The period between March 2023 and the early days of July 2023 witnessed a flurry of changes in command and staff appointments within Army Headquarters (India) and across the country’s large field formations. This particular article specifically examines leadership changes in the office of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), or DCOAS (Strat). This relatively new position was officially approved in December 2020 to serve as the “single-point advice person” to the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). Broadly, this move came in the wake of organisational restructuring prompted by the 2017 Doklam crisis with China.
In essence, the DCOAS (Strat) serves as the focal person for Operations, Logistics, Intelligence and Information Warfare, effectively making the designation-holder a very dependable and trusted aide. It is rumoured that nominees to this seat are selected on the basis of exceptional leadership acumen and intellect. In times of crisis, the DCOAS (Strat) can directly report to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
Shuffling within Strategy Secretariat
In February 2023, then DCOAS (Strat) Lieutenant General M.V. Suchindra Kumar was appointed VCOAS. He was succeeded less than a month later by Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar Aich, who was, until then, the Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI). By June 2023, appointments of almost a dozen Lieutenant Generals were shuffled with four new entries in the Strategy Secretariat: (1) Raghavachari Santhana Raman as DGMI, (2) Pushpendra Singh as Director General Operations & Logistics (DGO&L), (3) Rajeev Puri as new Director General Information Warfare (DGIW) and (4) Raju Baijal as Director General Strategic Planning (DGSP).
One appointment remained unchanged throughout this period and was the last to be shuffled. Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, appointed Director General Military Operations (DGMO) under former VCOAS Lieutenant General Baggavalli Somashekhar Raju (incumbent South Western Army Commander), was moved to lead Western Command. He was succeeded on 01 July 2023 by Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma.
By the first week of July 2023, the DCOAS (Strat) had a completely new team at his disposal, with whom he could coordinate and liaise from scratch. All these appointment holders belong to different parental infantry regiments, with the exception of Aich and Sharma, both of whom belong to the Madras Regiment. Moreover, while Singh is also an infantry officer, he became a full-time PARA (Special Forces) officer.
It is also worth mentioning that Raman and Puri, DGMI and DGIW, respectively, were both part of the 58th NDC course in New Delhi.
General Officer Profiles
Following are the brief profiles of General officers who are part of the Strategy Secretariat, in descending order of seniority:
- Lieutenant General Tarun Kumar Aich – DCOAS (Strat)
Source: Twitter.
He was commissioned in the 16th Battalion of Madras Regiment and served initially in Siachen and Indian-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K). As a Colonel, he was posted for a while in Headquarters Eastern Command.
Upon promotion to Brigadier, Aich served as Brigade Commander under a Strike Corps before being posted to Quartermaster General Branch as Deputy Director General of Canteen Services. Thereafter, he was nominated for the 55th NDC in New Delhi. His dissertation focused on Pakistan and was titled “Use of non-kinetic non-lethal means, other than war, to achieve our national objectives against Pakistan”. Post NDC, Aich served at Indian Military Academy.
As Major General, he was appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 12th Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Division or 12th RAPID (Battle Axe Division) in the Southern Command. Subsequently, he was posted in the northern frontier as Commandant of the High-Altitude Warfare School (HAWS).
Aich’s first appointment as Lieutenant General was to lead the National Cadet Corps and its various formations across India. He was later appointed GOC of 33 Corps (Trishakti Corps) in Eastern Command, a crucial formation overlooking sensitive boundary areas with China. He was later transferred as DGMI in Army Headquarters when Kumar was DCOAS (Strat).
- Lieutenant General Rajeev Puri – DGIW
Image source: Daily Excelsior
He was commissioned into Rajput Regiment. While early career history is not known, as a Brigadier, he was appointed Commander of the counter insurgency-focused 8 Sector Rashtriya Rifles in Kupwara, IOJ&K. He was later posted to the Military Secretary (MS) Branch, where he was reportedly an authority on Human Resources matters. Subsequently, Puri was nominated for and successfully completed the 58th NDC, where his thesis was titled “India Economic Reforms and Endeavour for Inclusive Growth: Realities and Aspirations”. Post NDC, he was briefly the Station Commander of Fatehgarh Cantt under Central Command, in which capacity he was concurrently President of the Fatehgarh Cantt Board.
