General Dhiraj Seth Assumes Charge as 31st Army Chief, Unveils ‘VIJAY’ Vision

General Dhiraj Seth has officially assumed the charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on 1st of July, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi. After taking charge in the Indian Army’s modernization journey, he unveiled the “VIJAY” vision which is a comprehensive roadmap aimed at to building a technology-driven, future-ready, and self-reliant force

Key Takeaways

• General Dhiraj Seth became the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS).
• He succeeded the General Upendra Dwivedi.
• He introduced the “VIJAY” vision for transforming the Indian Army.
• The roadmap focuses on the modernization, innovation, jointness, self-reliance, and soldier welfare.
• General Seth is a 1986-batch Armoured Corps officer and having nearly four decades of the distinguished service.

General Dhiraj Seth Takes Command as Army Chief

General Dhiraj Seth, upon taking over mentioned that this appointment is a moment of ‘pride and humility’ for him, and pledged his allegiance to the ‘Duty, Honour and Nation First’ principles.

He also thanked the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister for their faith and offered his respects to the soldiers who dedicatedly served and sacrificed their lives for the country.

General Seth said that the changing security situation of India needs modernization and adaptive with the advancement and readiness in the operations.

What does the ‘VIJAY’ Vision Entail?

General Seth presented the ‘VIJAY’ vision, which is the framework in which the Indian Army is to be transformed.

V – Vigilance and Readiness: Always being ready on the borders and having high readiness in operations to respond to threats to security.

I – Innovation and Transformation: Embracing change in thinking and ways to reform, and readiness to adopt and develop capabilities and technologies to fulfil the requirements of tomorrow’s battle.

J – Jointness and Integration: Improvement in operational effectiveness of the Army, Navy and Air Force through greater collaboration and supporting national security.

A – Aatmanirbharta: Promoting indigenization of defence technologies and fortifying the defence manufacturing of the country to create a self-reliant Army.

Y – Yoddha First: Focusing on Agniveers as well as veterans; their welfare, training, and motivational aspects.

The vision resonates with ‘Decade of Transformation’ of the Defence Ministry and with the goals and vision of India towards 2047 i.e. becoming a developed nation.

Distinguished Military Career

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, General Dhiraj Seth has served the Indian Army for nearly four decades across the different roles.

His command experience includes leading an Armoured Regiment, an Armoured Brigade, a Counter-Insurgency Force in the Jammu and Kashmir, and the prestigious Sudarshan Chakra Corps.

He later commanded both the South Western Command and the Southern Command and becoming one of the few officers to head two operational Army Commands.