General Dhiraj Seth on Tuesday assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after more than four decades of distinguished service in the Indian Army. A highly decorated officer from the Armoured Corps, General Seth becomes the first officer from the Armoured Corps to head the Indian Army since General Shankar Roy Chowdhary in 1997.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, General Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. During his nearly four-decade-long military career, he has held several key command, staff and instructional appointments across operational, strategic and capability development domains. His command assignments include an Armoured Regiment in the Desert Sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre, a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir, and operational commands along the western front.
Before assuming the top Army post, General Seth served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the Army’s modernisation roadmap, long-term capability development and force restructuring. He has been instrumental in integrating emerging technologies and future battlefield concepts into the Army’s operational planning.
General Seth takes over at a crucial time as the Indian Army continues to pursue force modernisation, integrated theatre commands, indigenous defence capability enhancement and preparedness for evolving security challenges. His leadership is expected to further strengthen operational readiness, technological transformation and jointness among the armed forces.