General Upendra Dwivedi felicitated at Retiring Officers' Seminar before Army handover

General Upendra Dwivedi was felicitated at the 157th Retiring Officers' Seminar on 18 June, days before he relinquishes charge as Chief of the Army Staff. Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth led the felicitation and handed over the retiring officer's document folder from the Adjutant General's Branch.

The Army marked it as recognition of his distinguished and meritorious service to the nation across more than four decades in uniform.

General Upendra Dwivedi honoured for over four decades of service

Commissioned into the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in 1984, he rose through command and staff appointments before taking the Army's top post. He assumed office as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2024.

The seminar and the felicitation were recorded in a post by the Indian Army on Thursday.



A tenure the Army links to Operation Sindoor

The force credited his leadership during Operation Sindoor, calling it pivotal to the operation's success. It said his command strengthened operational readiness through the raising of new formations and units across the force.

That readiness now feeds a wider government account of where the country stands, set out in a recent security architecture review running across twelve years.

Push for indigenous capability

The Army pointed to his focus on innovation and indigenous capability as a running theme through his command. It tracks the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat drive the Press Information Bureau has followed across the services.

The shift shows in the output, with domestic defence production touching a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY26.

From 2Lt to Chief of the Army Staff

The seminar set his first commission against his last appointment, the young Second Lieutenant of 1984 beside the Chief who would later lead the force. The document folder carried the line that all ranks of the Army salute him for his selfless service to the nation and the Indian Army.

Dhiraj Seth to take charge on June 30

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, who led the felicitation, takes over as the next Chief of the Army Staff. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed he assumes command on 30 June, the day General Upendra Dwivedi steps down.