 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 21 September 1968; 57 years ago (1968-09-21) |
| Preceding agency | |
| Type | Foreign intelligence service |
| Jurisdiction | Government of India |
| Headquarters | CGO Complex,Lodi Road,New Delhi,India |
| Motto | (Sanskrit:धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः) DharmōRakṣati Rakṣitaḥtransl. "The Dharma protects its protector" |
| Employees | Classified |
| Annual budget | Classified[1] |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent department | Cabinet Secretariat |
| Child agency |
|
TheResearch & Analysis Wing (R&AW) is theforeign intelligence agency of theGovernment of India.[2] It is responsible for the collection, processing and assessment ofintelligence outside India's borders deemed vital for the advancement of the country'snational security interests.[3] A key member ofIndia's intelligence apparatus, R&AW's mandate includes surveillance of foreign politico-military developments that directly affectIndia's foreign policy,counterproliferation andcounterterrorism.[4][5]
Administratively, R&AW is not an agency in essence, but rather functions as awing of theCabinet Secretariat, albeit with autonomy from bureaucratic control.[6] Its chief officer - designated asSecretary (Research), works under theCabinet Secretary and cooperates with theNational Security Advisor to report to thePrime Minister on all intelligence-related concerns.[6]
Functionally, R&AW manages its own specialized service cadre - the Research and Analysis Service (RAS), although its core leadership is generally drawn from theIndian Police Service (IPS).[5] Unlike other international contemporaries, R&AW is a creation ofexecutive order, which has allowed it to operate without answerability toParliament.[7] Despite lacking a codified charter, R&AW's norms of conduct are drawn from theIntelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985.[8][5]
Historically, little verifiable information exists about R&AW's functioning; nevertheless, some of its known operations include espionage during theIndo-Pakistani conflict of 1971, assisting in theannexation of Sikkim in 1975, and reconnaissance ofPakistan's nuclear programme in the 1980s.[9][10][11]
Presently, R&AW's current Secretary (Research) isParag Jain, who took office on 1 July 2025.[12]
Formally, R&AW does not have a written charter or legally-establishedstatute that defines its responsibilies, but as the agency principally responsible for external intelligence collection, its mandate isunderstood to have the following:
As R&AW functions as an arm of the Cabinet Secretariat, itschief officer - designated asSecretary (Research), works in the Cabinet Secretariat.[16] By placement of position, the Secretary (Research) is understood to have the undermentioned details:
At the time of R&AW's inception in 1968, theIndira Gandhi-led government had designated the position of Secretary (Research) on par with other secretaries, such as theHome Secretary and theForeign Secretary.[18] However, that status was degraded and redesignated as Director, R&AW - by theMorarji Desai-led government in 1977; nevertheless, the pre-1977 designation was reinstated by theRajiv Gandhi-led government in 1986.[18]
The Secretary (Research) is appointed by the Prime Minister vis-à-vis theAppointments Committee of the Cabinet for an initial period of two years, with extensions permissible if the service of the officeholder is deemed fit for such extension.[19][20] The longest serving chief was R. N. Kao, who held the office from R&AW's inception in 1968 up to his retirement in 1977.[20]
Although R&AW has its own specialized service cadre - the Research and Analysis Service (RAS), most of the organization's chiefs have been drawn from theIndian Police Service (IPS) - a practice which has often been criticized.[21][16] To date, N. F. Suntook and Vikram Sood are the only non-IPS officers to have ever led R&AW.[22]
| Secretary (Research) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Cadre | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| 1 | R. N. Kao | Imperial Police (IP) | 1968 | 1977 | • Founder of R&AW andARC and first Secretary (R).[16] • Led intelligence efforts during the1971 India-Pakistan conflict.[5] • Participated inOperation Smiling Buddha and the1975 annexation of Sikkim.[5] |
| Director, R&AW | |||||
| 2 | K. Sankaran Nair | Imperial Police (IP) | 1977 | 1977 | • Assisted in the establishment ofGhana'sFSRB with R. N. Kao.[23] • Organized intelligence operations during1971 India-Pakistan conflict prior to appointment.[24] • Resigned in protest after degradation of Secretary (R) to Director, R&AW.[18] |
| 3 | N. F. Suntook | Indian Frontier Administrative Service (IPAS) | 1977 | 1983 | Founder Director of RRC (Radio Research Centre),ETS • ExecutedOperation Lal Dora |
| 4 | Girish Chandra Saxena | Indian Police Service (IPS) | 1983 | 1986 | • Collaborated with the Intelligence Agencies of United States, the erstwhileUSSR, China,Iran, Afghanistan,Saudi Arabia, etc. •Kanishka Bombing •Operation Blue Star |
| Secretary (Research) | |||||
| 5 | S. E. Joshi | Indian Police Service (IPS) | 1986 | 1987 | • Continued collaboration with Intelligence Agencies • During his tenure, the post of Director of R&AW was re-designated as Secretary (R), and this designation has continued since then. |
| 6 | A. K. Verma | 1987 | 1990 | •Operation Cactus •Indian Peace Keeping Force | |
| 7 | G. S. Bajpai | 1990 | 1991 | Counter Insurgency operations | |
| 8 | N. Narasimhan | 1991 | 1993 | ||
| 9 | J. S. Bedi | 1993 | 1993 | • Shortest serving Secretary (R) with a tenure of only four months; was not given extension.[18] | |
| 10 | A. S. Syali | 1993 | 1996 | • Led intelligence collection efforts inTibet during initial years of his career; not much other information known.[25] | |
| 11 | Ranjan Roy | 1996 | 1997 | • Transferred from IB to R&AW.[26] • Tenure marked by emphasis on Pakistan and Afghanistan affairs.[26] | |
| 12 | Arvind Dave | IPS (1962:Madhya Pradesh)[27] | 1997 | 1999 | • Was Secretary (R) during1999 Kargil conflict; later testified before theKargil Review Committee for mismanagement of intelligence operations.[28][29] |
| 13 | A. S. Dulat | IPS (1965:Rajasthan)[30] | 1999 | 2000 | • Was Special Director, IB and transferred to R&AW prior to appointment.[28] • Negotiated withIC 814 hijackers[31][32] • Tenure market with deep engagement inKashmir affairs.[30] |
| 14 | Vikram Sood | IPoS (1966) Abosrbed into RAS[27] | 13 December 2000 | 31 March 2003 | • Was Secretary (R) during the2001 Parliament attack.[33] • One of the few Secretary (R) to appointed from a non-IPS stream.[27] |
| 15 | C. D. Sahay | IPS (1967:Karnataka)[34] | 1 April 2003 | 31 January 2005 | • Participated in negotiations to end2001 IC 814 hijack prior to appointment.[34] • First-ever Secretary (R) to be trained inIsrael.[18] • Was Secretary (R) duringRabinder Singh defection scandal.[35] |
| 16 | P. K. H. Tharakan | IPS (1968:Kerala)[36] | 1 February 2005 | 31 January 2007 | • Investigated the2001 IC 814 hijack.[36] • Negotiated the end ofNepalese Civil War and helped warring parties to sign theComprehensive Peace Accord.[37] |
| 17 | Ashok Chaturvedi | IPS (1970:Madhya Pradesh)[38] | 1 February 2007 | 31 January 2009 | • Tenure marred by alleged decay of institutional decorum.[39] • Investigated officer from Sri Lankan station accused of indiscipline.[40][41] |
| 18 | K. C. Verma | IPS (1971:Jharkhand)[42] | 1 February 2009 | 30 December 2010 | • Permanent deputation from IB.[43] • Was Secretary (Security) to Cabinet Secretariat and Internal Security Advisor toHome Ministry prior to appointment.[43] • Spearheaded investigation of the26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks.[44] |
