New Delhi, 9 May: The Centre on Friday announced two major appointments in India’s military leadership, naming Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of Naval Staff and Lieutenant General N.S. Raja Subramani as the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will succeed Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who is set to retire on May 31, while Lt Gen Raja Subramani will take over from General Anil Chauhan, whose tenure concludes on May 30.
The appointments mark a significant transition in the country’s top defence leadership, with both officers bringing decades of operational, strategic and administrative experience across the armed forces.
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan currently serves as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, a position he assumed in July last year. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, he is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare and has held several high-profile operational and training assignments during his naval career.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja and the US Naval War College in Rhode Island, the officer has commanded several major naval platforms, including INS Vidyut, INS Vinash, INS Kulish, INS Mysore and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
According to the Ministry of Defence, he also played a major role in strengthening naval training systems and operational safety mechanisms within the Indian Navy.
After being promoted to Rear Admiral, he served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Southern Naval Command headquarters in Kochi, where he oversaw training activities across the Navy. He later headed the Navy’s Work Up Organisation as Flag Officer Sea Training before commanding the Western Fleet.
The Ministry stated that he was instrumental in establishing the Indian Naval Safety Team, which supervises operational safety standards across naval formations.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan later served as Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor on Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India before taking over key appointments at Naval Headquarters, including Chief of Personnel and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
His academic qualifications include a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, an MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology, an MA in Defence Studies from King’s College London, an MPhil in Strategic Studies from Mumbai University and a PhD in International Studies from Mumbai University.
He has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service.
In a parallel announcement, the government appointed Lieutenant General N.S. Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff, the country’s top military officer responsible for promoting jointness among the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Along with assuming charge as CDS, Lt Gen Raja Subramani will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs.
The Ministry of Defence described him as a highly decorated officer with more than four decades of distinguished military service. He is currently serving as Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat, a role he has held since September 2025.
Before this assignment, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff and also headed the Central Command as General Officer Commanding in Chief.
Commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985 after training at the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen Raja Subramani built an extensive operational profile across the western and northern sectors, including conflict and counter-insurgency regions.
During his career, he held several important positions including Brigade Major of a mountain brigade, Assistant Military Secretary at Army Headquarters and Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Eastern Command.
In Jammu and Kashmir, he also served as Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles sector.
After promotion to Brigadier, he commanded the strategically important 168 Infantry Brigade in Samba and later served as Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence at Army Headquarters.
He also represented India abroad as Defence Attaché at the Indian Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan.
In 2023, he became the General Officer Commanding in Chief of Central Command before later taking charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
His educational qualifications include a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.
Lt Gen Raja Subramani has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for his contributions to national security and military service.
The appointments come at a time when India continues to focus on military modernisation, maritime security and integrated defence preparedness across all three services.
