General Dhiraj Seth, who was sworn in as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on 1 July 2025, called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday, 2 July, outlining his strategic priorities for the Indian Army. The meeting came just 24 hours after General Seth formally assumed command, signalling an early and direct engagement with civilian defence leadership.

The VIJAY Framework

General Seth has anchored his tenure around a five-point priority framework encapsulated in the acronym 'VIJAY', which he described as the guiding compass for his 'Decade of Transformation'. Each letter corresponds to a distinct pillar of his leadership agenda.

'V' stands for Vigilance — maintaining constant watch along India's borders and sustaining high operational readiness against emerging threats. 'I' represents Innovation and Transformation, with a focus on both doctrinal evolution and technology-driven capability development. 'J' denotes Jointness and Integration, emphasising full coordination with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, as well as a broader military-civil fusion aligned with the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' goal.

'A' stands for Atmanirbharta — self-reliance through indigenous solutions. General Seth stated that the overarching aim would be to 'Win Our Wars with Indigenous Solutions.' 'Y' represents Yodha First, placing soldiers — from Agniveers to senior veterans — at the centre of the Army's priorities.

What the New Army Chief Said

Addressing the force after assuming charge on Wednesday, General Seth said: 'The Indian Army is a combat-ready and battle-hardened force, fully prepared and capable of meeting every challenge in the operational domain. To respond effectively to the evolving security environment, we must take forward the modernisation of the Army with renewed energy and firm resolve.'

He added: 'Our aim is to build a technology-enabled, future-ready Army which is fully empowered and capable of operating across multiple domains.' On the welfare of veterans, he said: 'Our veterans and Veer Naris are an integral part of the Army family, and their welfare, empowerment and professional growth will remain extremely important to me.'

Soldiers and Veterans at the Core

General Seth placed particular emphasis on the human dimension of military strength. He stated that enhancing the technological threshold and training standards of soldiers would be among his foremost priorities. Notably, his Yodha First pillar explicitly includes Agniveers — recruits under the government's short-service military scheme — alongside career soldiers and veterans, signalling an intent to integrate the Agnipath cohort more firmly into the Army's institutional identity.

Tribute to Predecessor and Guiding Motto

General Seth paid tribute to his predecessor, General Upendra Dwivedi, and all former Chiefs of the Army Staff, crediting their leadership with building the Army into what he called a 'strong, resilient and trusted force.' He closed with a unifying motto: 'JAI se VIJAY' — drawing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'JAI' mantra for the armed forces as the foundation of his own VIJAY framework.

General Seth assured citizens that 'the Indian Army is, and will always remain, fully prepared to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests of our nation.' His next steps — including specific modernisation timelines, procurement priorities, and jointness initiatives — are expected to become clearer in the weeks ahead.