From Garhwal Rifles to CDS - who is India’s new military chief NS Raja Subramani?

Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd), has been appointed arsenic the adjacent Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He succeeds General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, who completes his tenure connected May 30, 2026.In his capableness arsenic CDS, Lt Gen Subramani volition besides service arsenic secretary, Department of Military Affairs (DMA), from the day of presumption of complaint until further orders.Lieutenant General Subramani took implicit the relation of Military Adviser (MA) astatine the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) aft his status from the Army. He has been astatine the NSCS since September 1, 2025.Before retiring from the Army, Lt Gen Subramani served arsenic the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 2024 to July 2025.

He was besides the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Central Command from March 2023 to June 2024.Commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles connected December 14, 1985, helium is simply a postgraduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. His world credentials see a master’s grade from King’s College London and an MPhil successful Defence Studies from Madras University. He is besides an alumnus of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Bracknell, successful the United Kingdom, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.

Over a vocation spanning 4 decades, Lieutenant General Subramani has commanded formations crossed divers operational environments. His enactment roles see bid of the 16th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations successful Assam, the 168 Infantry Brigade successful Samba, Jammu & Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division facing China. He besides commanded the Ambala-based 2 Corps, the Indian Army’s armour-heavy onslaught enactment connected the occidental front.Lt Gen Subramani has besides held extended unit and instructional appointments, ranging from Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade to Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence and Chief Instructor (Army) astatine the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He besides served arsenic Chief of Staff astatine Northern Command, gaining heavy operational penetration into some the occidental and bluish borders. Lt Gen Subramani besides served arsenic Defence Attaché successful Kazakhstan.Lieutenant General Subramani is expected to thrust jointness and integration crossed the equipped forces.He has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.