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R.A.W.

In the shadowy world of espionage, names matter.

They carry weight, precision, and a sense of authority.

India’s premier external intelligence agency, responsible for safeguarding the nation from foreign threats, is commonly referred to as RAW.

However, if we are being accurate, it should always be pronounced and written as R.A.W. (or more formally, R&AW).

Why the dots?

Why the letter-by-letter pronunciation?

Let us dive in.

It Is An Acronym, Not A Word

R.A.W. stands for Research and Analysis Wing.

Established in 1968 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the agency was created in the wake of intelligence shortcomings during the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the 1965 Indo-Pak War.

The name was deliberately chosen to sound benign; “research and analysis” evokes academia more than cloak-and-dagger operations.

Like the C.I.A. (Central Intelligence Agency) or F.B.I. (Federal Bureau of Investigation), pronouncing it as individual letters R-A-W honors its acronym status.

Saying it as “raw” (rhyming with “law”) risks confusion with the English word meaning unprocessed or uncooked.

In professional, official, and media contexts, it is often rendered as R&AW to emphasize this distinction.

Official And Common Usage

You will find it written as Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) on Wikipedia, Britannica, and most reputable sources.

Indian media outlets like The Hindu, The Economic Times, and government references consistently use R&AW.

The ampersand (&) keeps “and” short, making the acronym clean.

Pronouncing it letter-by-letter avoids ambiguity, especially in multilingual India, where “raw” could be misheard or confused with Hindi/Urdu words.

Former chiefs and insiders refer to it this way in interviews and memoirs to maintain clarity and formality.

A History Of Secrecy And Precision

Headquartered in New Delhi, R&AW operates under the Cabinet Secretariat with no formal parliamentary charter, emphasizing its secretive nature.

Its current chief (as of December 2025) is Parag Jain, a seasoned IPS officer who took over in July 2025.

The agency’s low-profile name and dotted acronym reflect its ethos: understated yet precise.

Calling it R.A.W. respects that legacy.

The Bottom Line

While “RAW” as a single word has become casual shorthand (much like how people say “radar” instead of R.A.D.A.R.), the proper form is R.A.W. or R&AW.

It is more accurate, avoids confusion, and gives due respect to one of the world’s most effective intelligence agencies.

Next time you discuss India’s spies, say it with the dots: R.A.W. It just sounds more official.

What do you think, does the pronunciation matter in the world of intelligence?

Drop your thoughts below!