The government on Saturday announced the appointment of NS Raja Subramani as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of the Naval Staff.
Official orders confirming both appointments were issued early on May 9. Subramani will take charge as CDS on May 30, replacing Anil Chauhan. Meanwhile, Swaminathan will assume office as Navy chief on May 31, succeeding Dinesh K Tripathi.
Who is Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani?
Subramani retired as the Vice Chief of Army Staff and currently serves as Military Adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat. Before retiring on July 31, 2025, he completed a distinguished military career spanning nearly 39 years. The government appointed him Military Adviser to the National Security Advisory Board in August last year.
An alumnus of National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy, Subramani was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985. He earlier served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Command based in Lucknow.
The Indian Army had earlier said that Subramani possesses “insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the western and northern borders.” He also studied at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College.
In addition, he holds a Master of Arts degree from King's College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from University of Madras. Subramani will take over as CDS at a crucial time when the defence ministry is pushing ahead with major military reforms, including theatre command restructuring. Last year, the government extended General Chauhan’s tenure by eight months.
About Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan
Vice Admiral Swaminathan earlier served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and currently heads the Mumbai-based Western Naval Command. He studied at the National Defence Academy, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the UK, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, and the United States Naval War College in Rhode Island. Swaminathan joined the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987. He specialises in communication and electronic warfare.
During his long naval career, he held several important positions, including Chief of Personnel, Controller of Personnel Services, and Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command. He also commanded several major naval platforms, including missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish, guided missile destroyer INS Mysore and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
After his promotion to Rear Admiral, Swaminathan served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Kochi-based Southern Naval Command. He also played a major role in strengthening naval training systems and helped establish the Indian Naval Safety Team, which oversees operational safety across all branches of the navy.