Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani named new CDS; Vice Admiral Swaminathan to lead Navy

The Centre on Saturday appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd.) as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, marking a major leadership transition in the country’s top military structure.

Lt Gen Raja Subramani will take over from General Anil Chauhan after the latter’s extended tenure ends on May 30, 2026. Known within military circles as both a “soldier-scholar” and an operational commander, he is currently serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), a role he assumed on September 1, 2025, following his retirement as Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

According to the official announcement, Lt Gen Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd.), will also function as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes charge until further orders.

Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in 1985 and has served in the Indian Army for more than 37 years, building a distinguished operational and strategic career. 

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he also attended 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 the University of Madras.

MUST READ: BT Exclusive: What are the views of the next Chief Naval Staff of the Indian Navy on the West Asia crisis? Here’s more

Over the course of his career, Lt Gen Subramani commanded a battalion during Operation Rhino in Assam, an infantry brigade along the India-Pakistan international border, and a ‘Black Cat’ division in Northeast India.
He later went on to command the Uttar Bharat Area in 2020 and subsequently led the prestigious Kharga Corps based in Ambala.

Before joining the NSCS, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 2024 to July 2025. He also held the position of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command between March 2023 and June 2024.

The National Security Council Secretariat, headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, functions as the executive arm of the National Security Council and plays a key role in policy coordination and strategic planning on national security matters. The NSCS oversees areas such as military affairs, intelligence coordination, technology, and maritime security.

As Military Adviser, Lt Gen Raja Subramani acted as the principal bridge between the armed forces and the NSCS, providing assessments on operational readiness, force planning, and capability development.

MUST READ: Operation Sindoor hero Rizwan Malik: Meet Manipur pilot who flew India’s most daring strike mission

In another major appointment, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was named the next Chief of Naval Staff. Currently serving as the Western Naval Commander in Mumbai, he will assume office on May 31 and is expected to serve until December 31, 2028.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, Vice Admiral Swaminathan is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, and the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.