The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is a four-star military officer post, established as an institution by the Government of India to serve as the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the country. The origin of the post traces back to the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) recommendation in 1999, which identified a critical need for a single-point military adviser and greater coordination among the three services. The formal decision to create the post was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security on December 24, 2019, with General Bipin Rawat assuming office as the first CDS on January 1, 2020.
The CDS works by serving two primary roles: acting as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on tri-service matters, and functioning as the ex-officio Secretary of the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) within the Ministry of Defence. The CDS is also the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), which comprises the three Service Chiefs. A key mechanism of the CDS role is promoting jointness in procurement, training, and logistics, and facilitating the restructuring of military commands into Integrated Theatre Commands. While the CDS is the highest-ranking officer, the respective Service Chiefs retain operational command over their forces.
The CDS connects to the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) in a consultative role and is a member of the Defence Acquisition Council. A recent change occurred in June 2022, when the government amended service rules to allow serving or retired three-star officers under the age of 62 to be considered for the post, with the maximum age limit for the CDS set at 65 years. General N.S. Raja Subramani took charge as the third CDS on May 31, 2026.