Research and Analysis Wing

Research and Analysis Wing (RAW or R&AW) is the primary external intelligence agency of the Republic of India. It was formed in September 1968 under the helmsman-ship of its first Director, Rameshwar Nath Kao. Its creation was necessitated post the Sino-Indian War 1962 and Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 which posed various gaps in intelligence gathering undertaken by Intelligence Bureau (which then handled both internal and external intelligence). This convinced the Government of India that a specialised, independent agency was required for competent external intelligence gathering.

The primary function of R&AW is collection of external intelligence and counter-terrorism. In addition, it is responsible for obtaining and analysing information about foreign governments, corporations and persons to advise Indian policymakers. R&AW is an effective and one of the primary instrument of India's national power. It is also involved in the security of India's nuclear programme.

Headquartered in New Delhi, R&AW's current director is Alok Joshi a 1976-batch IPS officer of Haryana cadre.

Background : 1933 - 1968

Prior to the inception of Research and Analysis Wing, overseas intelligence collection was primarily the responsibility of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which was created by the British. In 1933, sensing the political turmoil in the world which eventually led to the Second World War, the Intelligence Bureau's responsibilities were increased to include the collection of intelligence along India's borders.

In 1947, after independence, Sanjeevi Pillai took over as the first Indian Director of the IB. Having been depleted of trained manpower by the exit of the British, Pillai tried to run the bureau on MI5lines. In 1949, Pillai organised a small foreign intelligence operation, but the Indian debacle in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 showed it to be ineffective. Foreign intelligence failure during the Sino-Indian war (20 October - 21 November 1962) led then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to order a dedicated foreign intelligence agency to be established. After the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, Indian Chief of Army Staff General Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri also called for more intelligence-gathering. Around the end of 1966 the concept of a separate foreign intelligence agency began to take concrete shape.