New Delhi: In a significant leadership transition, the government has appointed Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth as the next Chief of Army Staff. Currently serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS), Lt Gen Seth will officially assume charge on the afternoon of June 30, succeeding the outgoing Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi.
This appointment marks a historic milestone for the Armoured Corps. Lt Gen Seth will be the first officer from the Armoured Corps to lead the Indian Army since 1997, when General Shankar Roy Chowdhary of the 20 Lancers retired.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Lt Gen Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. Over a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, he has operated across a wide spectrum of conflict environments and terrains.
His command experience is extensive. He has led an armoured regiment in the desert sector and commanded the Patiala-based 98 Armoured Brigade, which operated under the 1 Strike Corps. In the counter-insurgency domain, he commanded the Uniform Force, a division-level formation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Upon his promotion to Lieutenant General, he commanded the 21 Strike Corps and subsequently served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Delhi Area. As an Army Commander, he achieved the rare distinction of heading two operational commands along the Western Front: the South Western Command and the Southern Command.
Beyond his field commands, Lt Gen Seth has held several pivotal staff and strategic roles. His tenure includes serving as the Brigade Major of an independent armoured brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, an Operations Officer with the United Nations Mission in Angola, and Assistant Military Secretary at Army Headquarters. He has also served as Brigadier General Staff (Operations) at the South Western Command and as Director General of Discipline, Ceremonial, and Welfare.
The incoming Chief has also played a crucial role in the Army’s modernization roadmap. He has held significant positions within the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Directorates, serving as Colonel (Capability Development for Mechanised Forces), Brigadier (Perspective Plans and Acquisition), and Additional Director General (Capability Development). In these roles, he contributed extensively to the force’s long-term integrated perspective plans.
