General Upendra Dwivedi Retires As Army Chief, General Dhiraj Seth Takes Command Of Indian Army

General Dhiraj Seth formally assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on Tuesday, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after a distinguished military career spanning more than four decades. The change of command ceremony was held at the South Block Lawns in New Delhi, where General Dwivedi was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour before laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in tribute to soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice.

According to the Defence Ministry's official order, General Seth's appointment is effective from the afternoon of June 30, 2026 , with a tenure extending up to August 31, 2028. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, General Seth was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986, becoming the first officer from this corps to lead the Army in nearly three decades, since General Roy Chowdhury's retirement in 1997. He previously served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff from April this year and is among the few senior officers to have commanded two full operational Army Commands, the South Western Command and the Southern Command, besides leading an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre, and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu and Kashmir. He is a graduate of the Higher Command Course, the National Defence College, and the prestigious Command and Staff Course in Paris.

In his farewell address, General Dwivedi described his service as the "greatest privilege" of his life, expressing humility, gratitude, pride and satisfaction at the culmination of a journey that began at Sainik School, Rewa . He specifically credited Operation Sindoor as a defining success of his tenure, alongside the Army's achievements in counter-terrorism, UN peacekeeping deployments and border operations. He expressed full confidence in General Seth's leadership, calling him a "seasoned soldier and a capable leader" capable of taking the Army to "even greater heights" while preserving its traditions.

Separately, General Dwivedi was honoured with induction into the US Army War College Hall of Fame around the time of his retirement, recognising his contribution to Indo-US defence ties. He also stressed growing tri-services synergy , noting that future warfare would be increasingly joint, integrated and theatre-oriented, before thanking soldiers, veterans, Veer Naris and citizens for their support.