General Dhiraj Seth Assumes Charge As 31st Army Chief, Unveils Strategic ‘VIJAY’ Vision

General Dhiraj Seth has formally taken oath as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) at the South Block lawn on June 30, 2026. His succession followed his four decades of distinguished service and the retirement of General Upendra Dwivedi as the 30th Chief Army Officer. 

General Seth expressed a deep sense of humility and pride and reaffirmed his commitment to "Duty, Honour, and Nation First.” while bringing nearly forty years of extensive operational and strategic expertise with him. 

In the inaugural address the new top commander of COAS immediately set a proactive tone and outlined a homegrown future centric roadmap he referred to as ‘VIJAY’ for the modern multi-domain battlefield for the Indian Army. 

Read more about the technologically futuristic vision of the new Cheif of Army Staff and highlights of his 40 years of distinguished career hereon. 

General Seth Stresses VIJAY Doctrine for a Future-Ready Force

General Dhiraj Seth introduced a five-point agenda ‘VIJAY’  which is ‘Vigilance, Innovation, Jointness, Atmanirbharta, and Yodha First ’, to steer the Indian Army's morale through its ongoing ‘Decade of Transformation’ roadmap. 

General Seth notes that this doctrine is inspired by the guiding principles outlined by the Prime Minister for the armed forces and in a way forms the bedrock of future combat readiness and

• V (Vigilance and Readiness): The aim is to keep constant surveillance along disputed borders and ensure the force can deploy immediate lethal responses to any emerging national security threat.

• I (Innovation and Transformation): He addes that Indian Army needs to move past legacy tactics by adapting technology and modern operational mindsets directly into the army's core doctrine.

• J (Jointness and Integration): It is also important to tear down military silos to forge deep seamless synergy with the Indian Navy and Air Force, he further adds. 

• A (Atmanirbharta): Homegrown military tech should be our priority according to General Seth so that India fights and wins future conflicts with its own weapons.

• Y (Yodha First): He believes keeping the soldier at the heart of every decision can upgrade welfare along with streamlining advanced training and the technical skills of everyone from the youngest Agniveer to experienced veterans.

  #WATCH | Delhi: Army Chief Gen Dhiraj Seth says, "I believe that the guiding principle articulated by the Prime Minister for the armed forces, encapsulated in the acronym 'VIJAY', forms the very foundation of our success and will unfailingly lead us to victory. It is a privilege… pic.twitter.com/3EXJpxfheH

  — ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2026

General Dhiraj Seth - First Armoured Corps Chief Since 1997

The appointment of General Dhiraj Seth as a COAS marks a historic moment for the combat arms as he is the first ever officer from the Armoured Corps to lead the Indian Army in nearly three decades. 

He was commissioned into the 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) in December 1986 and his career is a reflection of an elite operational trajectory across diverse terrains:

As General Dhiraj Seth commissions the military's modernization roadmap with VIJAY his immediate focus centers on transitioning the Indian force toward technological integration and unified joint theater commands.