General Dhiraj Seth Appointed India's 31st Army Chief

General Dhiraj Seth assumed office as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army on July 1, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi. A veteran Armoured Corps officer commissioned in 1986, Seth is the first from his corps to lead the army since 1997. Following a Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns and a wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, Seth introduced his 'VIJAY' strategic framework, which emphasizes Vigilance, Innovation, Jointness, Atmanirbharta (self-reliance), and Yodha First (soldier welfare).

General Upendra Dwivedi retired on June 30, 2026, after four decades of service. In his farewell address, Dwivedi highlighted the progress of the 'Decade of Transformation' initiative, which shifted the military toward a technology-enabled, network-centric organization. He cited Operation Snow Leopard on the northern border and Operation Sindoor on the western front as key examples of the army's operational readiness and inter-service synergy.

Seth's tenure, which runs until August 31, 2028, will focus on operationalizing Integrated Battle Groups and integrating theatre commands. He committed to a "Nation First" approach, aiming to build a future-ready force capable of multi-domain operations through indigenous solutions and emerging technologies, aligning with guidance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.