Gen NS Raja Subramani’s First Official Engagement as India’s CDS

New Delhi – On Thursday, General N.S. Raja Subramani, serving as India’s third Chief of Defence Staff, made his inaugural official visit to the Vice President’s office in the Parliament complex. The courtesy call, arranged by the Vice President’s Secretariat, allowed the senior military leader to brief the constitutional head on his vision for joint operations and defence reform.

Assuming the CDS role on 31 May, General Subramani is tasked with integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force under a unified command structure, accelerating the theatre‑command model, and leading the nation’s defence modernisation drive. His agenda emphasizes indigenously developed platforms, incorporation of AI‑enabled systems, and preparation for multi‑domain conflicts.

Prior to this assignment, the general served as Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat from 1 September 2025, and earlier as the Army Vice Chief (July 2024‑July 2025). He also commanded the Central Command (March 2023‑June 2024) and has held several key staff postings across strategic theatres. Commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles on 14 December 1985, he is a graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.

The Vice President expressed confidence in the CDS’s ability to foster greater civil‑military synergy and to propel India’s strategic autonomy through a robust, home‑grown defence ecosystem.