| 19 | Sanjeev Tripathi | IPS (1972:Uttar Pradesh) Absorbed into RAS[45] | 30 December 2010 | 29 December 2012 | • Previously head of ARC prior to appointment.[46] |
| 20 | Alok Joshi | IPS (1976:Haryana)[47] | 30 December 2012 | 30 December 2014 | • Joint Director, IB prior to appointment.[47] • Appointed Chairman of theNational Security Advisory Board in 2025.[47] |
| 21 | Rajinder Khanna | RAS (1978)[48] | 31 December 2014 | 31 December 2016 | • Specialized in counter-terror operations at R&AW.[49] • Appointed asDeputy NSA in 2018; promoted to Assistant NSA in 2024.[50][51] |
| 22 | Anil Dhasmana | IPS (1981:Madhya Pradesh) | 1 January 2017 | 29 June 2019[52] | • Led intelligence efforts during the2019 Balakot airstrikes.[53] • Served as Chairman,NTRO between 2020 and 2023.[54] |
| 23 | Samant Goel | IPS (1984:Punjab)[55] | 1 July 2019 | 30 June 2023 | • Led R&AW's operations wing prior to appointment.[55] • Led intelligence efforts during the2016 surgical strikes and2019 Balakot airstrikes.[56] |
| 24 | Ravi Sinha | IPS (1988:Chhattisgarh)[57] | 1 July 2023 | 30 June 2025 | • Led R&AW's operations wing prior to appointment.[57] • Provided emphasis on technical intelligence collection capabilities.[58] |
| 25 | Parag Jain | IPS (1989:Punjab)[59] | 1 July 2025 | Incumbent | • Handled R&AW's Pakistan desk; served in Kashmir duringabrogation of Article 370 and 35A.[60] • Led ARC duringOperation Sindoor prior to appointment.[12] |
Given R&AW's secretive nature, there is little verifiable knowledge regarding the true orientation of its administrative structure.[5] Unlike other intelligence agencies like the IB or CBI, R&AW was created not as an agency per se, but rather awing, or arm of the Cabinet Secretariat - designed in order to mask any undue attention.[16] Thus, R&AW draws its hierarchical system from theIndian Administrative Service (IAS).[16]
R&AW has 10 field formations all over India, known as Special Bureaus. These Bureaus have an area of responsibility targeted towards the countries that share landborder with India. They are largely located in major cities near or along the borders:[63]
| Zone | Headquarters | Rank of Zonal Head | Equivalent rank in R&AW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone | Jammu | Additional Secretary | Additional Secretary |
| Eastern Zone | Kolkata | Commissioner | Joint Secretary |
| South-Western Zone | Mumbai | Commissioner | Joint Secretary |
| North-Eastern Zone | Shillong | Commissioner | Joint Secretary |
| Southern Zone | Chennai | Additional Commissioner | Director |
| Central Zone | Lucknow | Additional Commissioner | Director |
| Western Zone | Jodhpur | Deputy Commissioner | Deputy Secretary |
R&AW has been active in obtaining information and operating through third countries.[3] R&AW offices abroad have limited strength and are largely geared to the collection ofmilitary,economic,scientific, andpolitical intelligence. R&AW monitors the activities of certain organisations abroad only insofar as they relate to their involvement withnarco terrorist elements andsmuggling arms, ammunition, explosives, etc. into India.[64] It does not monitor the activities of criminal elements abroad, which are mainly confined to normal smuggling without any links to terrorist elements.[3][6]
R&AW officers are posted toIndian diplomatic missions underofficial cover asdiplomats, frequently in the consular wing. The relationship between R&AW and theMEA has historically been characterized by tension, as the two organizations “operate in distinct spheres,” according to The Times of India.
A task force report prepared by a New Delhi-based security think tank highlighted that R&AW operatives have inadequate non-official cover for overseas operations which 'limits access to spot real targets' and causes issues on handling 'high-value assets'.[65]
Initially, R&AW relied primarily on trainedintelligence officers who were recruited directly. These belonged to the external wing of theIntelligence Bureau. Candidates are mostly recruited from theIPS and few other civil services along with candidates from armed forces of India, the latter being in lesser number though. Later, it began directly recruiting graduates from universities. However owing to allegations of nepotism in appointments,[66] in 1983 R&AW created its own service cadre, the Research and Analysis Service (RAS),[67] to absorb talent from other Group A Civil Services, under the Central Staffing Scheme.[68]
Direct recruitment at Class I executive level is from Civil services officers undergoing Foundation course atLal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. At the end of the course, it conducts a campus interview. Based on a selection of psychological tests and the interview, candidates are inducted for a lien period of one year. During this period, they have an option of rejoining their parent service (if they wish to) after which they can be permanently absorbed into the Research and Analysis Service. Delhi-based security think tankInstitute for Defence Studies and Analyses noted in one of its reports that R&AW suffered from the 'tail-end syndrome' where the 'bottom of the entrance lists' of those qualifying theUPSC examinations were offered jobs.[65] Additionally, recruitment is also by lateral deputation from the Officer corps of Armed Forces or Group A Civil Service Officers.[69] The Civil and Defence Service Officers permanently resign their cadre and join the RAS.[70] However, according to recent reports, officers can return to their parent cadre after serving a specific period in the agency if they wish to.[71]
Most of thesecretaries have been officers from theIPS and other posts are held byIRS andIFS officers. R&AW also employs a number of linguists and other experts in various fields.[72] The service conditions of R&AW officers are governed by the Research and Analysis Wing (Recruitment, Cadre and Service) Rules, 1975.[73]
Basic training consists of motivational talks and an introduction to the 'real' world of intelligence andespionage, as opposed to fiction.[74] Common usages,tradecraft techniques andclassification of information are taught.[74] Case studies of other intelligence agencies are presented for study.[74] The inductee is also taught the role of the country's foreign policy in the field.[74] The recruit is made to specialise in a foreign language. Basic classroom training is imparted at the residential Training and Language Institute inGurgaon.[75] A multi-disciplinary school of economic intelligence is also being set up in Mumbai to train intelligence officers in investigating economic crimes like money laundering for terror purposes.[76] They are also sent to top-tier institutions such asJawaharlal Nehru University.[77]
After completing basic training the recruit is given field training.[74] They learn the art of reconnaissance, making contacts, and, thenumerous skills of operating an intelligence mission.[74] During night exercises they are taughtinfiltration andexfiltration.[74] They are instructed to avoid capture and if caught, how to faceinterrogation.[74] At the end of thefield training, the recruit is brought back to school.[74] Before deployment in the field, they are given exhaustive training inself-defence and the use of technical espionage devices.[74] Field and arms training is provided by theIndian Military Academy[78] and theBorder Security Force.[77] Commando and explosives training are given to all recruits.[79] They are also drilled in various administrative disciplines so that they could take their place in foreign missions without arousing suspicion.[74]
