NEW DELHI, July 1 -- General Dhiraj Seth on Tuesday took charge as India's 31st Chief of the Army Staff, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after more than four decades of distinguished military service. The leadership change comes as the army pushes ahead with force modernisation, organisational restructuring and long-term capability development.

Seth has held key appointments in the Army headquarters' strategic planning and capability development verticals, shaping its modernisation trajectory, capability roadmap and long-term force structuring initiatives, the defence ministry said. "His contributions have been instrumental in aligning operational requirements with emerging technologies and future battlefield imperatives,...