Lt. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi assumes role as Vice Chief of Army Staff

Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi assumed the role of Vice Chief of the Army Staff on February 19, 2024. Upon taking office, he paid homage at the National War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns.

Before his appointment as Vice Chief, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command from 2022 to 2024, operating in highly demanding operational environments. Graduating from Sainik School, Rewa (MP), he was commissioned into the 18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles in 1984, a unit he later commanded.

Throughout his distinguished 39-year career, Lieutenant General Dwivedi held command positions across diverse theaters, including the Northern and Western regions. He led operations in both the Kashmir Valley and Rajasthan, served as Sector Commander and Inspector General of Assam Rifles in counter-terrorism operations in the North East, and commanded the Rising Star Corps along the Western Borders.

During his tenure as Commander of the Northern Army, Lieutenant General Dwivedi provided strategic guidance and operational oversight for sustained operations along the northern and western borders, as well as dynamic counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir. He actively engaged in negotiations with China to resolve border issues and spearheaded modernization efforts to equip the Indian Army with indigenous technology.
In addition to his command roles, Lieutenant General Dwivedi held key staff appointments in various headquarters, including the Armoured Brigade, Mountain Division, Strike Corps, and Integrated HQ (Army). He also served as Director General Infantry, where he facilitated capital procurement of weapons for the three services, enhancing the Armed Forces’ capabilities significantly.

As Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information System & Coordination), Lieutenant General Dwivedi drove automation initiatives and integration of niche technologies like Big Data Analytics, AI, Quantum, and Blockchain-based solutions into the Indian Army.

Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi’s overseas assignments included serving in Somalia as part of HQ UNOSOM II and as Military Advisor to the Government of Seychelles. He completed his military education at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the Higher Command Course at AWC, Mhow. He was conferred with the title of ‘Distinguished Fellow’ in a prestigious NDC equivalent course at USAWC, Carlisle, USA.

With extensive experience in operations, intelligence, logistics, force structuring, and modernization, Lieutenant General Dwivedi succeeds Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar as Vice Chief of the Army Staff.