By Admin 
General Dheeraj Seth took over as the 31st Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army on Tuesday (30 June 2026). He has replaced Upendra Dwivedi, whose tenure has now ended. General Dheeraj Seth is an experienced officer of the Indian Army. He comes from the Armored Corps and has also previously served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff. The special thing is that after the retirement of Shankar Roy Choudhary in 1997, he is the first officer from the Armored Corps to become the Army Chief.
Before becoming the new Army Chief, General Seth was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Command. Before this, he had also commanded South Verston Command. He has also served as General Officer Commanding Delhi Area and General Officer Commanding XXI Corps. He is also the Colonel of the Regiment of the Armed Corps.
General Dheeraj Seth’s long military career
General Dheeraj Seth was commissioned in the 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) in the year 1986. In his long military career, he has performed many important responsibilities. He has commanded both Pune-based Southern Command and Jaipur-based South Western Command. Both these commands are considered very important from the point of view of Pakistan border. He is among the few generals who have led two different commands. Apart from this, he has also taken command of 21 Corps based in Bhopal. He has also commanded a counter-insurgency force, an armored brigade and an armored regiment in Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from command roles, General Seth has also held many important responsibilities related to strategic planning and modern technology of the Army. His contribution towards the modernization of the army is considered important.
Big responsibility on the shoulders of General Dheeraj Seth
General Dheeraj Seth has taken over as Army Chief at a time when the Indian Army is going through a period of major change. The Army is considering this time as a decade of transformation. Many major changes can be seen in the army during his tenure. These include fully implementing Integrated Battle Groups, rapidly incorporating new technologies and increasing the use of drones in the army. Apart from this, there will also be special emphasis on taking the Integrated Theater Command forward during his tenure. This will create better coordination between the three armies, Army, Navy and Air Force. Retired Lieutenant General PR Shankar says that the biggest challenge before the new Army Chief will be to prepare the army for modern warfare.
General Dheeraj Seth’s family
General Dheeraj Seth is an alumnus of the National Defense Academy, Indian Military Academy, Command and Staff Course, Paris and National Defense College. He has received major military honors like Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. General Dheeraj Seth comes from a military family. His father Krishna Mohan Seth had retired as Lieutenant General. He has also been Adjutant General and later Governor of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura. Both father and son have commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, which is considered a special achievement in itself. His younger brother Ravnish Seth is a Rear Admiral in the Indian Navy and is currently posted in Karwar.