General Upendra Dwivedi Bids Emotional Farewell As Army Chief

Outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday bid an emotional farewell to the Indian Army, describing his more than four decades in uniform as the ‘greatest privilege’ of his life. His ceremonial farewell in New Delhi marked the conclusion of a distinguished military career spanning nearly 42 years, as General Dhiraj Seth assumed charge as the 31st Chief of Army Staff.

The farewell began with a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns, followed by General Dwivedi paying homage to the nation’s fallen heroes by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.

General Dwivedi said his tenure had filled him with gratitude, pride and satisfaction.

Recalling his journey from Sainik School to Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi credited the Army’s strength to its soldiers, veterans, families and the trust of the people, while paying tribute to those who made the supreme sacrifice.

General Dwivedi said the Army had excelled in counter-terrorism operations, UN peacekeeping missions and disaster relief, while maintaining strong operational readiness through Operation Snow Leopard and Operation Sindoor. He also emphasised the Army’s ongoing transformation through force restructuring, modernisation, technology integration, jointness among the three Services, system reforms and improved human resource management under the Decade of Transformation initiative.

General Dwivedi stressed greater coordination among the Army, Navy and Air Force, saying future warfare would be increasingly joint and theatre-oriented. He reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to serving personnel, veterans and their families, thanked the media for responsible reporting, expressed confidence in General Dhiraj Seth’s leadership, and concluded by thanking all soldiers and citizens before signing off with ‘Jai Hind’.

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