Training lasts for four years.[79] It aims to make the inductees ready to set up their own network of informers,moles or operatives, or operate under the cover of an Embassy to gather information, as the task may require.[74] In the past, the training model has been criticised as being 'archaic and too police-centric and not incorporating 'modern technological advances in methods of communication'.[65]
Formally, R&AW does not have awritten statute, rather, it is a creation ofexecutive order, which has allowed the agency to operate without answerability toParliament.[80] This nature is also shared by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which is also has its origin in executive order, and thus also lacks a written statute.[80] Technically, it means both agencies exist and function without legal legitimacy or parliamentary authorization.[81]
Calls for accountability for India's intelligence apparatus were made in the aftermath ofThe Emergency of 1975-77, when institutional abuses under the then-Indira Gandhi government were widespread.[82] In 1978, then-prime ministerMorarji Desai appointed a committee headed by formerHome SecretaryL. P. Singh to investigate the functioning and misuse of theCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the IB for political ends; it subsequently recommended the creation of “a comprehensive central legislation to remove the deficiency of not having a central investigative agency with a self-sufficient statutory charter of duties and functions”.[83] However, Gandhi's return to power in 1980 prevented the implementation of the recommendations.[82] In 2010, then-vice president of IndiaHamid Ansari highlighted the need for R&AW to have accountability under parliamentary oversight to prevent any potential misuse of power.[84] In 2011, 2019 and 2024CongressMPManish Tewari attempted to introduce private member's bill to initiate oversight, calledThe Intelligence Services (Powers And Regulation) Bill; however, none of his attempts succeeded.[85] His 2011 attempt to pass the bill was criticized by former R&AW chiefs C. D. Sahay and Anand Verma as being to micromangerial towards R&AW operations; the bill was never passed.[86]
Nevertheless, there have been some arguments in support of no oversight; it has been opined that a foreign intelligence agency does not operate within a permissible area - while they may be working in the interests of one's own country, they are certainly not operating in the interest of the host country, and are thus not liable to legal accountability.[87] Another argument in favor is that in multi-party systems or coalition politics, the efficient functioning of the agency may be hindered due to political interference, thus necessitating a nature of functioning independent from oversight.[87]
Since its inception in 1968, R&AW has maintained a rigorously secretive existence, with little information available about it in the public domain about its operational activities.[88]
Provisionally, the vast majority of India's intelligence apparatus - including R&AW, are listed in the Second Schedule of theRight to Information Act, 2005, which in conjunction of Section 24 of the Act, is exempted from the public disclosure of sensitive information, unless the information that is requested pertains to allegations of corruption and human rights violations.[89] However, the information related to such allegations may also be withheld, if it is found to be in contravention to Section 8 of the Act, which specifies that "information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State".[90]
Prior to the inception of the Research and Analysis Wing, overseas intelligence collection was primarily the responsibility of theIntelligence Bureau (IB),[5] which was created by the Government of India duringBritish Raj in 1887.[91] In 1933, sensing the political turmoil in the world which eventually led to theSecond World War, the Intelligence Bureau's responsibilities were increased to include the collection ofintelligence along India's borders.[92][74]
In 1947, afterindependence, Sanjeevi Pillai took over as the first Indian Director of the IB.[93]B. N. Mullik took over in 1950 until 1965.[93] Having been depleted of trained manpower by the exit of the British afterIndian independence,[93] Pillai tried to run the bureau onMI5 lines.[74] In 1949, Pillai organised a small foreign intelligence set-up, but the Indian debacle in theSino-Indian War of 1962 showed it to be ineffective.[74] TheDirectorate General of Security was created as a result.[66]After theIndo-Pakistani war of 1965, the Chief of Army Staff, GeneralJoyanto Nath Chaudhuri, also called for more intelligence-gathering.[74] TheMizo revolt in 1966 also acted as a reason for the changes in the external intelligence structure.[66] Around the end of 1966 the concept of a separate foreign intelligence agency began to take concrete shape.[74]
There is no official source in the public domain for the reasoning behind the creation of R&AW.[94]
In 1968 theIndira Gandhi administration decided that a full-fledged second security service was needed.[74]RN Kao, then a deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau,[74] and head of IB's External Wing,[95] submitted a blueprint for the new agency.[74] Kao was appointed as the chief of India's first foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing.[2]: 259 Frontmen includedSankaran Nair, MBK Nair, IS Hassanwalia andPN Banerjee.[96] The R&AW was given the responsibility for strategic external intelligence, human as well as technical, plus concurrent responsibility with theDirectorate-General of Military Intelligence for tactical trans-border military intelligence up to a certain depth across theLine of control (LOC) and theinternational border.
From its inception R&AW has been criticised for being an agency not answerable to the people of India (R&AW reports to Prime Minister only). Fears arose that it could turn into theKGB of India. Such fears were kept at bay by the R&AW's able leadership (although detractors of R&AW and especially theJanata Party have accused the agency of letting itself be used for terrorising and intimidating opposition duringthe 1975–1977 Emergency). The main controversy which has plagued R&AW in recent years is over bureaucratisation of the system with allegations about favouritism in promotions, corruption, ego clashes, no financial accountability,[65] and inter-departmental rivalry.[97][98][99][100] Noted security analyst and formerAdditional SecretaryB. Raman has criticised the agency for its asymmetric growth; "while being strong in its capability for covert action it is weak in its capability for intelligence collection, analysis and assessment. Strong in low and medium-grade intelligence, weak in high-grade intelligence. Strong intechnical intelligence, weak in human intelligence. Strong in collation, weak in analysis. Strong in investigation, weak in prevention. Strong in crisis management, weak in crisis prevention."[101]
R&AW started as a wing of theIntelligence Bureau with 250 employees and an annual budget of₹2crore.[6][74] In the early seventies, its annual budget had risen to₹30 crore while its personnel numbered several thousand.[74] By 2000, the think tankFAS estimated the budget was Rs.1500 crore ($145 million).[6][5] Other 2002-03 estimates place the budget from as high asUS$150 million to as low asUS$31 million.[102][103]
As the agency's operations expanded, more child agencies such as the Radio Research Center and theElectronics and Technical Services (ETS) were added to R&AW in the 1970s and 1995s. In 1963, Kao had persuaded the Government to set up theAviation Research Centre (ARC) foraerial reconnaissance which was made permanent in 1971.[104][105][106] It supersededIndian Air Force's old reconnaissance aircraft and by the mid-1970s, by yielding high quality aerial pictures of the installations along theChinese andPakistani borders.
