Operation Sindoor mastermind Parag Jain appointed as new R&AW chief

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Parag Jain, a 1989-batch Punjab cadre IPS officer, as the new chief of India’s external intelligence agency, Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW). He will assume charge on July 1, succeeding Ravi Sinha, whose tenure concludes on June 30.

Currently leading the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), Jain played a pivotal role in Operation Sindoor—the May 7 air-and-missile strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir—by supplying high-precision intelligence critical to the mission’s success.

Officials describe him as a rare blend of human intelligence (HUMINT) and technical intelligence (TECHINT) expertise, with prior stints during the insurgency in Punjab and postings in Jammu & Kashmir during the abrogation of Article 370 and post-Balakot operations.

Jain’s resume also includes international assignments representing India in Canada—where he tackled Khalistani extremist networks—and Sri Lanka, bolstering New Delhi’s soft-power security outreach.

Raised to the rank of Punjab's Director General of Police (DGP) in 2021, Jain had already been working on central deputation and was empanelled for central DGP-equivalent postings.

His elevation is widely seen as a strategic move to strengthen India’s external intelligence capabilities amid ongoing regional volatility and the resurgence of cross-border threats.