ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): India has systematically institutionalised information operations through a network of government communication agencies, military information warfare structures, intelligence organisations, strategic think tanks, and sympathetic media ecosystems, creating an integrated mechanism for narrative generation, amplification, and perception management.
At the centre of this framework is the Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), a department under the Ministry of Defence, which serves as the principal defence communication arm responsible for controlling defence narratives, projecting India’s strategic messaging, and shaping domestic as well as international perceptions regarding security issues.
Directorate of Public Relations (DPR)
The DPR functions as the authorised channel of communication for the Ministry of Defence, armed forces, defence institutions and strategic establishments. Headquartered in New Delhi, DPR operates through approximately 25 regional offices across India and maintains dedicated public relations units for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
DPR is headed by the Additional Director General (Strategic Communication), who also serves as the principal defence spokesperson for the Government of India. It employs more than 10,000 personnel, including media professionals, digital communication specialists, analysts, and intelligence-support staff.
The organisation’s operational reach, workforce, and extensive media infrastructure indicate that its role extends beyond information dissemination to include agenda setting, narrative framing, and strategic influence operations.
However, the overt role includes strengthening public confidence in the armed forces, promoting government defence policies, building support for military modernisation programmes, influencing international perceptions regarding India’s regional security role, and shaping narratives during crises, border incidents, and military operations.
DPR & Think Tanks Budgets
DPR receives overtly approximately ₹2,882 Crore (USD 305 Million) annually for communication, media engagement and outreach activities. However, receives approximately ₹6,615 Crore (USD 700 Million) for information warfare through various covert / secret funding sources.
Defence think tanks collectively receive an estimated ₹70 Crore, bringing the total budget to approximately ₹9,558 Crore (USD 1.01 Billion).
DPR also maintains extensive engagement with journalists, editors, and media organisations through structured briefings, media tours, and Defence Correspondents Courses.
This mechanism facilitates the development of a defence reporting community that remains closely connected to official sources. During national security crises, this relationship often produces highly synchronised media coverage aligned with official positions.
RAW–DPR–Media Ecosystem
Indian information operations increasingly exhibit characteristics of a coordinated ecosystem involving intelligence assessments, strategic communication structures, think tanks and media amplification networks.
RAW functions as India’s premier external intelligence organisation, collecting information, monitoring regional developments, and assessing adversarial vulnerabilities. Intelligence-derived assessments and strategic objectives are subsequently reflected through official communication channels, particularly DPR, which converts security narratives into publicly consumable messaging.
DPR serves as a transmission node between the state, its intelligence agencies, and the media ecosystem. Once released, these narratives are amplified through National television networks, Digital news portals, Influential commentators, Defence analysts, Social media influencers, and Strategic think tanks.
Anti-Pakistan Narrative Campaigns
India’s information strategy increasingly follows a “narrative first, evidence later” approach. Official claims, attribution narratives, and strategic messaging are rapidly disseminated following major security incidents, often before transparent investigations or independent verification processes are completed.
Through coordinated engagement between DPR, RAW, military information structures, strategic think tanks, mainstream media, and digital platforms, narratives are amplified and embedded into domestic and international discourse.
This pattern has been observed in several major events, including Pulwama-Balakot (2019), Article 370 (2019), the Farmers’ Protests (2020–21), the G20 Summit in Srinagar (2023), Jaffar Express hijacking (2025), and the Pahalgam attack (2025), where synchronised messaging projected official positions while limiting space for alternative interpretations.
As a result, DPR contributes to a broader ecosystem designed to shape perceptions, establish narrative dominance, and secure diplomatic, political, and psychological advantages in support of India’s strategic objectives.
Such episodes demonstrate how DPR-supported strategic messaging backed by RAW’s intelligence assessments, media amplification, and policy advocacy operate in tandem and shape public perception before independent verification processes are completed.
