Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan assumed charge as Director of the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on 5 October 2026, succeeding Dr Arvind Gupta, a former Deputy National Security Adviser.
The New Delhi-based public policy think tank announced the transition on social media and extended a formal welcome to General Chauhan. VIF stated that a new chapter had begun under his leadership and acknowledged the tenure of Dr Gupta and his contributions to the Foundation. It described General Chauhan as a distinguished strategic thinker and defence scholar, and said his experience in national security, defence policy, geopolitics and military transformation would strengthen the institution’s research and strategic dialogue.
General Chauhan, India’s second Chief of Defence Staff, retired on 30 May 2026 after serving for more than three years. He was appointed CDS on 30 September 2022, and concurrently held the appointments of Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He was the principal military adviser to the government on tri-service matters. During his tenure he was closely associated with the drive for jointness, integration and the proposed theatre command structure.
Born on 18 May 1961 in Gawana village, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, he is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles on 13 June 1981. In the rank of Major General he commanded the Baramulla-based 19 Infantry Division in the Northern Command. On promotion to Lieutenant General he commanded the Dimapur-based III Corps in the Northeast, and later served as Director General of Military Operations. He was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019 until his retirement from the Army in May 2021. After retirement he served as Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat before being recalled to assume the post of CDS.
He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
VIF was founded in 2009 by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who served as its founding Director before his appointment as NSA in 2014. The Foundation works on foreign affairs, national security, strategy, geopolitics and public policy, and engages the diplomatic community in New Delhi. Its executive committee is chaired by S. Gurumurthy; former Ambassador Satish Chandra and former Army Chief General N. C. Vij are the other members. The appointment places a recently retired CDS at the head of an institution that has long occupied a central place in India’s strategic policy discourse.
