The announcement was made by the Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra during the send-off ceremony in New Delhi for India's squad. 

The 20-year-old is a rising star in athletics having won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in the Gold Coast in April.

He also won the gold medal at the 2016 International Association of Athletics Federations World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz in Poland and the Asian Championships in Bhubaneswar last year. 

In May 2018, Chopra broke the Indian record at the Doha Diamond League with a throw of 87.43 metres. 

"I am thrilled to be chosen as flagbearer of the Asian Games," he told Indian news agency Press Trust of India from Finland, where he is preparing for the Asian Games, after being told he would lead out India's team at Jakarta's 75,000-capacity Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium

"It is a huge honour to be leading the Indian contingent in such a big event.

"I did not know this as I was not told earlier about this."

Former India hockey captain Sardar Singh was India’s flagbearer at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

India finished eighth in the overall medals table at Incheon 2014.

They won a total of 57 medals, including 11 gold.

India's best Asian Games performance outside New Delhi came at Guangzhou 2010 when they won a total of 65 medals, including 14 gold, to place sixth overall.

Their best-ever performance in the first Asian Games at New Delhi in 1951 when they were second overall with a total of 51 medals, 15 of them gold. 

At this year's Asian Games, which Jakarta is co-hosting with Palembang, India will be represented by a total of 524 athletes, competing in 36 sports and disciplines. 

The team for the Games, due to finish on September 2, is made up of 277 men and 247 women.