In the 1970s, theSpecial Frontier Force (SFF) moved under R&AW fromIntelligence Bureau (IB) and was tasked totrain Bengali rebels.[2]: 262 In 1977, R&AW's operations and staff were dramatically cut under thepremiership of Morarji Desai, which hurt the organisation's capabilities[107] with the shutting of entire sections of R&AW, like its Information Division.[108] These cuts were reduced following Gandhi's return. In 2004,National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) was set up by Government of India as a super-feeder agency fortechnical intelligence.
While the exact nature of the operations conducted by NTRO is classified, it is believed that it deals on the fronts ofsatellite imagery, communications, cryptography and technical intelligence through various platforms.[3][6]
The known activities and international operations of R&AW, by country:
R&AW trained the intelligence officers of many independent African countries and assisted the anti-apartheid struggles in South Africa andNamibia. Retired R&AW officers were deputed to work in training institutes of intelligence agencies of some African states.[109]
R&AW was one of the primary agencies that provided the information aboutRavi Pujari, being located in Senegal. This information was then provided to Senegalese authorities, who arrested Pujari and deported him to India. He was formally arrested atKempegowda International Airport byKarnataka Police.[110]
During theSoviet War in Afghanistan, R&AW had recruited three powerful warlords, includingAhmad Shah Massoud.[111]
In 1996, R&AW had built a 25-bed military hospital at theFarkhor Air Base.[a][112] This airbase was used by theAviation Research Centre, the reconnaissance arm of R&AW, to repair and operate the Northern Alliance's aerial support. This relationship was further cemented in the2001 Afghan war.[112][113]
After theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, R&AW provided the intelligence to western countries that there were over 120training camps operating in Afghanistan andPakistan, run by a variety of militant groups.[114]
After theoverthrow of Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, R&AW was the first intelligence agency to determine the extent of theKunduz airlift.[115][116]
In 2017, R&AW undertook acounter-terrorism operation, described as "unprecedented in its scale and scope", foiling a major terrorist attack by anIslamic State - Khorasansuicide bomber in New Delhi. TheCIA was also involved in this operation. The militant was later transferred to a US base in Afghanistan for further questioning. The operation spanned 3 countries and involved 80 Research officers.[117]
In November–December 2019, a specialexfiltration operation was undertaken by R&AW. At least four Indian nationals working in various parts of Afghanistan, that had been abducted by theHaqqani network, were successfully rescued.[118]
In 2020, 10MSS operatives fromXinjiang State Security Department (XSSD) were arrested in Kabul by the Afghan NDS. During questioning, one of the operatives told the interrogators that they were gathering information about al-Qaeda, Taliban and Turkistan Islamic Party inKunar andBadakhshan provinces, and wanted to assassinate high-level members ofTIP. Thiscounter-intelligence operation was undertaken based on a tip from R&AW.[119]
In the early 1970s, thearmy of Pakistan launchedmilitary crackdown in response to theBangladesh independence movement.[120] Nearly 1 crore (10 million) refugees fled to India. R&AW was instrumental in the formation of the Bangladeshi guerrilla organisationMukti Bahini and responsible for supplying information, providing training and heavy ammunition to this organisation. It is also alleged that R&AW planned and executed the1971 Indian Airlines hijacking as afalse flag operation to ban overflight by Pakistani aircraft and disrupt Pakistani troop movement inEast Pakistan.[citation needed]Special Frontier Force, then under R&AW actively participated in military operations especially in theChittagong Hill Tracts.[121] After the war ended in the successful creation of Bangladesh. However, four years laterSheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on 15 August 1975 at his residence.[122] R&AW operatives claimed that they had advance information aboutMujibur Rahman's assassination but Sheikh Mujib tragically ignored inputs.[123] He was killed along with much of his family. Later, R&AW successfully thwarted plans of assassinatingSheikh Hasina Wazed, daughter of Mujibur Rahman, byIslamist extremists.[124]
In 1990, R&AW had helped engineer and support a democratic uprising againstMohammed Ershad, thus leading to his resignation. His pro-Pakistan andanti-Hindu policy decisions had been considered a threat by Indian government.[125]
In 1991, afterKhaleda Zia had won election, India was alarmed over increased harassment of pro-India politicians, large-scale radicalisation and meticulously planned infiltration of trained extremists into Indian territory byJamaat-e-Islami. JeI had set-up several terror training camps located along the border. So in order to stop all this activity, R&AW spontaneously bombed several of its camps and a major ISI safe house, thus dismantling JeI's terror network.[126]
In 1977–97, India took active part inChittagong Hill Tracts conflict. R&AW trained and financed the rebels ofShanti Bahini, the militant wing of thePCJSS. In 2025, the chief of the PCJSS,Santu Larma, was accused of carrying out human rights violations, child soldier recruitment, arms and narcotics trafficking on behalf of theGovernment of Bangladesh.[127][128][129]
After China tested itsfirst nuclear weapons on 16 October 1964, atLop Nur,Xinjiang, India and the USA shared a common fear aboutthe nuclear capabilities of China.[130][131] Owing to the extreme remoteness of Chinese testing grounds, strict secrecy surrounding the Chinese nuclear programme, and the extreme difficulty that an Indian or American would have passing themselves off as Chinese, it was almost impossible to carry out anyHUMINT operation. So, theCIA in the late 1960s decided to launch anELINT operation along with R&AW andARC to track China's nuclear tests and monitor its missile launches. The operation, in the garb of a mountaineering expedition toNanda Devi involved Indian climberM S Kohli who along with operatives ofSpecial Frontier Force and theCIA – most notably Jim Rhyne, a veteranSTOL pilot – was to place a permanentELINT device, a transceiver powered by a plutonium battery, that could detect and report data on future nuclear tests carried out by China.[132] The monitoring device was near successfully implanted onNanda Devi, when anavalanche forced a hasty withdrawal.[133] Later, a subsequent mountain operation to retrieve or replant the device was aborted when it was found that the device was lost. Recent reports indicate that radiation traces from this device have been discovered in sediment below the mountains.[134]
In February 2020,Indian Customs officials detained a Chinese ship fromShanghai Port, atKandla Port. The ship was bound forPort Qasim inKarachi. It was seized for wrongly declaring an autoclave, which can be used in the launch process ofballistic missiles, as an industrial dryer. This seizure was done on an intelligence tip-off by R&AW.[135][136]
InFiji, where Fijians with Indian ancestry were being persecuted bySitiveni Rabuka, R&AW launched an operation involving informants inAustralia,New Zealand andUK to successfully oust him from power.[137]
In August 1991, R&AW undertook aphysical surveillance and tracking operation of Indian nationals fromJammu and Kashmir that were taking weapons training inQom.[138]
Since 2014, R&AW has undertaken numerous identification,physical surveillance and tracking operations in Malaysia targeted towardsKhalistani organisations. It is only of because such operations that many high-ranking Khalistani militants like Harminder Singh Mintoo, Tara Singh, Kulbir Kaur, Ramandeep Singh etc. have been arrested and deported to India.[139][140][141][142]
