Lieutenant General
N. S. Raja Subramani
PVSM AVSM SM VSM
3rd Chief of Defence Staff
Assuming office
31 May 2026
President Droupadi Murmu
Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh
Succeeding Anil Chauhan
59th Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
Assuming office
31 May 2026
President Droupadi Murmu
Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh
Succeeding Anil Chauhan
47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff
In office
1 July 2024 – 31 July 2025
President Droupadi Murmu
Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi
Preceded by Upendra Dwivedi
Succeeded by Pushpendra Pal Singh
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Central Command
In office
1 March 2023 – 30 June 2024
Chief of Army Staff Manoj Pande
Preceded by Yogendra Dimri
Succeeded by Anindya Sengupta
Military service
Allegiance  India
Branch/service  Indian Army
Years of service
14 December 1985 – 31 July 2025
Rank Lieutenant General
Unit 8 Garhwal Rifles
Commands
  • Central Command
  • II Corps
  • Uttar Bharat Area
  • 17th Mountain Division
  • 168 Infantry Brigade
  • 16 Garhwal Rifles
Service number IC-43245K[1]
Awards
  • Param Vishisht Seva Medal
  • Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
  • Sena Medal
  • Vishisht Seva Medal

Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM is a retired general officer of the Indian Army. He is the appointee Chief of Defence Staff.[2] He last served as the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff,[3] prior to which he was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command.[4] He earlier served as the Chief of Staff of the Northern Command,[5]and as General Officer Commanding II corps.[6] He also served as General Officer Commanding Uttar Bharat Area.

Gen Raja Subramani as VCOAS

Early life and education

The general officer is an alumnus of the 67th course of the National Defence Academy and the 77th course of the Indian Military Academy.[7] The General Officer also attended the Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (UK) and National Defence College, New Delhi. He later studied at King's College London and earned Master of Arts Degree from University of London and an M Phil in Defence Studies from University of Madras.

Military career

He was commissioned into the 8th battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on 14 December 1985. In a career spanning over four decades, he has tenanted various command, staff & instructional appointments. He served as a Divisional officer at his alma-mater, the National Defence Academy. He then attended the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Bracknell, United Kingdom. After completing the course, he returned to India and was appointed Brigade major of a mountain brigade.[7] He commanded the 16th battalion of the Garhwal Rifles in Assam. The battalion was deployed in a counter-insurgency role as part of Operation Rhino. He was subsequently appointed as the Defence attaché at the Embassy of India in Astana, Kazakhstan. In the rank of Colonel, he also served as the Assistant Military Secretary in the MS branch at Army headquarters. He later served as the Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command. In Jammu and Kashmir, he served as the Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles sector.[7]

On promotion to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded the 168 Infantry Brigade in Samba. He was then selected to attend the National Defence College in New Delhi, as part of the 55th course. After the course, he was appointed Deputy Director General Military Intelligence (DDGMI) at Army HQ. He subsequently served as the Brigadier General Staff (Operations) at Eastern Command.[7]

General officer

He was promoted to the rank of Major General and appointed General Officer Commanding 17th Mountain Division in Sikkim.[8] He then moved to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington as the Chief Instructor (Army).[9] On 3 February 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed General Officer Commanding, Uttar Bharat Area.[10] On 12 February 2021, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani took over as the General Officer Commanding II Corps succeeding Lieutenant General Surinder Singh Mahal.[6] After a year-long tenure, he moved to the Northern Command in Udhampur as the Chief of Staff taking over in May 2022.[11][12]

On 1 March 2023, Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani took over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command succeeding Lieutenant General Yogendra Dimri who superannuated on 28 February 2023.[7]

On 1 July 2024, Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani took over as the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff.[3] He assumed the post from General Upendra Dwivedi upon his elevation as the Chief of Army Staff.[13] Following his retirement from active military service, he was appointed as the Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).[14]

Chief of the Defence Staff

On 9 May 2026, the Government of India appointed Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani as the 3rd Chief of Defence Staff marking his return to active military service.[2][15]

Awards and decorations

During his career, the general officer has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024,[16] the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020,[17] the Sena Medal[18] and the Vishisht Seva Medal.[19]
Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal
Special Service Medal Siachen Glacier Medal Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal
Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Medal Videsh Seva Medal 75th Independence Anniversary Medal
50th Independence Anniversary Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

Dates of rank

Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
Second Lieutenant Indian Army 14 December 1985
Lieutenant Indian Army 14 December 1987[20]
Captain Indian Army 14 December 1990[21]
Major Indian Army 14 December 1996[22]
Lieutenant Colonel Indian Army 16 December 2004[23]
Colonel Indian Army 15 August 2006[24]
Brigadier Indian Army 27 April 2012 (acting)
13 August 2012 (substantive, with seniority from 28 October 2010)[25]
Major General Indian Army 2 January 2018 (seniority from 1 June 2015)[26]
Lieutenant General Indian Army 3 February 2020[27]
General (CDS) Indian Armed Forces 31 May 2026[2]

References

  1. ^ https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1999669
  2. ^ a b c "Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) appointed as Chief of Defence Staff". pib.gov.in. 9 May 2026.
  3. ^ a b "LIEUTENANT GENERAL NS RAJA SUBRAMANI, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM TAKES OVER AS VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF". pib.gov.in. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani takes charge as GOC-in-C of Central Command". The Times of India. 2 March 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani, AVSM, SM, VSM assumed the appointment of Chief Of Staff of Northern Command and laid Wreath at Dhruva War Memorial to pay homage to the Bravehearts". X (formerly Twitter). 10 May 2022.
  6. ^ a b Tribune, The (13 February 2021). "Lt Gen Subramani takes charge of Kharga Corps". The Tribune. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Key appointments made in the Indian Army, here is all you want to know". theprint.in. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Major General NS Raja Subramani, SM, VSM GOC calls on Governor". Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  9. ^ "GSIS Celebrated its 43rd Founder's Day: A Platform for Intellectualism and Harmonious Eclecticism" (PDF). gsis.ac.in. Retrieved 18 February 2023.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Post, Garhwal. "GOC-in-C Lt General IS Ghuman on Doon visit | Garhwal Post". garhwapost.in. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Lt Gen Pratik Sharma is GOC of Kharga Corps". Hindustan Times. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  12. ^ Service, Statesman News (17 June 2022). "Army's Northern Command celebrates 51st Raising Day". The Statesman. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani to be next Vice Chief of Army Staff". The Economic Times. 20 June 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani (Retd) Appointed as Military Advisor to NSCS". 25 August 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  15. ^ Sharma, Shivani (9 May 2026). "Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani named new Chief of Defence Staff". India Today. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  16. ^ "75th Republic Day: President approves Gallantry and distinguished awards to Army" (PDF). pib.gov.in. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  17. ^ "President approves 409 Gallantry and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day (2020)". PIB India.
  18. ^ "The Gazette of India" (PDF). us.archive.org. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Ashok Chakra Awarded to NK Neeraj Kumar Singh of 13 Rajputana Rifles (Posthumous) 374 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced". archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  20. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 22 July 1989. p. 28.
  21. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 1 February 1992. p. 203.
  22. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 29 March 1997. p. 502.
  23. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 16 July 2005. p. 1125.
  24. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 15 August 2009. p. 1383.
  25. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 20 June 2015. p. 1623.
  26. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 25 December 2021. p. 2961.
  27. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 16 April 2022. p. 736.