Senior IPS officer Parag Jain will succeed Ravi Sinha as the R&AW chief who is set to complete his tenure on June 30. Jain is a 1989-batch IPS officer of the Punjab cadre.
New Delhi:
The central government on Saturday appointed senior IPS officer Parag Jain as the next chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) for a term of two years. He will succeed Ravi Sinha who is set to complete his tenure on June 30. Currently serving as the head of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), Jain has been instrumental in bolstering India's external intelligence capabilities. His leadership at ARC proved pivotal during 'Operation Sindoor', where intelligence gathering on Pakistani military movements and terror infrastructure was crucial.
Who is Parag Jain?
Jain, a 1989-batch IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, brings with him an exceptional legacy of field experience and strategic intelligence work as he steps up in India's premier spy agency. Currently serving as the second-most senior officer in R&AW, Jain reports directly to the chief and is entrusted with the supervision of multiple high-stakes operational and intelligence units. With over 15 years of dedicated service in R&AW, he has emerged as a key figure in India's counter-terrorism architecture.
Seasoned operative with deep domestic roots
Jain's expertise spans several sensitive and critical domains -- ranging from counter-terrorism and Punjab’s internal security to surveillance of Khalistan-linked movements and cross-border diaspora networks. His operational roots go back to the turbulent days of Punjab militancy, with impactful postings in Bhatinda, Mansa, Hoshiarpur, and key leadership roles as SSP Chandigarh and DIG Ludhiana. Within the external intelligence department, Jain has handled the Pakistan desk and was strategically posted in Jammu and Kashmir during two crucial chapters in India's history—the abrogation of Article 370 and the aftermath of Operation Balakote.
Global intelligence experience in crisis zones
His international credentials are equally formidable. In Canada's Ottawa, Jain played a vital role in tracking and infiltrating radical Sikh separatist networks while keeping a close watch on diaspora dynamics. Later, his posting in Sri Lanka during its volatile 2022 economic and political crisis offered him rare operational insights into regime instability and foreign political transitions. His vast on-ground experience, both domestic and international, positions him as a trusted intelligence hand at a time of growing cross-border and global challenges for India.