Modi Government Makes Counter-Intelligence Top Priority After Maoist Crackdowns

The Indian government has placed counter-intelligence (CI) at the centre of its national security priorities, following sustained operations against Maoist networks and other internal security threats, according to developments within the national security establishment.

Since the Narendra Modi Government came to power in 2014, officials claim that India has significantly increased the cost of terrorism for Pakistan-based groups and other perpetrators, through repeated busting of terror modules and targeted military responses across the border. Security agencies argue that these measures have helped strengthen deterrence against cross-border terrorism.

However, a key strategic shift under the current leadership has been a sharper focus on counter-intelligence, particularly since Amit Shah assumed charge as Home Minister. According to officials, CI has moved to the “front burner” of internal security policy, with increased emphasis on identifying and dismantling foreign intelligence networks operating within India.

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Security sources describe counter-intelligence as an area that was previously under-prioritised, but now being treated as central to safeguarding national security. The focus includes tracking foreign operatives, disrupting recruitment networks, and countering influence operations allegedly aimed at sensitive institutions and public discourse.

Officials claim that India’s security landscape has faced multiple overlapping threats over the past decade, not only along its borders but also within its internal systems. These include attempts at infiltration into strategic and military areas using forged identities, the creation of document forgery networks across states, and efforts to install surveillance or gather sensitive information from restricted zones.

According to the narrative presented by security agencies, multiple foreign actors are believed to have operated in parallel, including Pakistan’s ISI, China’s intelligence apparatus, Bangladesh-based extremist networks, and other external intelligence entities. These groups are alleged to have pursued different operational goals ranging from espionage to destabilisation efforts through covert channels.

Officials further state that counter-intelligence agencies have intensified efforts to detect and dismantle such networks, leading to arrests, chargesheets, and disruption of alleged operational cells embedded across various regions. The approach has included closer coordination between central and state agencies, along with expanded surveillance and investigative capabilities.

While these claims reflect the security establishment’s assessment, independent verification of the scale and attribution of such operations is not always publicly available. Nonetheless, the government maintains that strengthening counter-intelligence remains a key pillar of its broader internal security strategy alongside counter-insurgency operations.

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