preparedness along the borders with China and Pakistan.

A graduate of the National Defence Academy, Gen Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. Throughout his distinguished career, he has served in a wide range of operational, strategic and institutional roles, playing a key role in enhancing the Indian Army's combat capabilities and long-term transformation.

Commanding formations at every level in diverse operational environments, his assignments include heading an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the western theatre, and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir.

As a Lt General, he commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, one of the Indian Army's premier strike formations. He later served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, where he oversaw important military engagements, ceremonial duties and coordination for national and international events in the capital.

Upon promotion to Army Commander, Gen Seth headed both the South Western Command and the Southern Command, becoming one of the few officers to have commanded two operational Army Commands. During more than two-and-a-half years in these roles, he provided strategic oversight across some of the country's most critical military theatres.  (IANS)

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