R. N. Kao

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Rameshwar Nath Kao
Portrait of Rameshwar Nath Kao
1st Chief & Founder of R&AW and 1st Secretary (Security)
In office 1968 (1968)–1977 (1977)
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	K. Sankaran Nair
Personal details
Born	(1918-05-10)10 May 1918 Benares, United Provinces, British India (present day Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died	20 January 2002(2002-01-20) (aged 83) Delhi, India
Spouse	Malini Kao
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Lucknow University of Allahabad
Profession	Spymaster

Rameshwar Nath Kao (10 May 1918 – 20 January 2002) was an Indian spymaster and the first chief of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) from its founding in 1968 to 1977. Kao was one of India's foremost intelligence officers, and helped build R&AW.^[1]

Kao held the position of Secretary (Research) in the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India, which has been held by all R&AW directors since. He had also, during the course of his long career, served as the personal security chief to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and as security adviser to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He also founded the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) and the Joint Intelligence Committee. An intensely private man, Kao was rarely seen in public post-retirement.