Raja Subramani to lead as CDS, Krishna Swaminathan to head Indian Navy

NS Raja Subramani has been appointed India’s next Chief of Defence Staff, while Krishna Swaminathan will become Navy Chief. Their key priorities include military theaterisation, tri-services integration and naval modernisation amid evolving regional security challenges

New Delhi: Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (retd) has been named India’s next Chief of Defence Staff and his primary mandate will be to implement the ambitious military theaterisation plan and bolster tri-services synergy. The government has also appointed Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of the Naval Staff.

While Lt Gen Subramani will replace incumbent Gen Anil Chauhan as the country’s senior-most military commander, Vice Admiral Swaminathan will succeed Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi as the Navy Chief, according to an official statement.

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Widely known as an expert on Pakistan and China, Lt Gen Subramani retired as Vice Chief of Army Staff on July 31 last year and is currently serving as military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). He will take over as the Chief of Defence Staff on May 30. Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, presently heading the Western Naval Command, will take charge on May 31. Both Gen Chauhan and Admiral Tripathi are retiring from service.

The government has appointed Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the Chief of Defence Staff and he will also function as the secretary of the department of military affairs, the defence ministry said on Saturday. As Chief of Defence Staff, Subramani’s primary task will be to implement the theaterisation model by rolling out integrated military commands.

Gen Chauhan, a former Eastern Army Commander, took charge as the country’s senior-most military commander in September 2022, over nine months after the first CDS General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.

In his illustrious career spanning over 40 years, Lt Gen Subramani served across a wide spectrum of conflict and terrain profiles and held a host of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.

He served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025, and was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command from March 2023 till June 2024. The officer is a graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He was commissioned into the eighth battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985.

Lt Gen Subramani is an alumnus of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Bracknell (UK), and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College, London, and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.

He commanded the 16 Garhwal Rifles in counter-insurgency operations in Assam as part of Operation Rhino, the 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, and the 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector during a challenging operational environment.

He also distinguished himself by commanding two corps, including a premier strike corps of the Indian Army on the Western Front. The officer possesses insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the Western and Northern borders, according to the Defence Ministry.

As the Navy Chief, Vice Admiral Swaminathan’s focus is likely to be on taking forward the ongoing modernisation of the force. The Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, and is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom; the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the US Naval War College, Newport.

A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), the Admiral has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career, including the command of missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

Following his promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, the Flag Officer served as Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, Controller of Personnel Services, and Chief of Personnel at Naval Headquarters. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.

Vice Admiral Swaminathan’s educational qualifications include a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; an MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology; and an MA in Defence Studies from King’s College, London. He also holds an MPhil in Strategic Studies and a PhD in International Studies, both from Mumbai University.