Parag Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Punjab cadre, has been appointed as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's external intelligence agency. He is set to succeed Ravi Sinha on July 1, 2025, and will serve for a fixed two-year term. This appointment arrives at a crucial moment, given the complex external security challenges and evolving geopolitical dynamics facing India.

Jain is a seasoned intelligence officer with extensive experience in national security and foreign intelligence. Prior to this appointment, he was heading the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), which is under RAW. The ARC played a vital role in Operation Sindoor by gathering intelligence on the Pakistani armed forces. He has also held various sensitive positions and is known for his expertise in intelligence gathering and India's neighborhood affairs.

Operation Sindoor is one of Jain's most lauded contributions, where his leadership in providing intelligence inputs enabled precision missile strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Sources say that this pinpoint targeting was made possible through years of groundwork and painstaking network-building.

Jain's career includes significant operational contributions during the height of terrorism in Punjab, where he served as SSP and Deputy Inspector General of Police in various districts. He has also extensively handled the Pakistan desk within RAW and had tenures in Jammu and Kashmir during the abrogation of Article 370. Furthermore, Jain has served in Indian Missions in Sri Lanka and Canada. During his tenure in Canada, he monitored Khalistani terror modules operating from there, warning Delhi that it was developing into something dangerous.

Within intelligence circles, Jain is known as a 'super sleuth' and has a reputation for combining human intelligence (HUMINT) with technical intelligence (TECHINT) effectively, which has been crucial to several high-stakes operations. He also played an operational role during Punjab terrorism while serving in Bhatinda, Mansa, and Hoshiarpur.

Jain takes charge of RAW at a time when the agency faces significant challenges. There have been criticisms of the agency's shortcomings, particularly during crises in the Maldives and Bangladesh. However, his extensive on-ground experience in Jammu and Kashmir is considered a significant asset as India faces an increasingly unpredictable global security environment.

Senior officials describe Jain as methodical and discreet. He was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) in Punjab on January 1, 2021, although he was on central deputation at the time. He has also been empanelled to hold posts equivalent to a central DGP, which underscores his credentials for leadership in the national intelligence framework.