Overview
- Gen Dhiraj Seth took charge as the 31st Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi in a ceremony at South Block lawns where the outgoing chief laid a wreath at the National War Memorial.
- Within hours of assuming office he announced the 'VIJAY' roadmap, a five-point vision that defines V as vigilance, I as innovation and transformation, J as jointness and integration, A as Atmanirbharta (self-reliance), and Y as Yodha First (soldier welfare).
- Seth is the first Armoured Corps officer to lead the Indian Army in nearly three decades and brings rare experience of commanding two operational army commands plus senior roles in capability development at Army Headquarters.
- Defence reporting highlights Seth's immediate test as converting long-term modernisation plans into executed procurement contracts and deployed systems after years of delayed programmes and occasional emergency imports of munitions.
- His tenure sits within the Defence Ministry's Decade of Transformation and Vision 2047 priorities for theatre commands, specialised drone and data forces, and deeper tri-service integration, making procurement pace and theatreisation the key indicators to watch.