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Defence
Former RAW Chief Declares RAW and IB as India's First Line of Offence and Defence
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 30 Aug 2026, 07:19 AM
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Former RAW chief Arvind Singh Bhatnagar has stated that the external intelligence agency RAW and the domestic Intelligence Bureau together constitute India's primary offensive and defensive capabilities.
Former RAW chief Arvind Singh Bhatnagar, speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, emphasized that the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) form the cornerstone of India’s national security strategy.
Bhatnagar highlighted that RAW’s overseas operations and IB’s domestic surveillance complement each other, creating a dual‑layered defence mechanism that is both proactive and reactive.
The former chief pointed out that this integrated approach enables India to anticipate threats before they materialise and to respond swiftly when they do.
His remarks come at a time when India is reassessing its intelligence architecture amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region.
Bhatnagar highlighted that RAW’s overseas operations and IB’s domestic surveillance complement each other, creating a dual‑layered defence mechanism that is both proactive and reactive.
The former chief pointed out that this integrated approach enables India to anticipate threats before they materialise and to respond swiftly when they do.
His remarks come at a time when India is reassessing its intelligence architecture amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region.