In November 1988, thePeople's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), composed of about 200Tamil secessionist rebels under Abdullah Luthufi, invadedMaldives. At the request of the president of Maldives,Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, theIndian Armed Forces, with assistance from R&AW, launched a military campaign to throw the mercenaries out of Maldives. On the night of 3 November 1988, theIndian Air Force airlifted the 6th parachute battalion of theParachute Regiment fromAgra and flew them over 2,000 km toMaldives. The Indian paratroopers landed at the airstrip ofHulhule island and restored the Government rule atMalé within a day. The operation, labelledOperation Cactus, also involved theIndian Navy. Swift operation by the military and precise intelligence by R&AW quelled theinsurgency.[6][143]
In 2018–19, R&AW undertook many operations that crippledISI andMSS intelligence network in Maldives.[144]
In December 2024The Washington Post reported that R&AW tried (but later dropped the plan altogether as relations started to improve between India and Maldives) to oust Maldivian government because Government of India perceived Maldivian government to be pro-China.[145] After the publication ofThe Washington Post report the Maldivian Foreign Minister in an interview toWION said (regardingThe Washington Post story) "very short answer for that. It is totally, something that is untrue, unfounded. There is no truth in that. So it is as simple as that."[146]
InFebruary 1983,Mauritian Prime MinisterAnerood Jugnauth requested assistance from Indira Gandhi in the event of a coup by rival politicianPaul Bérenger. In March 1983, Gandhi ordered the Indian Army and Navy to prepare for a military intervention against a possible coup against the Jugnauth government. But the military intervention was put off by Mrs. Gandhi, after a squabble between the Indian Navy and Army, on who would lead the operation. Instead, she chose to task the Research and Analysis Wing's then chief, Nowsher F. Suntook, with supervising a largely intelligence-led operation to reunite the Indian community ofMauritius whose fracturing along ideological and communal lines had allowed Berenger to mount a political challenge.[147]
During the 1990s, R&AW cultivated Burmese rebel groups and pro-democracy coalitions, especially theKachin Independence Army (KIA). India allowed the KIA to carry a limited trade injade and precious stones using Indian territory and even supplied them weapons. It is further alleged that KIA chiefMaran Brang Seng met the Secretary(R) in Delhi twice. However, when the KIA became the main source of training and weapons for militant groups in Northeast India, R&AW initiated an operation, code namedOperation Leech, to assassinate the leaders of the Burmese rebels as an example to other groups. In 1998, six top rebel leaders, including military wing chief of National Unity Party of Arakans (NUPA), Khaing Raza, were shot dead and 34 Arakanese guerrillas were arrested and charged with gunrunning.[6][148]
In 1995, inMizoram along theIndia–Myanmar border, the57th Mountain Division of theIndian Army carried out theOperation Golden Bird.[149] The operation was launched because R&AW had provided information that a huge consignment of arms for northern eastern had reached toCox's Bazar (Bangladesh) and was to be sent to insurgents inManipur. The arms, as per intelligence were meant for groups inNagaland andIsak-Muivah group in Manipur. Forces were deployed for counterinsurgency in the states of Manipur and Nagaland. Radio sets and other technological instruments were used to intercepts insurgents messages. On 5 April 1995, the Indian troops captured an insurgent named Hathi Bsrvah, trained by Pakistani ISI near Karachi. By 21 May 1995, the operation was finally called off.[150]
In 2015, R&AW andMilitary Intelligence of Indian Army provided the intelligence support to21 Para (SF), for theircounter-insurgency operation in Myanmar.[151]
In 1998,Mirza Dilshad Beg, a Nepalese parliamentarian and anISI informant was assassinated by R&AW.[152]
Raju Pargai & Amit Arya were shot dead in 2011, who were runningMirza Dilshad Beg's entire network in Uttarakhand.[153] Despite the accusation and arrest ofLucky Bisht, there was not enough evidence to convict him in the murder case, leading to his eventual acquittal.[154][155][156]
During 1997–2013, R&AW along with IB carried out multiple operations, in which many militant leaders likeYasin Bhatkal ofIndian Mujahideen; Bhupinder Singh Bhuda ofKhalistan Commando Force; Tariq Mehmood, Asif Ali,Syed Abdul Karim Tunda, Abu Qasim ofLashkar-e-Taiba; Fayaz Ahmed Mir ofJaish-e-Mohammed were secretly brought to India.[152][157][158]
In 2014, R&AW along withDGFI tracked downIndian Mujahideen's top commander, Zia Ur Rehman in Nepal. The operation was executed byDGFI after formal request from India's R&AW and Nepal's law enforcement agencies.[159]
In 2017, it was reported that R&AW had kidnapped a mid-level ISI officer Lt. Col. Mohammed H Zahir fromLumbini. There were reports that Zahir was among the ISI team that had taken part in kidnapping and smuggling of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav fromChabahar, Iran to Meshkal Pakistan.[160][161]
In September 2022, Mohammad Lal, who was a huge supplier of counterfeit Indian currency was shot dead by two unidentified armed men in Kathmandu. The assailants immediately fled the scene after shooting Lal. R&AW had been looking for Lal for a long time for his alleged connections withISI andD-Company.[162]
During the late 1980s, R&AW had infiltrated the highest levels of Pakistani military and political leadership. It even had amole inside GeneralYahya Khan's Office. This mole had also alerted the Indian armed forces, a week before about impending Pakistani air attack. This alert was correct as Pakistan attacked India on December 3, thus startingthe Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.[163]
R&AW's most successful spyRavindra Kaushik spied in Pakistan in the 1970s. He was from Rajasthan'sSri Ganganagar. Kaushik was a student and an aspiring actor, he used to do acting on stage. He was acting in a patriotic play in a theatre in Lucknow when R&AW recruiter spotted this young boy. He joined R&AW in 1975 at the age of 23. They trained him, made a disguise identity and sent to Pakistan. He did an LLB inKarachi university and joined the Pakistani army, eventually he was promoted to the rank of major. Amid 1979-83 he passed valuable information to R&AW. Due to his feats the then Indian prime ministerIndira Gandhi gave him title of "The Black Tiger".[164][165]
Kahuta is the site of theKhan Research Laboratories, Pakistan's main nuclear weapons laboratory as well as an emerging centre for long-range missile development. The primary Pakistani missile-material production facility is located at Kahuta, employing gas centrifuge enrichment technology to produceHighly Enriched Uranium (HEU). R&AW first confirmed Pakistan's nuclear programs by analysing the hair samples snatched from the floor of barber shops near KRL; which showed that Pakistan had developed the ability to enrich uranium to weapons-grade quality. R&AW operatives knew aboutKahuta Research Laboratories from at least early 1978,[166] when the then Indian Prime Minister,Morarji Desai, accidentally exposed R&AW's operations onPakistan's covert nuclear weapons program. In an indiscreet moment in a telephone conversation one day, Morarji Desai informed the then Pakistan President,Zia-ul-Haq, that India was aware of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. According to later reports, acting on this "tip-off", Pakistan's ISI and army eliminated most of R&AW's assets in and around Kahuta.[6][167][168]
R&AW received information from one of its informants in a London-based company, which had supplied Arctic-weather gear to Indian troops inLadakh that some Pakistan paramilitary forces had bought similar Arctic-weather gear.[169] This information was shared with Indian Army which soon launchedOperation Meghdoot to take control of Siachen Glacier with around 300[169] acclimatised troops were airlifted to Siachen before Pakistan could launch any operation resulting in Indian head start and eventual Indian domination of all major peaks in Siachen.[169]
