The Chief of Defence Staff holds the position of the highest-ranking uniformed officer within the Indian Armed Forces and serves as the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. CDS is responsible for overseeing the integration of the three services and the military theaterisation plan. Currently General N. S. Raja Subramani is New CDS joined 31st May 2026.
Chief of Defence Staff India
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) serves as the professional leader of the Indian Armed Forces.As the highest-ranking military officer currently in service, the CDS is tasked with supervising inter-service collaboration across all areas pertinent to military operations. The role primarily functions under the principle of primus inter pares, meaning first among equals, alongside the chiefs of the three services, and acts as the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) – the inter-service body dedicated to ensuring the creation and maintenance of military integration.
- General Bipin Rawat (1st Jan 2020 – 8th Dec 2021)
- Vacant: (9th Dec 2021- 29th Sep 2022)
- General Anil Chauhan (30th Sep 2022- 30th May 2026)
- General N. S. Raja Subramani (30th May 2026- Incumbent)