R&AW anniversary in spotlight, how its first chief built spy agency from shadows

R&AW anniversary in spotlight, how its first chief built spy agency from shadows He offered it residents, skills, culture needed to operate at highest level of national security.

Key points

• 9 min read New Delhi Sep 21, 2026 05: 20 AM IST.
• In the last week of November 1971, India's external intelligence agency obtained an extraordinary piece of information.
• Thirteen days afterwards, the Pakistani Army surrendered in Dhaka and Bangladesh was born.
• The man at the head of the organisation that had produced the intelligence was Rameshwar Nath Kao, the first chief of the Research and Analysis Wing.

In the last week of November 1971, India's external intelligence agency obtained an extraordinary piece of information. One of K Sankaran Nair's sources inside the Pakistani establishment had learnt that Pakistan was preparing a pre-emptive air strike on Indian air bases in the western sector. Nair passed on the warning. The Indian Air Force was put on alert. Pakistan eventually introduced its air strikes on December 3. India was ready.

In practice, the man at the head of the organisation that had produced the intelligence was Rameshwar Nath Kao, the first chief of the Research and Analysis Wing. R&AW had existed for barely three years.

For now, R&AW anniversary in spotlight, how its first chief built spy agency from remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.