The Centre has appointed retired Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), marking a major transition in the country’s top military leadership ahead of General Anil Chauhan’s retirement later this month.
The appointment comes at a time when the government continues to sharpen its military integration and border preparedness strategy through the Department of Military Affairs. Lieutenant General Raja Subramani, who has handled several operational and strategic assignments during his four-decade military career, will assume office from the date he takes charge and will also serve as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs.
According to a government notification issued by the Ministry of Defence, General Anil Chauhan will complete his tenure as CDS on May 30, 2026.
Lieutenant General Raja Subramani has been serving as the Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat since September 2025. Before that, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff between July 2024 and July 2025.
He also headed the Army’s Central Command as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief from March 2023 to June 2024.
Who is Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani?
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani was commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985.
He has also studied at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Bracknell, United Kingdom, and the National Defence College in New Delhi. Academically, he holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.
Over the course of his military career, he commanded the 16 Garhwal Rifles during counter-insurgency operations in Assam under Operation Rhino. He later led formations in Jammu and Kashmir and the central sector, including the 168 Infantry Brigade and the 17 Mountain Division.
One of the key highlights of his career was commanding the Army’s 2 Corps, considered one of India’s premier strike corps deployed along the western front.
Operational and intelligence experience across borders
Apart from field commands, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani held several important staff and instructional appointments within the Army and the Ministry of Defence.
His assignments included serving as Defence Attache in Kazakhstan, Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence, Chief Instructor at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, and Chief of Staff at the Northern Command headquarters.
The government statement noted that he possesses extensive operational understanding of both the western and northern borders.
For his service, he has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.