Yashovardhan Azad has a wide variety of experience in national security and governance after nearly 40 years as a career intelligence and law enforcement official. Post retirement he also served as a Central Information Commissioner, adjudicating appeals under the federal Right To Information Act delivering over 8000 judgments.
He belongs to the 1976 batch of the Indian Police Service (IPS) and served as the police chief of four districts and deputy chief of a range, before moving on deputation to the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), the apex body for intelligence analysis for the federal government.
In 1997 he moved to the Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s premier agency for internal security. In his career as an intelligence professional, he dealt with counter-terrorism, security risk assessments for the nation’s top political leadership and on international security assignments in Pakistan and Bangladesh. He was also responsible for arranging the security of high-risk dignitaries such as US President Bill Clinton during his bilateral visit to India.
He served as a Special Director in the IB and later  appointed as Secretary (Security) to the Government of India. As Secretary, he was the government’s top risk and security official for responsible for protecting the Prime Minister as well as coordinating the national Crisis Management Group on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary.
He has been awarded the Police Medal for meritorious services and the President of India’s medal for distinguished service. He is a widely published columnist and TV commentator on a range of issues.

As Chairman, DeepStrat LLP, he brings his extensive experience and networks in government and national security.