The government on Saturday announced two major appointments for top military leadership. Lieutenant General (retd) NS Raja Subramani has been named as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), while Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will become the new Chief of the Indian Navy. Orders confirming both appointments were issued early on Saturday.

Subramani will take over as CDS on May 30, replacing General Anil Chauhan. He is currently serving as military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat and previously retired as the Vice Chief of Army Staff. Swaminathan, who is presently heading the Mumbai-based Western Naval Command, will assume charge as Navy chief on May 31. He will succeed Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.

Subramani retired from the post of Army Vice Chief on July 31, 2025, after serving in the military for 39 years. In September last year, he was appointed as Military Adviser in the National Security Advisory Board. During his long career in the Army, he held several key responsibilities and was earlier posted as the Central Army Commander in Lucknow.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, Subramani was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985. The Army had earlier said, “He has insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the western and northern borders.”

Apart from his service experience, Subramani also has a strong academic background. He studied at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Bracknell, United Kingdom, and the National Defence College in New Delhi. He holds a Master of Arts degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from Madras University.

He will take charge as CDS at a crucial time when the Defence Ministry is working on major military reforms, including theatrisation. The appointment comes months after the government extended General Chauhan’s tenure by eight months in September last year.

Vice Admiral Swaminathan brings decades of experience to his new role as Navy chief. Before leading the Western Naval Command, he had served as the Navy’s Vice Chief. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham in the United Kingdom, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, and the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

Swaminathan was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987. A specialist in communication and electronic warfare, he has handled several important responsibilities during his naval career. His earlier appointments include serving as the Navy’s Chief of Personnel, Controller of Personnel Services, and Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command in Mumbai.

He has also commanded several major naval vessels. These include missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. His experience across operational and administrative roles has made him one of the senior-most officers in the Navy.

After being promoted to Rear Admiral, Swaminathan served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Kochi-based Southern Naval Command. During this period, he played an important role in strengthening training systems across the Navy. He was also instrumental in establishing the Indian Naval Safety Team, which oversees operational safety across different branches of the force.

The appointments of Subramani and Swaminathan mark an important leadership transition in India’s armed forces. Both officers bring extensive operational experience, strategic understanding, and decades of military service as they prepare to take charge of two of the country’s most important defence positions.