India has appointed Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of Naval Staff. The announcement was made on May 9, 2026. Subramani will succeed General Anil Chauhan, whose term ends on May 30, while Swaminathan will replace Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, whose tenure concludes on May 31.

Upon assuming office, Subramani will also serve as Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and oversee the Army, Navy, and Air Force as the head of all three services. A graduate of India’s National Defence Academy, he joined the Garhwal Rifles in 1985 and has held several key operational and diplomatic roles, including service at the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan and as Commander-in-Chief of the Central Command in 2023.

The appointments mark a significant leadership transition in India’s defense establishment, ensuring continuity in strategic and operational command across the armed forces.