Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has begun his first full four-year term as president of the National Rifle Association of India after an unopposed election. Pawan Singh was elected as the new secretary general during the general body meeting on December 4, 2025. The elections also established a new executive committee focused on advancing Indian shooting.
Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, from Odisha, was elected unopposed as president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) during its general body meeting on Thursday, December 4, 2025. This marks the start of his first full four-year term, following his interim role after former president Raninder Singh completed three terms.
Pawan Singh, a noted administrator and technical expert in shooting, was elected as the new secretary general. The elections, conducted by returning officer Justice (Retd) Nirmaljit Kaur, also formed a new executive committee and governing body.
In his first reaction, Singh Deo stated, "Indian shooting has currently seen its most successful phase in history over the last couple of years, both in terms of success and popularity and that increases our responsibilities manifold. I wholeheartedly thank the entire general body for restoring faith in me and my team and we promise to leave no stone unturned to accelerate this growth momentum even further and to maximise the potential that our extremely talented shooting athletes possess. With the flag paramount in our thoughts, let us all work together to make India number one in the world in our beloved sport."
Pawan Singh outlined his priorities, saying, "All the functions in the NRAI are already online, from registration to results, and now the next step is to use technology efficiently. We want to leverage AI and performance data to identify talented shooters across the country. My focus will be on using technology to find and nurture promising athletes from every corner of India. We also want to train coaches and shooters for coaching so that they have an alternate career when they retire and can earn from the sport they have invested their life in."
Two contested positions saw Amit Sanghi from Telangana elected as senior vice president, and Kanwar Sultan Singh and Sushma Singh as vice-presidents in the 15-member executive committee. The committee includes sportspersons such as Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang, Kunti Malik, Zorawar Singh Sandhu, and Elavenil Valarivan.
This leadership aims to build on recent successes in Indian shooting, emphasizing technology and talent development.