General Upendra Dwivedi is the 30th Chief of the Indian Army. He assumed office on June 30, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff. General Upendra Dwivedi possesses extensive experience in counter-insurgency and border operations in Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan. Additionally, he holds experience in commanding a Mountain Division in the Northeast.
General Upendra Dwivedi was born on July 1, 1964, in the village of Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. He received his early education at the Sainik School, Rewa. After completing his schooling at Sainik School, General Dwivedi attended the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla, followed by the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun. He was awarded the ‘Blue’ in physical training for his outstanding performance at both the NDA and the IMA.
General Dwivedi was commissioned into the 18th Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, on December 15, 1984. He commanded a sector of the Assam Rifles in Manipur during ‘Operation Rhino,’ and served in the Kashmir Valley during ‘Operation Rakshak’ and in the deserts of Rajasthan. Throughout his illustrious career spanning over 39 years, he held various staff appointments at Headquarters formations—including a Brigade, a Mountain Division, a Strike Corps, and the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence. Among his previous appointments, he served as an Instructor at the Indian Military Academy and as a Director on the Directing Staff for the Higher Command Course at the Army War College, where he trained future generations of officers from all three services as well as from friendly foreign nations.
Tenure and Command:
- On February 1, 2022, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi assumed charge as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command.
- On February 19, 2024, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi assumed charge as the 46th Vice Chief of the Army Staff, succeeding Lieutenant General M.V. Suchindra Kumar, who was subsequently appointed as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command. On June 30, 2024, General Upendra Dwivedi assumed office as the 30th Chief of Army Staff, succeeding General Manoj Pande, who retired after more than four decades of service to the nation.
Recent Statements (2025–2026):
- In November 2025, speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, he stated that the era of global peace is drawing to a close and that the situation remains volatile due to over 50 ongoing global conflicts.
- In April 2026, while commenting on Operation Sindoor, he remarked that the Army refrained from launching an attack in Pakistan during the time of Namaz (prayers) because “the Master of all is One.