In the mid-1980s, R&AW set up two special units,Counterintelligence Team-X(CIT-X) andCounterintelligence Team-J(CIT-J), the first directed atPakistan[170] and the second atKhalistani groups.[171]Rabinder Singh, the R&AW officer who laterdefected to the United States in 2004, helped run CIT-J in its early years. Both these covert units used the services of cross-border traffickers to ferry weapons and funds across the border, much as theirISI counterparts were doing. According to former R&AW official and noted security analyst B. Raman, the Indian counter-campaign yielded results. "The role of our cover action capability in putting an end to the ISI's interference and support of khalistani militants in Punjab, thus completely stopping years of violence and insurgency", he wrote in 2002, "by making such interference prohibitively costly is little known and understood." These covert groups were disbanded during the tenure ofIK Gujral and were never restarted.[172] As perB Raman a former R&AWAdditional Secretary, these covert groups were successful in keeping a check onISI and were "responsible for ending the Khalistani insurgency".[172][173]
During the mid-1990s, R&AW undertook an operation to infiltrate variousISI-backed militant groups inJammu and Kashmir. R&AW operatives infiltrated the area, collected military intelligence, and provided evidence aboutISI's involvement in training and funding separatist groups. R&AW was successful not only in unearthing the links, but also in infiltrating and neutralising the terrorism in the Kashmir valley.[174][175] It is also credited for creating a split in theHizb-ul-Mujahideen.[176] Operation Chanakya also marked the creation of pro-Indian groups in Kashmir like the Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen, Muslim Mujahideen etc. Thesecounter-insurgencies consist of ex-militants and relatives of those slain in the conflict. Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen leader Kokka Parrey was himself assassinated by separatists.[3]
During theKargil War, R&AW was also successful in intercepting a telephonic conversation betweenPervez Musharraf, the then Pakistan Army Chief who was in Beijing and his chief of staff Lt. Gen. Mohammed Aziz inIslamabad.[177] This tape was later published by India to prove Pakistani involvement in the Kargil incursion.[177][178]
In 2004, it had come to light that a timely tip-off by R&AW helped foil a third assassination plot against Pakistan's former president, GeneralPervez Musharraf.[179]
About 2–6 months before26/11 Mumbai attacks, R&AW had intercepted several telephone calls through SIGINT which pointed at impending attacks on Mumbai Hotels by Pakistan-based terrorists,[180] however there was a coordination failure and no follow up action was taken.[181] Few hours before the attacks, a R&AW technician monitoring satellite transmissions picked up conversations between attackers and handlers, as the attackers were sailing toward Mumbai. The technician flagged the conversations as being suspicious and passed them on to his superiors. R&AW believed that they were worrying and immediately alerted the office of the National Security Advisor. However the intelligence was ignored.[182] Later, just after the terrorists had attacked Mumbai, the technicians started monitoring the six phones used by the terrorists and recorded conversations between the terrorists and their handlers.[183]
In March 2016,Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian naval officer who working as a R&AW agent, was arrested inBalochistan and charged with espionage and sabotage. He was accused of operating acovert terror network within Balochistan. In 2017, he wassentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial in Pakistan.[184][185][186] While held by Pakistani authorities, Jadhav had confessed in a video recording that he was tasked by R&AW, “to plan and organise espionage and sabotage activities” in Balochistan andKarachi.[187][186]
During the2016 Line of Control strike, R&AW played an important role by providing real time and accurate intelligence to operational advisors and planners. It had deployed its human assets closest to the 8 demarcated launch-pads in Pakistan administered Kashmir. It also started Physical Surveillance ofChief of Pakistan army, 10 Corps commander and force commander of Northern Areas.[188]
During2019 Balakot airstrike, R&AW played an important role by identifying and providing intelligence on Markaz Syed Ahmad Shaheed training camp, to operational planners. It hadHUMINT that a large number of terrorists had congregated in the camp.[189][190]
On 1 March 2022, one of the hijackers ofFlight IC 814 flight, Zahoor Mistry, was killed by two bike-borne assailants in Karachi. It was Mistry who had killed one of the passengers, 25-year-oldRupin Katyal, on the flight. It is widely believed he was assassinated by R&AW.[191][192]
On 20 February 2023,Hizbul Commander Bashir Ahmad Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam who was India's most wanted designated terrorist underUnlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was shot dead outside a store by unknown assailants in Rawalpindi. It is widely believed that R&AW was behind this.[193]
On May 6, 2023,Paramjit Singh Panjwar, the Chief ofKhalistan Commando Force was gunned down by two unidentified bike-borne gunmen in Johar Town of Lahore while he was out for a morning walk near his residence. Most likely it is believed he was assassinated by R&AW operative.[194]
On April 4, 2024,The Guardian reported that the Indian government had allegedly ordered the killings of individuals in Pakistan. Up to 20 assassinations had taken place since 2020, targeting individuals who were either linked to known terrorist organizations or were former members of these organizations.[195]
On March 16, 2025, Multiple news outlets reported that a topLeT commander named Abu Qatal Sindhi was killed by ‘unknown gunmen’ in the Jhelum area of Pakistan. Sindhi was a key LeT operative responsible for coordinating several major attacks in the Rajouri-Poonch region alongLine of Control.[196]
In2025 India–Pakistan conflict, R&AW supplied intelligence about terrorist hideouts in Pakistan toIndian Armed Forces forOperation Sindoor.[197][198]
In March 2023, with the help of Indian intelligence inputs, officers from thePhilippine Bureau of Immigration, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center and theNational Intelligence Coordinating Agency arrested three suspected members of theKhalistan Tiger Force (KTF) in the central Philippine city ofIloilo.[199][200] The suspects were deported back to India in May 2023.[201]
Since the 1990s, given its position as the largest source of funds and promoter ofSalafist ideology and being considered major security challenge for India. R&AW has greatly expanded its activities and operation in Saudi Arabia.Abdul Karim Tunda was captured in Saudi Arabia and was secretly brought to India.[157]
Since 2012, R&AW has carried out numerous operations in Saudi Arabia. It is only because of such operations that dozens of high-ranking terrorists likeZabiuddin Ansari, Habibur Rahman,Sabeel Ahmed, Muhammed Gulnawaz etc. have been deported and arrested in India.[202][203][204][205]
In April 2023 the Saudi cabinet gave approval for joint cooperation with Indian intelligence agencies. It also approved Riyadh's status as a dialogue partner for SCO as India prepares to host the SCO summit in July. India-Saudi defence and security partnership has been steadily growing. Last year, there were a number of high-level bilateral visits and meetings, beginning in February with the first-ever official visit to India by Lt Gen Fahd bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, commander ofRoyal Saudi Land Forces.[206][207]
