Agency Name: Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)

Creation Date: RAW was established on 1968 09 21.

Legal Act: The legal basis for the operations of RAW is not publicly disclosed.

Location of Headquarters: RAW's headquarters is located in New Delhi, India.

Person in Charge (2023): Ravi Sinha as of 2023 07 01.

Number of Employees: The exact number of employees working for RAW not publicly disclosed, however in 2013, it was believed to be over 5000 members.

Annual Budget: The annual budget of RAW is not publicly disclosed, reportedly as of 2013 it was 100 to 150 million US dollars.

Website: RAW does not have an official public-facing website.

Mission Statement: The specific mission statement of RAW is not publicly available. However, its primary mission is to gather intelligence, conduct covert operations, and provide national security assessments to the Indian government.

Stated Principles: RAW operates based on principles that include protecting and advancing India's national security interests, gathering foreign intelligence to support Indian foreign policy and defense, and conducting covert operations to address threats and advance the country's strategic goals.

Collection Type: RAW utilizes various means for intelligence collection, including human intelligence (HUMINT), signals intelligence (SIGINT), and other forms of intelligence gathering.

Organization Type: RAW is India's primary foreign intelligence agency, similar to the CIA in the United States or MI6 in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for foreign intelligence collection, covert operations, and espionage activities.

Oversight Body: Oversight mechanisms for RAW's activities are not publicly disclosed, as it is a “wing” of a department, it is not under the same government scrutiny as other Indian government departments and is not required to provide the same level of transparency for parliamentary oversight.

Area of Operations: International

Brief History: RAW was formed under the Indira Ghandi administration. She made the decision to have an independent second security service, distanced from the Intelligence Bureau or IB. RAW stared in 1968 with an estimated 250 members.

Powers: RAW operates under the authority granted by the Indian government to collect foreign intelligence, conduct covert operations, and provide national security assessments.

Notable Operations:

1. Operation Kahuta: Kahuta is the site of the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), Pakistan's main nuclear weapons laboratory as well as an emerging centre for long-range missile development. In the 1970s, RAW played a significant role in gathering intelligence related to Pakistan's nuclear program, code-named "Operation Kahuta." This operation helped India and the international community understand the extent of Pakistan's nuclear ambitions.
   The primary Pakistani missile-material production facility, employing gas centrifuge enrichment technology to produce Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU). RAW 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.
2. Operation Chanakya: RAW has been involved in various counterterrorism operations, including "Operation Chanakya," aimed at countering terrorism and insurgent activities in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. During the mid-1990s, RAW undertook an operation to infiltrate various militant groups back by Pakistan Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) RAW operatives infiltrated the area, collected military intelligence, and provided evidence about ISI's involvement in training and funding separatist groups. RAW was successful not only in unearthing the links, but also in infiltrating and neutralising the terrorism in the Kashmir valley.
3. Operation Cactus: In 1988 11, RAW conducted "Operation Cactus" to thwart a coup attempt in the Maldives. Indian troops were deployed to help stabilize the situation and prevent the overthrow of the Maldivian government. Swift operation by the military and precise intelligence by RAW quelled the insurgency.