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," it said in a statement. On his last day in office, Dwivedi laid emphasis on enhanced synergy among the three services to achieve the goal of theraterisation, a long-awaited reform designed to integrate the military's resources for future conflicts. "In future, wars will be more joint, integrated and theatre-oriented. The direction of the armed forces is clear: to see together, take decisions together and act together," Dwivedi said. Seth is the first officer from the Armoured Corps to lead the service in nearly three decades. He will hold office until August 31, 2028. General S Roy Chowdhury was the last Armoured Corps officer to hold the top position between 1994 and 1997. Seth's appointment comes at a pivotal moment as the armed forces advance theaterisation. The military is working towards the establishment of joint services commands, a key objective of the theaterisation drive....