In the early 1980s, R&AW allegedly started funding and training Tamil militants to keep a check onSri Lanka,[208][better source needed] which had helped Pakistan in theIndo-Pak War by allowing Pakistani ships to refuel at Sri Lankan ports. R&AW split the Tamil militants into more than 20 groups, among which Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was one.However, when LTTE disobeyed the directions offered by R&AW, the agency switched sides and started providing intelligence support to Sri Lanka. When Prime Minister of IndiaRajiv Gandhi was forced to send theIndian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) underOperation Pawan in 1987 to restore normalcy in the region. The disastrous mission of the IPKF was blamed by many on the lack of coordination between the IPKF and R&AW. Its most disastrous manifestation was theHeliborne assault on LTTE HQ in theJaffna University campus in the opening stages ofOperation Pawan. The droppingparatroopers became easy targets for the LTTE. A number of soldiers were killed. Theassassination of Rajiv Gandhi ended India's involvement in Sri Lankan Civil war.[citation needed]
In 2010, R&AW carried out a snatch operation in Sri Lanka, in which a topHuJI militant Sheikh Abdul Khawaja – handler of the26/11 Mumbai terror attackers was captured and secretly taken away to India.[209]
In 2015, it was allegedly reported by the Sri Lankan newspaperThe Sunday Times, that R&AW had played a role in uniting the opposition, to bring about the defeat ofMahinda Rajapaksa. There had been growing concern in the Indian government, on the increasing influence of economic and military rival China in Sri Lankan affairs. Rajapaksa further upped the ante by allowing 2 Chinese submarines to dock in 2014, without informing India, in spite of a stand still agreement to this effect between India and Sri Lanka. The growing Chinese tilt of Rajapaksa was viewed by India with unease. Further, it was alleged, that R&AW'sChief of Station in Colombo, helped coordination of talks within the opposition, and convincing former PMRanil Wickremasinghe not to stand against Rajapaksa, but to choose a common opposition candidate, who had better chances of winning. Thestation chief was also alleged to have been in touch withChandrika Kumaratunga, who played a key role in convincingMaithripala Sirisena to be the common candidate.[210] However these allegations were denied by theIndian Government[211] and theSri Lankan Foreign MinisterMangala Samaraweera.[212][213]
Before the2019 Easter bombings, R&AW had issued precision intelligence warnings to itsSri Lankan counterpart about an impending terrorist attack. All of these warnings were based onHUMINT gathered by it.[214][215]
In 2019, R&AW was also able to infiltratePLAcommunication through the Chinese military to Sri Lanka. It was because of this that the post was vacant for nearly 8–9 months; the attache was called back after Chinese had learned of this infiltration.
In the mid-1990s, after the rise of Pakistan backedTaliban in Afghanistan, India started supporting theNorthern Alliance. In order to provide support, India had acquiredFarkhor Air Base. This airbase was used by R&AW, along withM.I., as a base of operations for all their activities directed to Afghanistan like covert paramilitary operations andHUMINT gathering. The airbase was also used byARC andDirectorate of Air Intelligence (DAI), to provide aerial reconnaissance to Northern Alliance.[112]
During the2015 G20 Antalya summit, the R&AW station inAnkara increased its strength in order to provide additional security cover for visiting PM Modi, along withSPG. Officers fromMI5 andMossad were also deployed to provide Security as part of liaison agreement.[216]
A detailed report fromThe Washington Post andThe Sydney Morning Herald revealed R&AW's deep operations in the country. Australian authorities expelled two Indian intelligence operatives in 2020 for being members of an elaborate "nest of spies" that attempted to steal sensitive information about defence technology, major airport security and trade relationships.[217][218]
ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess revealed in 2021 that ASIO had uncovered a "nest of spies" from R&AW, whose operations included grooming politicians and a foreign embassy as informants and R&AW had also recruited an Australian government official with security clearance.[217]
In 2021, R&AW is reported to have foiled an assassination plot hatched byKhalistan Commando Force militants from Belgium and United Kingdom, to target farmers' leader protesting at Delhi.[219][220]
Since 2014, R&AW has undertaken numerous physical surveillance, identification and tracking operations in Germany, targeted towards Khalistani militants and Islamic fundamentalists. It has aggressively recruited agents inside pro-Khalistan circles all across Germany, in cities likeFrankfurt andBerlin.[221]
In 2019 a surveliiance operation was undertaken with the target being Gurmeet Singh Bagga, co-leader of theKhalistan Zindabad Force, and a fugitive wanted for thePunjab drone arms drop case.[221]
After26/11, it was uncovered that Pakistan'sISI had not only laundered large amount of money for the attack but also arrangedVOIP calls that allowed the handlers to talk to the militants through the Italian city ofBrescia.
So in order to counter these activities, R&AW established a new station inRome.Since then, it has undertaken hundreds of operations, directed towardssleeper cells/operatives of Pakistan-based Islamic and Khalistani militant organisations.[222][223] It has also aggressively recruited agents inside Pro-Khalistan circles all across Italy.[221]
During the 1980s, R&AW launched an extensive operation in London to neutralise UK-based Pakistani national Abdul Khan, who had played an instrumental role in sheltering extremists and planning attacks in India.[224]
Since the suppression and defeat ofKhalistani insurgency in the late 1990s, R&AW has greatly expanded its informant network inside Khalistani circles and associations in the UK. Wanted Khalistanis like Paramjeet Singh Pamma and Kuldeep Singh Chaheru have been living in UK since they fled in 1992, thus necessitating increased R&AW presence.[according to whom?][225][221][224]
On 15 June 2023, Avtar Singh Khanda, the UK-based chief of theKhalistan Liberation Force (KLF) was suddenly admitted to the hospital with a case of blood cancer, and later died. His followers in the UK believe that Indian intelligence had him poisoned and are demanding the full medical report.[226][227]
Kanishka Bombing case: On 23 June 1985 Air India'sFlight 182 was blown up near Ireland and 329 people died. On the same day, another explosion took place at Tokyo's Narita airport's transit baggage building where baggage was being transferred from Cathay Pacific Flight No CP 003 toAir India Flight 301 which was scheduled forBangkok. Both aircraft were loaded with explosives from Canadian airports. Flight 301 got saved because of a delay in its departure. This was considered as a major setback to R&AW for failing to gather enough intelligence about theKhalistani militants.[228][229][230]
In April 2020, it was reported that R&AW andIB had launched an extensive operation in 2009–2015, to influence the Canadian government and politicians into supporting India's interests.[231]Canada has long being accused by India for being a safe haven for Khalistani separatists.[232]
In July 2020, Canada put two Sikh men onPassenger Protect, the Canadian no-fly list, afterCanadian Security Intelligence Service had received information from R&AW that both intended to travel to Pakistan and carry out anISI-backed terrorist attack inside India. One of the men was identified as the son ofLakhbir Singh Rode, a well-known Khalistani separatist.[233]