On promotion to Major General rank, Puri was appointed GOC of the 25 Infantry Division (Ace of Spades Division) under the 16 Corps of Northern Command. During his tenure, there were multiple reports about troops foiling alleged infiltration bids in Rajouri. Thereafter, Puri was posted to Army War College in Mhow as Commander of the Higher Command Wing as the Army representative. During this term, notably, he led a war college delegation to Oman’s Joint Command and Staff College.
Puri’s appointment as DGIW is his first stint as Lieutenant General. Surprisingly, he does not have any expertise on China, a country which is considered the primary focus of information warfare activities for the Indian Armed Forces. He will most likely be posted out from here as a Corps Commander after a year or so.
- Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma – DGMO
Image source: Whispers in the Corridors
He was commissioned in the 2nd Battalion of Madras Regiment and has participated in several wars and battles, including Operations Pawan (Sri Lanka), Meghdoot (Siachen), Rakshak (IOJ&K), and Parakram (Line of Control and International Border with Pakistan).
As a young Lieutenant Colonel, Sharma was a prominent leader of the United Nations (UN) Operation in Ivory Coast, having supervised procedures for reporting and investigating field casualties, including a Bangladeshi and Pakistani soldier. As a full Colonel, he led his parent battalion, which, at the time, was stationed under Headquarters 18 Infantry Division RAPID in Kota, Rajasthan/South Western Command.
On promotion to Brigadier rank, Sharma served in Northern Command as Commander of the 80 Infantry Brigadier IOJ&K, more popularly known as Naushera Brigade, which claims multiple war heroics to its credit. Thereafter, he was nominated for the 56th NDC, where his dissertation focused on the perceived “two-front threat” from Pakistan and China and was titled “Security Implications of Chinese Presence in Northern Areas of Pakistan”. It is worth mentioning that Lieutenant General Dinesh Singh Rana, incumbent Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) chief, was among Sharma’s coursemates at NDC.
As a Major General, Sharma was GOC of the 25 Infantry Division (Ace of Spades Divison), similar to his DGIW colleague Rajeev Puri. Information about another stint is not available, though it is believed Sharma was serving in the same rank within Information Directorate before promotion to Lieutenant General.
On attaining a 3-star rank, he was appointed GOC of the Ambala-based 2 Corps (Kharga Corps) in Western Command, which possesses 50% of the Indian Army’s overall offensive capabilities and is authorised to launch a cross-border offensive against Pakistan in times of war. His appointment was exchanged with Manoj Kumar Katiyar, his predecessor in Military Operations Directorate.
- Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh – DGO&L
Image source: English Tribune
He is an infantry officer who was later permanently commissioned with 4 PARA (Special Forces), having participated in multiple operations, including Pawan (Sri Lanka), Meghdoot (Line of Control and International Border with Pakistan), Rakshak (IOJ&K), and Orchid (Northeast Region). Moreover, he has combat exposure during UN peacekeeping missions in both Lebanon and Sri Lanka.
Information about his early service appointments is not known, more so because of his association with the PARA regiment. As a Brigadier, Singh led the 104 Infantry Brigade in Karnah, IOJ&K. Upon promotion to Major General rank; it is known that he served as Major General – General Staff (MGGS) at Indian Army’s Central Command headquarters.
On attaining a 3-star rank, Singh would once again tenure at Central Command as its Chief of Staff. This is not unusual since the Para (Special Forces) Regiment is headquartered in Agra under its Area of Responsibility, and it would make sense to retain a senior General officer of the same affiliation in this command. However, Singh’s next stint took him to the Western Command, where he led 9 Corps (Rising Star Corps) as GOC.
It is quite rare for a Para (Special Forces) Regiment officer to command a corps. His stint in the Operations & Logistics Directorate can benefit from his experience dealing with both conventional and irregular troops, especially when mobilising different Special Forces regiments for so-called “surgical strikes”.
