Parag Jain Appointed as New RAW Chief After Key Role in Operation Sindoor

In a significant development in India’s national security establishment, Senior IPS Officer Parag Jain has been appointed as the new Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s premier external intelligence agency. Jain, who is credited with a critical role in Operation Sindoor—India’s swift and covert response to the Pahalgam terror attack—will assume office following the retirement of Ravi Sinha on June 30, 2025.

Background: Operation Sindoor and Its Strategic Impact

The appointment follows a high-stakes intelligence and military operation named Operation Sindoor, initiated after a brutal terror attack on April 22, 2025, in the tourist town of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives, was immediately linked by Indian agencies to terror groups supported by Pakistan’s deep state.

India retaliated with precision strikes deep into Pakistan-occupied territory, in an operation that reportedly relied heavily on real-time intelligence, aerial surveillance, and ground coordination. These strikes were part of Operation Sindoor, a classified, multi-agency counteroffensive designed to deliver a calibrated message while avoiding all-out war.

A ceasefire agreement was reached on May 10, 2025, after four days of intensified cross-border engagement. Sources from the intelligence community assert that Parag Jain played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in the execution and coordination of intelligence for this operation, enhancing his credibility and justifying his elevation to RAW’s top position.

Parag Jain: Profile of the New RAW Chief

IPS Background and Career Trajectory

Parag Jain is a 1989-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Punjab cadre. Over a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, he has earned a reputation for tactical intelligence, strategic thinking, and operational leadership. Early in his career, he served in various key districts in Punjab during the period of heightened terrorism, holding positions such as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG).

RAW Tenure and Key Assignments

Jain has served for over 20 years within RAW, gaining deep institutional knowledge of India’s external intelligence architecture. He is known for his work on the Pakistan desk, where he handled cross-border espionage, terror financing, and counter-terror intelligence.

He also held strategic overseas postings at Indian Missions in Sri Lanka and Canada. During his assignment in Canada, Jain was instrumental in tracking and countering Khalistani terror modules, a critical task given the resurgence of separatist sentiments in the diaspora.

Current Role in ARC

Before this elevation, Parag Jain headed the Aviation Research Centre (ARC)—a vital arm of RAW responsible for aerial surveillance, signal interception, and satellite imagery analysis. His tenure at ARC has been marked by significant advancements in aerial reconnaissance technology, which played a role in Operation Sindoor’s real-time monitoring and planning.

Transition and Tenure

Jain will take over as RAW Chief from July 1, 2025, succeeding Ravi Sinha, who will complete his term on June 30. According to top government sources, Jain’s initial tenure will be two years, subject to extension based on performance and national security needs.

Strategic Implications of His Appointment

The appointment of Parag Jain comes at a time of escalating global intelligence warfare, regional instability, and rising threats from transnational terror networks. His extensive field experience, knowledge of Pakistan’s covert strategies, and deep understanding of diaspora-linked extremism positions him well to steer RAW through emerging challenges.

Moreover, Jain’s familiarity with technological intelligence platforms, including drone-based surveillance and AI-driven threat mapping, aligns with the government’s push for a tech-enabled intelligence framework.