The Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) is the foreign intelligence agency of the Government of India. It is responsible for the collection, processing and assessment of intelligence outside India's borders deemed vital for the advancement of the country's national security interests. A key member of the Indian Intelligence Community, R&AW's mandate includes surveillance of foreign politico-military developments that directly affect India's foreign policy, counterproliferation and counterterrorism.
Administratively, R&AW is not an agency in essence, but rather functions as a wing of the Cabinet Secretariat, albeit with autonomy from bureaucratic control. Its chief officer – designated as Secretary (Research), works under the Cabinet Secretary and cooperates with the National Security Advisor to report to the Prime Minister on all intelligence-related concerns.
Functionally, R&AW manages its own specialized service cadre – the Research and Analysis Service (RAS), although its core leadership is generally drawn from the Indian Police Service (IPS). Unlike other international contemporaries, R&AW is a creation of executive order, which has allowed it to operate without answerability to Parliament. Despite lacking a codified charter, R&AW's norms of conduct are drawn from the Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985.
Historically, little verifiable information exists about R&AW's functioning; nevertheless, some of its known operations include espionage during the Indo-Pakistani conflict of 1971, assisting in the annexation of Sikkim in 1975, and reconnaissance of Pakistan's nuclear programme in the 1980s.
Presently, R&AW's current Secretary (Research) is Parag Jain, who took office on 1 July 2025.
Objectives Formally, R&AW does not have a written charter or legally-established statute that defines its responsibilies, but as the agency principally responsible for external intelligence collection, its mandate is understood to have the following: Surveillance: To monitor the political and military developments in adjoining countries, which have direct bearing on India's national security and in the formulation of its foreign policy. Counterproliferation: To seek the control and limitation of the supply of military assets to India's regional adversary i.e., Pakistan, from suppliers including Europe, the United States, and China. Counterterrorism: To eliminate terrorist entities that pose a direct threat to sovereignty and security of India. Collection: To conduct intelligence collection about foreign threats deemed averse to India's long-term national security interests, and to suppress them through covert action. Cooperation: To cooperate with other nodes of the Indian intelligence apparatus, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) to establish an integrated intelligence network and to advise the National Security Council about intelligence-related concerns.
Organizational structure Secretary (Research)
As R&AW functions as an arm of the Cabinet Secretariat, its chief officer – designated as Secretary (Research), works in the Cabinet Secretariat. By placement of position, the Secretary (Research) is understood to have the undermentioned details: Works under the Cabinet Secretary while cooperating with the National Security Advisor to report-cum-advise the Prime Minister on all intelligence-related concerns and affairs. Exercises sweeping powers over R&AW's functioning, except regarding administrative and financial matters – which is the remit of the Cabinet Secretary. Is a member of the Strategic Policy Group under the National Security Council Secretariat, tasked with advising policymakers on long-term strategic reviews and national security decision-making.
At the time of R&AW's inception in 1968, the Indira Gandhi-led government had designated the position of Secretary (Research) on par with other secretaries, such as the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. However, that status was degraded and redesignated as Director, R&AW – by the Morarji Desai-led government in 1977; nevertheless, the pre-1977 designation was reinstated by the Rajiv Gandhi-led government in 1986.
The Secretary (Research) is appointed by the Prime Minister vis-à-vis the Appointments 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. 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.
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 the Indian Police Service (IPS) – a practice which has often been criticized. To date, N. F. Suntook and Vikram Sood are the only non-IPS officers to have ever led R&AW.
Aviation Research Centre
The Aviation Research Centre (ARC) was established in 1963 for aerial reconnaissance after R. N. Kao persuaded the Government of India to create a dedicated airborne intelligence capability. It was later made permanent in 1971. ARC superseded the Indian Air Force's earlier reconnaissance aircraft and by the mid-1970s was producing high-quality aerial imagery of installations along the Line of Actual Control and the India–Pakistan border.
Electronics and Technical Services
The Electronics and Technical Services (ETS) unit was added to R&AW as the agency expanded its technical intelligence (TECHINT) capabilities during the late twentieth century. ETS provides technical support including electronic surveillance (ELINT), communications monitoring (COMINT), and specialized equipment used in intelligence gathering operations.
Radio Research Center The Radio Research Center (RRC) was established as part of the agency’s growing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and communications monitoring capability. It works alongside other technical units to intercept and analyze radio and communication signals relevant to national security operations.
