Exclusive: IB's Arvind Kumar Eyes Deputy NSA Chair as T.V. Ravichandran's Tenure Winds Down

T.V. Ravichandran, the veteran Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer who was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor in July 2024 with a two-year mandate specifically to oversee technology and cyberspace portfolios, is now set to complete his tenure. Top sources indicate that Arvind Kumar of the Bihar cadre, the current second-in-command at the IB, is the preferred choice to step into Ravichandran's shoes.

Top sources add that two reasons primarily make him the preferred choice: first, his batchmate Mahesh Dixit is now IB's Chief, and to settle seniority in IB, his batchmates have to be shifted out. Second reason top sources add that for an extended period within the IB, Arvind Kumar directly oversaw the Bureau's technology and cyber operations wing, giving him precisely the domain expertise that the Deputy NSA role demands. 

R&AW's Black Horse

Sunil Achaya, the Special Secretary and second-in-command at R&AW, has also been in the frame. Yet, top sources suggest his appointment to the NSCS may not materialise, at least not now. "Achaya has given a great deal to the agency. He prefers a smooth and dignified exit rather than a lateral move," a top source said. Acharya's path to the agency's top post remains constrained by both seniority timelines and tenure arithmetic,  yet he says he is unlikely to make the jump to the Secretariat.