On 19 June 2023,Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistani leader and alleged chief of theKhalistan Tiger Force was shot to death outside the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara inSurrey, British Columbia.[234] Nijjar was accused of training and funding members of the separatist group and had been declared a terrorist by India, who put a bounty of₹10lakh (equivalent to₹12 lakh or US$14,000 in 2023) for information leading to his arrest.[235] This was heavily seen as an R&AW assassination operation by not only followers of Nijjar, but also from Canadian officials.[236][237] On 18 September 2023, Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau formally accused the Indian government of thekilling and acknowledged the expulsion of a prominent Indian diplomat responsible for R&AW activities in the country.[238] India rejected Canada's allegations of involvement in Nijjar's murder, calling the Canadian government's allegations "absurd and motivated", and expelled numerous Canadian diplomats.[239]
On 23 November 2023,TheFinancial Times reported that the United States had foiled a plan to assassinateGurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist, on American soil.[240] Following this, the US requested India to hold accountable those responsible for the plot. The plot in the United States coincided with the June 18 shooting death ofHardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., near Vancouver — an operation also linked to R&AW. Experts and officials say that the foiled assassination is part of an escalating campaign of aggression by R&AW against alleged Sikh Separatists in Asia, Europe, USA and Canada.[218][241]
On 10 December 2023,The Washington Post reported that an R&AW officer established a fake news site to spread disinformation against critics of theModi government.[242]
On 20 March 2024,Bloomberg reported that an Indian investigation had found "rogue operative" who were not authorized by the government to be involved in the plot. Additionally, at least one person who was directly involved in the alleged assassination attempt is no longer employed by R&AW. However, India has not initiated any criminal action against them.[243] According toThe Washington Post, it is the U.S. intelligence agencies assessment that the operation targeting Pannun was approved bySamant Goel, the R&AW chief at the time.[244]
On 15 October 2024Hindustan Times reported that India has conveyed to the United States that it (India) has arrested the "rogue operative".[245] The "rogue operative" had made bail in April 2024 according toTheIndian Express. The "rogue operative" was arrested in an extortion case.[246]
On 18 November 2024The New Indian Express reported that the "rogue operative" had sought exemptionfrom physical appearance in the court citing threat to his life.[247]
On 15 January 2025The Indian Express reported that an inquiry committee which was formed by the Government of India after US allegation regarding Gurpatwant Singh Pannun came to light had recommended legal action against an unnamed individual and the committee also recommended "functional improvements in systems and procedures as well as initiation of steps that could strengthen India's response capability, ensure systematic controls and coordinated action in dealing with matters like this."[248]
R&AW's controversies and failures at times can be attributed to weak political leadership which translated into operational hurdles manifesting in the form of political interference, budget constraints, Inter Services/Departmental/Cadre rivalry and corruption.
R&AW has been depicted in widely in Bollywood and regional movies, television and web series and novels.
Films in the 1960s and 1970s, such asAankhen (1968), starringDharmendra andMala Sinha,Prem Pujari starringDev Anand in 1970, andHindustan Ki Kasam (1973) starringRaaj Kumar andPriya Rajvansh referenced "agents" and "espionage". However, since the late 1990s and early 2000,Bollywood andother regional films have openly mentioned R&AW and its allied units, with the intelligence agencies at the center of the plot. InThe Hero (2003) filmSunny Deol played a RAW spy, who eliminates Pakistani terrorists who tried to gain bombs to use against India.[282] InRomeo Akbar Walter (2019),John Abraham played the role of a spy recruited by the Research and Analysis Wing.[283]Uri (2019) highlights the collaborative role of specialized agencies. It depicts theNational Security Council and the agency (Yami Gautam's character Pallavi Sharma) working alongsideISRO for satellite imagery andDRDO for drone surveillance to plan the operation.[284] In the filmMission Majnu (2023),Siddharth Malhotra played a secret raw field agent.[285] In 2023 filmKhufiya directed byVishal Bharadwaj actressTabu played a role of RAW operative. The agency also serves as the backdrop for the 2025 Hindi filmDhurandhar, which offers a raw, intense portrayal of Indian intelligence that stands in stark contrast to conventional Bollywood cinema.[286]
Vikram(1986), a Tamil movie and the first Indian film to use computer for recording the songs, features a R&AW agent and his mission to safeguard theIndian Missile Program. TheHighway(1995), a popular Malayalam movie featuresSuresh Gopi in the role of a R&AW officer.[citation needed] In 2003 Tamil film,Ottran Arjun Sarja plays a R&AW agent who is on the trail of a terror plot to destabilise the country. The critically acclaimed Tamil movieVishwaroopam(2013), Kamal Hassan plays the role of a veteran R&AW operative duringthe war in Afghanistan. In the 2019 Telugu movieGoodachari, Adivi Sesh plays a fresh recruit to the agency.
Intelevision series,Epic TV inAdrishya, a documentary show dedicated to India's legendary spies broadcast the biography ofRavindra Kaushik, RAW's most celebrated spy. In another episode India's current NSA, former RAW agentAjit Doval story was featured.[287][288]2612 which used to air onLife OK, featured Cabir Maira as a R&AW agent Anand Swami who helps an STF officer Randeep Rathore to save the country from a terrorist attack.Time Bomb 9/11, a series aired onZee TV, featuredRajeev Khandelwal in the role of a R&AW field officer.Zee Bangla featured a serial namedMohona where the chief protagonist is a R&AW officer. The Indian version of24 has a host of characters affiliated with R&AW.
In web series,Sacred Games on Netflix has a R&AW agent played byRadhika Apte.[289]Special Ops released on Hotstar hasKay Kay Menon in the role of a seasoned R&AW officer and his task force chasing a terror mastermind.[290] Although not mentioned explicitly, R&AW serves as the backdrop forThe Family Man, featuring Manoj Bajpayee as an intelligence officer striving to thwart terrorist threats while managing a high-pressure job and a volatile domestic life.[291]
Pakistani films such asWaar (2013) had actors playing R&AW agents as antagonists.[292]
Some commentators have linked the surge of Indian films and TV series on espionage thriller genre, as a marker ofPax Indica, diverging from the older paradigms of pacifism associated withGandhi andNehru and on the motif of an increasingly assertiverising superpower.[293]
Outlook Investigation was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).excerpt from Institutional Roots of India's Security Policy...from Oxford University Press.
on 23 December 1887 the Central Special Branch was established, which independent India's Intelligence Bureau considers its date of birth.
Sources told CNN that more than 120 camps are operating in the two countries.
In a stunning intelligence coup, India apparently first learned of Pakistan's programmes by analysing the hair samples snatched from the floors of barber shops near the Pakistani nuclear research facility at Kahuta. India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, sent the samples to New Delhi's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which discovered clear indications from analysis of the hair, that Pakistan had developed the ability to enrich uranium to weapons-grade quality.
Kulbhushan Jadhav was allegedly arrested in the Chaman area of Balochistan on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on March 3, 2016. Pakistan said he was a serving Indian naval officer and accused him of working for India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
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