- Lieutenant General Raju Baijal – DGSP
Image source: BCCL via TOI
He was commissioned in the 18th Battalion of Garhwal Rifles, which he later commanded as Colonel. As a Brigadier, it is known that he served in a stint at Army Headquarters as Deputy Director General of Equipment in the Infantry Directorate. In this capacity, he was engaged with multiple domestic and foreign vendors to procure and maintain assets for fighting forces.
Upon promotion to Major General rank, Baijal was appointed GOC of the 15 Infantry Division (Panther Division) under the famed 11 Corps (Vajra Corps) in Western Command.
His appointment as DGSP appears to be his first stint with a 3-star rank. Overall, there has been very little information available about his command and staff appointments.
- Lieutenant General Raghavachari Santhana Raman – DGMI
Image Source: NDC
He was commissioned in the Mahar Regiment. As Brigadier, he led the 114 Infantry Brigade in Chushul, Occupied Leh for almost two years. During this term, he was frequently part of official delegations to build confidence with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) counterparts. These include meetings during the Chinese Spring Festival, the first Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) relief exercise involving Chushul Garrison and PLA’s Moldo Garrison. Some of the PLA counterparts with whom he engaged include Senior Colonel Fan Jun (October 2015, October 2016), Senior Colonel Cheng Zheng Shan (January 2016), Senior Colonel Qian Youu Wu (February 2016) and Senior Colonel Wang Jun Xian (January 2017).
After this critical and diplomatically riveting stint, Raman was nominated for the 58th NDC, where his thesis focused on China and the larger geostrategic canvas, titled “Significance of BRICS and Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in Rebalancing China from an Indian Perspective”. His NDC record describes him as a quiet intellect of a “sound professional mind” who “displayed excellent temperament”.
As Major General, Raman was deputed to Army Headquarters, likely in the capacity of Additional Director General Military Operations (ADGMO). During this one-year stint, he was part of Corps Commander-level talks with the PLA on Occupied Ladakh alongside Major General Sanjay Mitra (then GOC 39 Infantry Division) and junior 58th NDC coursemate Brigadier Rajiv Ghai, who was also in Army Headquarters. Thereafter, he was posted as GOC of the 3 Infantry Division in Karu, Occupied Ladakh, under the Northern Command’s 14 Corps. During this tenure, he again held Major General-level talks with the PLA.
Upon attaining a 3-star rank, Raman was appointed DGMI. He is known to be a China expert, and even rumoured that he is proficient in Mandarin. The personality traits mentioned during his NDC stay are apt descriptions of a no-nonsense spy chief. However, he is the junior-most among colleagues in the Strategy Secretariat. One of his contemporaries at the 58th NDC, Rajeev Puri (DGIW), is also a new entrant. Their mutual acquaintance may lead to smoother synchronisation between reporting on the PLA and the development of adequate counter campaigns.
An interesting pattern has been observed whereby the Indian Army’s DGs of MI are elevated to DCOAS (Strat), and one has been further elevated to VCOAS. Will Raman eventually follow in Kumar’s footsteps? Time will tell.
Assessment
While the majority of General officers in the Strategy Secretariat have overwhelming experience alongside Pakistan’s border areas, including IOJ&K, Raman has the most experience in dealing with China.
The seat of DGMI was lying vacant between February 2023 and June 2023 after former DCOAS (Strat) Kumar rose to become VCOAS, indicating that the high command took its time to deliberate upon an appropriate successor. After all, the DGMI is also authorised to approach the COAS as and when necessary. Raman’s expertise on China will complement the expertise of DIA chief Rana, another China expert who also happens to be a contemporary and coursemate of newly-appointed DGMO Sharma. Thus, the convergence of interests and mutual acquaintances between the Strategy Secretariat in Army Headquarters and the DIA might help reduce inter-departmental red-tapism.
The key takeaway is that while Pakistan remains the focus of combat and sub-conventional warfare, China dominates the intelligence and information warfare paradigms within Indian Army.