Special Frontier Force
The Special Frontier Force (SFF) is an Indian special forces unit composed primarily of Tibetan refugees and Gurkhas in India. It was established after the Sino-Indian War of 1962 to primarily conduct covert operations behind the Line of Actual Control in case of another war with China. Based in Chakrata, Uttarakhand, the force was put under the direct supervision of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and later the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India's external intelligence agency, and is not part of the Indian Army but functions under their operational control with its own rank structure, charter and training infrastructure.
Special Group
The Special Group (SG) is a covert special clandestine operation unit operating under the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). It was formed in the early 1980s to conduct sensitive missions such as counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, and covert operations. The unit is believed to be composed largely of personnel drawn from the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army. Due to the classified nature of its activities, most details about its structure and operations remain undisclosed.
Directorate General of Security
The Directorate General of Security (DGS) is an organisation under the Research and Analysis Wing responsible for supervising several specialized security and covert units. It oversees agencies such as the Special Frontier Force and the Aviation Research Centre. The directorate coordinates sensitive operations and provides administrative control for these units. Due to the classified nature of its work, many operational details remain undisclosed.Schedule to the Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985, from India CodeS.O. 208(E) dated 11 March 1987, The Gazette of India
Rank Structure of Officers & Employees Given R&AW's secretive nature, there is little verifiable knowledge regarding the true orientation of its administrative structure. Unlike other intelligence agencies like the IB or NIA, R&AW was created not as an agency per se, but rather a wing, or arm of the Cabinet Secretariat – designed to mask any undue attention.
The R&AW is patterned on the lines of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in terms of rank structure, promotions, pay and allowances in India and abroad.
+Ranks, designations, and positions held by Research & Analysis Service (RAS) officers in their career Grade/Scale(Level on Pay Matrix) Posting at Embassies /High Commissions /Permanent Missions / Consulates Posting at Special Bureaus Posting at the R&AW Headquarter Pay Scale(Basic Pay) Administrative Head(Pay level 17) — — Secretary (Research) Apex scale(Pay level 17) — — Special Secretary Higher Administrative Grade(Pay level 15) Additional Secretary — Senior Administrative Grade(Pay level 14) Ambassador/High Commissioner/Minister /DCM /Consul General Commissioner Joint Secretary — Selection Grade(Pay level 13) Counsellor / Deputy Consul General Additional Commissioner Director — Junior Administrative Grade(Pay level 12) First Secretary /Consul Deputy Commissioner Deputy Secretary — Senior Time Scale(Pay level 11) Second Secretary /Consul Assistant Commissioner Under Secretary — Group AJunior Time Scale(Pay level 10) Third Secretary /Vice ConsulSenior Field Officer Assistant Secretary — Group B(Pay level 8) Attache /Vice Consul Field Officer Section Officer — Group B(Pay level 7) — Deputy Field Officer Assistant Section Officer — Group C(Pay level 5) Assistant Field Officer Assistant — Group C(Pay level 4) Senior Field Assistant Upper division clerk — Group C(Pay level 3) Field Assistant UDC / LDC — Group C(Pay level 2) Lower Division Clerk — Group C(Pay level 1) Multi-Tasking Staff —
Note: In addition to their basic pay, R&AW officers are entitled to a Special Security Allowance, amounting to approximately 20% of the basic pay and other allowances like DA, TA and HRA, while posted within India. When assigned to postings abroad, they receive a Foreign Allowance in addition to their basic pay.
Field formations 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 land border with India. They are largely located in major cities near or along the borders:Recruitment Notice for Field Assistant (GD), R&AW Headquarters, 13 March 2020, forwarded to District Magistrate, Saiha, Mizoram by Deputy Commissioner, Special Bureau, Aizawl on 2 July 2020, see list of recipients on page 5 of the file, archived copy
+Zonal Structure and Equivalent Ranks 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 Central Zone Bhopal Deputy Commissioner Deputy Secretary Western Zone Jodhpur Deputy Commissioner Deputy Secretary
Stations abroad R&AW has been active in obtaining information and operating through third countries. R&AW offices abroad have limited strength and are largely geared to the collection of military, economic, scientific, and political intelligence. R&AW monitors the activities of certain organisations abroad only insofar as they relate to their involvement with narco terrorist elements and smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives, etc. into India. It does not monitor the activities of criminal elements abroad, which are mainly confined to normal smuggling without any links to terrorist elements.