Parag Jain Appointed As New R&AW Chief Will take Charge from July 1
Parag Jain Appointed As New R&AW Chief Will take Charge from July 1
Veteran IPS officer who led intelligence during Operation Sindoor to take charge from July 1
Parag Jain, a 1989-batch IPS officer from the Punjab cadre, has been appointed as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency. Jain will assume office on July 1, succeeding Ravi Sinha, who retires on June 30. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his appointment on June 28, bringing an end to speculation over the leadership of one of India’s most critical intelligence agencies.
Currently the second senior-most officer in R&AW, Jain heads the agency’s Aviation Research Centre, responsible for aerial surveillance operations. He is widely respected within intelligence circles for his strategic acumen and his ability to combine human intelligence (HUMINT) with technical surveillance (TECHINT), an approach credited with boosting operational precision in recent missions.
Jain played a key intelligence role in Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strike against Pakistan-backed terror camps following the April 22 attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 dead. Intelligence inputs under Jain’s leadership enabled India to carry out targeted missile strikes deep into Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. While the strikes were executed within minutes, officials emphasized that the groundwork had been laid over years through meticulous intelligence-building.
With over two decades of experience within R&AW, Jain is considered a seasoned insider. He has previously served in Indian missions abroad, including postings in Sri Lanka and Canada. During his time in Canada, he was actively involved in tracking Khalistani terror networks. Earlier in his career, he also worked on counter-terror operations during the insurgency in Punjab, serving as SSP and DIG in various districts.
Within R&AW, Jain has overseen key desks including the Pakistan section and was actively involved in intelligence strategy during the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
His appointment is being seen as a strategic move to bring seasoned field experience and a sharp intelligence mind to the top post at a time when geopolitical tensions in South Asia remain high. Jain’s tenure as R&AW chief is set for two years.
