N. S. Raja Subramani

General N. S. Raja Subramani, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (born 21 July 1965) is a four-star general of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the 3rd Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces and as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs. He previously served as the Military Adviser to National Security Council Secretariat He earlier served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, as the Chief of Staff of the Northern Command and as General Officer Commanding II corps. He also served as General Officer Commanding Uttar Bharat Area.

Early life and education The general officer is an alumnus of the 67th course of the National Defence Academy and the 77th course of the Indian Military Academy. and later commanded the 16th battalion of the Garhwal Rifles in Assam. The battalion was deployed in a counter-insurgency role as part of Operation Rhino. He was subsequently appointed as the Defence attaché at the Embassy of India in Astana, Kazakhstan. In the rank of Colonel, he also served as the Assistant Military Secretary in the MS branch at Army headquarters, as the Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command and later as the Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles sector in Jammu and Kashmir. After completing his tenure, he moved to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington as the Chief Instructor (Army). After getting promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General on 3 February 2020, he was appointed General Officer Commanding, Uttar Bharat Area. On 12 February 2021, Lieutenant General Raja Subramani took over as the General Officer Commanding II Corps succeeding Lieutenant General Surinder Singh Mahal. Following his retirement from active military service, the Government of India appointed him as the Military Adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) assuming charge on 1 September 2025.

Chief of the Defence Staff On 9 May 2026, the Government of India appointed Lieutenant General N. S. Raja Subramani as the next Chief of Defence Staff marking his return to active military service. the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020, the Sena Medal in 2005 and the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015.

Param Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Special Service Medal Siachen Glacier Medal Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal High Altitude Medal Videsh Seva Medal 75th Independence Anniversary Medal 50th Independence Anniversary Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

Dates of rank