Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth Visits Nepal

Indian Army Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth arrived in Kathmandu on August 16 for an official visit to Nepal. This trip marks General Seth's first foreign visit since assuming command on June 30, 2026, and is the first visit by a senior Indian official since Prime Minister Balendra Shah took office on March 27.

During the visit, President Ram Chandra Paudel will confer the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army upon General Seth during a ceremony on August 17. This exchange of honorary ranks is a tradition between the two nations dating back to 1950. General Seth visited at the invitation of General Ashok Raj Sigdel, the Chief of the Army Staff of the Nepali Army.

General Seth's itinerary includes receiving a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters, laying a wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, and addressing student officers at Shivapuri. He is also scheduled to attend an Ex-Servicemen Rally in Pokhara to honor veterans and gallantry awardees.

Beyond ceremonial duties, General Seth will meet with Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who also holds the defense portfolio, and General Sigdel. Discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral military cooperation in training, peacekeeping, and disaster response. Strategic talks may also address the Gorkha recruitment model following the implementation of India's Agnipath system.