India appoints Lt Gen Raja Subramani as CDS, Swaminathan as Navy Chief

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has announced key changes in top military leadership, appointing Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of the Indian Navy.

According to official notifications issued on Saturday, both appointments will take effect after the retirement of the current service chiefs on May 31.

Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani will succeed General Anil Chauhan as CDS and will also serve as Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs. The government order stated that he will hold the position “until further orders,” with tenure rules allowing service up to the age of 65.

He has previously commanded key formations along India’s northern and western borders, including operational roles in sensitive regions such as Jammu and Kashmir and the Line of Actual Control.

Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the next Chief of the Indian Navy, replacing Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi.

Commissioned in 1987, Swaminathan is a specialist in communications and electronic warfare and has held several important command positions, including leadership of major warships and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

Both officers are expected to take charge at the end of the month, marking a significant transition in India’s military leadership structure.

On the other hand, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been selected as the next Navy Chief. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 01, 1987, and is an expert in communication and electronic warfare.

A graduate of the National Defense Academy in Khadakvasla, Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, UK, College of Naval Warfare, Karanja, and the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, Vice Admiral Swaminathan has served in many important roles throughout his naval service.

His past commands include the missile ships INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish, guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.