In the 2015–16 preseason Parata made his first start for Connacht, featuring against Grenoble, Castres and Munster in friendly matches. With first choice centre Robbie Henshaw away at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Parata made his competitive debut for Connacht in the opening game of the 2015–16 Pro12, starting against the Newport Gwent Dragons on 4 September 2015. He made his first European appearance just over two months later, when he featured in Connacht's opening 2015–16 Challenge Cup fixture. Parata scored a try in the game away to Russian side Enisei-STM, which took place in the team's Siberian base of Krasnoyarsk. During the course of the season, he played a total of 12 Pro12 games and six in the Challenge Cup.