Hormis Tharakan is former Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency (designated as Secretary (R) in the Cabinet Secretariat, Govt of India). He is a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Kerala cadre (1968 batch). He was also the Director General of Police of the state of Kerala, India. He had also served as a member of the National Security Advisory Board that acts as an advisory body to the National Security Council of India.