Brain behind Operation Sindoor, IPS Parag Jain is new RAW Chief

The Union Government on Saturday (June 28, 2025) appointed senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Parag Jain as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency.

A 1989-batch IPS officer from the Punjab cadre, Mr. Jain, will succeed incumbent R&AW chief Ravi Sinha, who is due to retire on June 30. Mr. Jain will assume office on July 1 for a fixed two-year term.

At present, Mr. Jain heads the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), a key wing of R&AW. He is said to have played a pivotal role in Operation Sindoor by providing intelligence inputs that enabled precision missile strikes on terrorist hideouts in Pakistan.

Mr. Jain has previously served in various capacities in Punjab during its terrorism crisis, including as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG). His past assignments also include significant responsibilities on the Pakistan desk of R&AW, and he was posted in Jammu and Kashmir during the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Additionally, Mr. Jain has had diplomatic and intelligence stints in Sri Lanka and Canada, where he monitored Khalistani terror modules. Over the course of his career, he has held several sensitive posts relating to national security and foreign intelligence.