Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani Appointed India’s Next CDS; Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Named Navy Chief

New Delhi: The Government of India on Saturday announced the appointment of Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani (Retd.) as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), while Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been named the next Chief of Naval Staff.

According to the official announcement, Lt Gen Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd.), will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes office until further orders. The current CDS, Anil Chauhan, is scheduled to complete his tenure on May 30, 2026.

Lt Gen Raja Subramani has been serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat since September 2025. Prior to that, he held the post of Vice Chief of the Army Staff between July 2024 and July 2025.

He also served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command from March 2023 to June 2024. His appointment comes at a time when India continues to focus on joint military integration, theatre commands, and modernisation of the armed forces.

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Set To Head Indian Navy

Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, currently serving as the Western Naval Commander in Mumbai, will assume office as the next Navy chief on May 31, succeeding the outgoing naval leadership. His tenure is expected to continue till December 31, 2028.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, Vice Admiral Swaminathan is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare and has held several key operational and strategic appointments during his naval career.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja and the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

The appointments mark a major leadership transition in India’s top military structure, with both officers expected to play crucial roles in strengthening defence preparedness, strategic coordination and military modernisation in the coming years.