Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth has begun a three-day official visit to Nepal, aimed at further strengthening the longstanding defence and military relationship between the two neighbouring countries. During the visit, General Seth is scheduled to hold discussions with senior Nepali military leadership and engage on issues of mutual interest. The programme also includes ceremonial engagements and interactions with military officers and institutions in Nepal.
On August 17, General Seth is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel and receive a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters. He will also meet the Chief of the Army Staff of the Nepali Army and receive a briefing from Nepal's Director General of Military Operations on matters of mutual interest.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
General Dhiraj Seth has begun a three-day official visit to Nepal. The visit focuses on strengthening India-Nepal defence cooperation.
General Seth is scheduled to meet senior Nepali Army leadership. He will receive a briefing on issues of mutual interest.
Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel is scheduled to confer on him the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army. The Army Chief will interact with student officers and foreign military officers.
He will attend an Ex-Servicemen Rally in Pokhara. The programme includes interaction with Indian Army veterans, Veer Naris and Gallantry Awardees.
The visit highlights India's longstanding military, cultural and people-to-people ties with Nepal.
A key moment of the visit will be the conferment of the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army on General Seth by Nepalese President Ram Chandra Paudel. The honorary rank reflects the distinctive military relationship that has developed between the Indian and Nepali armies over decades.The Army Chief is also scheduled to address student officers of Nepal's Army Command and Staff Course at Shivapuri and interact with instructors and foreign student officers.
His programme will later take him to Pokhara, where he is scheduled to attend an Ex-Servicemen Rally. General Seth will also felicitate Veer Naris and Gallantry Awardees and interact with Indian Army veterans.
The visit comes against the backdrop of India's historically close relationship with Nepal, extending beyond defence cooperation into social, cultural and people-to-people connections.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
India-Nepal ties are broader than defence alone. General Seth's visit reinforces the military dimension of a relationship built on geography, history, culture and deep people-to-people connections.
The Defence Ministry has described India and Nepal as nations with shared historical, social and cultural linkages, often referred to through the expression "Roti Beti Ka Rishta." The Janakpur-Ayodhya and Lumbini-Bodhgaya connections further underline the depth of people-to-people ties between the two countries.The ministry said the partnership between India and Nepal is based on democratic principles and shared interests in regional peace and stability. For the Indian Army, the visit also provides an opportunity to deepen military-to-military engagement and explore additional areas of cooperation with the Nepali Army.
General Seth took charge as India's 31st Chief of the Army Staff on June 30, 2026, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986. His career has included command responsibilities across desert, western and counter-insurgency environments, as well as leadership of two operational Army Commands.
The Nepal visit therefore comes early in General Seth's tenure as Army Chief and provides an important platform for reinforcing one of India's most longstanding military relationships in the neighbourhood.
