Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani appointed as next CDS; Lt Gen Krishna Swaminathan to lead Navy

New Delhi: The Center on Saturday appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (retd) as India’s next Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), while Lieutenant General Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the next Chief of Naval Staff. As per an official announcement, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani (PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM) (Retd) will also serve as Secretary, Military Department, Government of India from the date of assuming charge until further orders. The current CDS is General Anil Chauhan, whose term is scheduled to end on May 30, 2026. Lieutenant General Raja Subramani will serve as Military Advisor at the National Security Council Secretariat with effect from September 1, 2025. Previously, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army from July 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025. He also served as commander of Central Command from March 2023 to June 2024. Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, currently the Commander of Naval Forces in Mumbai West, will take charge as the next Chief of Naval Staff on May 31. His term is expected to last until December 31, 2028. Lieutenant General Swaminathan joined the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987. He is an expert in communications and electronic warfare. He is an alumnus of the National Defense College, Khadakwasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, UK, the Naval War College, Karanja, and the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.