New Delhi, June 28 , 2025: Parag Jain, a veteran intelligence officer and key strategist behind ‘Operation Sindoor’, has been appointed as the new Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency, as per an official order issued on Saturday.
An IPS officer of the 1989 Punjab cadre, Jain will assume charge on July 1, succeeding Ravi Sinha, who retires on June 30. His tenure as Secretary, R&AW under the Cabinet Secretariat is set for two years, or until further orders.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared Jain’s appointment earlier this week.
Prior to this, Jain headed the Aviation Research Centre (ARC)—a crucial R&AW arm handling aerial surveillance, SIGINT, PHOTINT, border monitoring, and imagery intelligence (IMINT).
Parag Jain is widely acknowledged for his mastery in combining human (HUMINT) and technical intelligence (TECHINT). His intelligence leadership was instrumental in ‘Operation Sindoor’, which enabled precision strikes by Indian armed forces on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7, including the HQs of Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Officials credit Jain’s team for generating pinpoint intelligence that guided the missile strikes.
With deep operational experience in Jammu & Kashmir, Jain is expected to play a key role in countering Pakistan’s attempts to revive terror infrastructure in PoK. He was also actively involved in intelligence planning during the 2019 reorganisation of J&K.
A specialist in regional security and counter-Khalistan operations, Jain has served in Indian missions in Sri Lanka and Canada, where he tracked anti-India terror networks, including Khalistan modules operating from foreign soil.
Elevated to the rank of DGP in Punjab in 2021, Jain was already on central deputation. He previously served as SSP and DIG in several key districts during Punjab’s insurgency era.
Known for strategic foresight, operational clarity, and domain expertise, Jain’s appointment signals a sharp focus on external threats, border surveillance, and regional intelligence consolidation.
