The list of spy agencies in the world is a high-frequency GK topic tested in UPSC, SSC CGL, CDS, NDA, AFCAT, Banking, and State PSC exams — intelligence agencies are government bodies responsible for espionage, counter-intelligence, internal security, and foreign surveillance.
This page covers all major national intelligence agencies — their full names, country, founding year, and key exam-relevant facts — including India’s RAW, America’s CIA, Britain’s MI6, Israel’s Mossad, and 40+ more global agencies. Full forms, founding years, and country associations are tested directly in competitive exams.
⚡ Quick Facts
- RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) — India’s external intelligence agency; established 1968 after the 1962 China war exposed intelligence gaps; reports to the Prime Minister’s Office.
- IB (Intelligence Bureau) — India’s internal intelligence agency; established 1887 (oldest intel agency in India); reports to Ministry of Home Affairs.
- CIA — USA’s primary external intelligence agency; HQ at Langley, Virginia; est. 1947; world’s most well-funded with budget exceeding $15 billion.
- MI6 = external (foreign intelligence); MI5 = internal (domestic counter-intelligence) — both UK, both founded 1909. Mnemonic: “6 goes out, 5 stays in.”
- KGB (Soviet) was dissolved in 1991 and split into FSB (internal) and SVR (external) — this transition is a UPSC favourite.
Trap 1 — CIA vs FBI: CIA = external (foreign intelligence; cannot operate inside USA). FBI = internal (federal crimes, domestic counter-terrorism). NSA = signals intelligence (SIGINT, phone taps, cyber). These are three different mandates — exam questions regularly mix them up.
Trap 2 — RAW founded year: RAW was founded in 1968, NOT 1947 (Independence) and NOT 1962 (the year that prompted its creation). The founding year 1968 is the single most-tested fact about RAW.
Trap 3 — ISI: Pakistan’s ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) was founded in 1948, not at Partition (1947). ISI = Combined intelligence (both external and internal).
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🕵️ World Intelligence & Spy Agencies — Complete List
| # ↕ | Agency ↕ | Full Form | Country ↕ | Founded ↕ | Type | Key Exam Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RAW India’s External | Research & Analysis Wing | India | 1968 | External | India’s external intelligence; reports to PMO; founded by R.N. Kao after 1962 intelligence gaps |
| 2 | IB India’s Oldest | Intelligence Bureau | India | 1887 | Internal | India’s oldest intel agency (1887 under British India); internal security; reports to Ministry of Home Affairs |
| 3 | DIA | Defence Intelligence Agency | India | 2002 | Military | India’s tri-service military intelligence agency; est. 2002; under Ministry of Defence |
| 4 | NTRO | National Technical Research Organisation | India | 2004 | Signals | India’s technical intelligence (SIGINT/cyber); est. 2004; reports to PMO; intercepts signals & communications |
| 5 | SPG | Special Protection Group | India | 1985 | VIP Protection | Protects PM and former PMs; est. 1985 after Indira Gandhi’s assassination; elite unit |
| 6 | CIA USA’s External | Central Intelligence Agency | USA | 1947 | External | USA’s primary foreign intelligence; HQ Langley, Virginia; est. 1947 under National Security Act; world’s largest budget ($15B+) |
| 7 | FBI | Federal Bureau of Investigation | USA | 1908 | Internal | USA’s domestic/federal intelligence & law enforcement; internal counter-terrorism; cannot legally operate abroad |
| 8 | NSA | National Security Agency | USA | 1952 | Signals | USA’s signals intelligence (SIGINT); phone intercepts, cyber surveillance; part of Five Eyes; exposed by Edward Snowden (2013) |
| 9 | DIA | Defense Intelligence Agency | USA | 1961 | Military | USA’s military intelligence; est. 1961; under Pentagon; provides military-specific intelligence to Department of Defense |
| 10 | MI6 (SIS) UK’s External | Secret Intelligence Service | UK | 1909 | External | UK’s foreign intelligence; “6 goes out”; inspiration for James Bond; Five Eyes member; HQ Vauxhall Cross, London |
| 11 | MI5 | Military Intelligence, Section 5 | UK | 1909 | Internal | UK’s domestic counter-intelligence; “5 stays in”; both MI5 and MI6 founded same year (1909) |
| 12 | GCHQ | Government Communications Headquarters | UK | 1919 | Signals | UK’s signals intelligence (SIGINT); Five Eyes partner; est. 1919; cybersecurity and communications intercept |
| 13 | FSB | Federal Security Service | Russia | 1995 | Internal | KGB successor for internal/counter-intelligence; est. 1995; Putin was FSB Director before becoming President |
| 14 | SVR | Foreign Intelligence Service | Russia | 1991 | External | KGB successor for foreign intelligence; est. 1991 after Soviet collapse; Russia’s CIA equivalent |
| 15 | GRU | Main Intelligence Directorate | Russia | 1918 | Military | Russia’s military intelligence; est. 1918 — older than KGB; survived Soviet collapse intact; responsible for military HUMINT and SIGINT |
| 16 | KGB Dissolved 1991 | Committee for State Security | USSR (Russia) | 1954 | Combined | Soviet Union’s feared intelligence apparatus; est. 1954, dissolved 1991 after USSR collapse; split into FSB (internal) + SVR (external) |
| 17 | Mossad Most Effective | Institute for Intelligence & Special Operations | Israel | 1949 | External | Israel’s external intelligence; widely regarded as world’s most effective per capita; “Moss grows outside” |
| 18 | Shin Bet (Shabak) | Israel Security Agency | Israel | 1948 | Internal | Israel’s internal security agency; counter-terrorism inside Israel and territories; “Shin guards inside” |
| 19 | Aman | Directorate of Military Intelligence | Israel | 1948 | Military | Israel’s military intelligence (IDF); est. 1948; provides intelligence directly to Israel Defence Forces |
| 20 | BND | Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst) | Germany | 1956 | External | Germany’s foreign intelligence; est. 1956; Bundesnachrichtendienst = Federal Intelligence Service |
| 21 | BfV | Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution | Germany | 1950 | Internal | Germany’s internal security; protects constitutional order; est. 1950; Verfassungsschutz |
| 22 | Stasi Dissolved 1990 | Ministry for State Security (Ministerium für Staatssicherheit) | East Germany (DDR) | 1950 | Combined | East Germany’s feared secret police; dissolved 1990 after Berlin Wall fell; ran pervasive citizen surveillance network |
| 23 | DGSE | Directorate-General for External Security | France | 1982 | External | France’s foreign intelligence agency; est. 1982; Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure |
| 24 | DGSI | Directorate-General for Internal Security | France | 2014 | Internal | France’s internal security; est. 2014; counter-terrorism and counter-espionage within France |
| 25 | ISI Pakistan’s Primary | Inter-Services Intelligence | Pakistan | 1948 | Combined | Pakistan’s primary intelligence agency; est. 1948; combines external and internal operations; frequently in news for cross-border terrorism links |
| 26 | MSS | Ministry of State Security | China | 1983 | Combined | China’s primary civilian intelligence ministry; est. 1983; handles both foreign espionage and domestic counter-intelligence |
| 27 | CSIS | Canadian Security Intelligence Service | Canada | 1984 | Combined | Canada’s national intelligence; Five Eyes member; est. 1984; both internal security and intelligence gathering |
| 28 | ASIS | Australian Secret Intelligence Service | Australia | 1952 | External | Australia’s foreign intelligence; Five Eyes member; est. 1952; ASIS = Australia’s equivalent of MI6 |
| 29 | ASIO | Australian Security Intelligence Organisation | Australia | 1949 | Internal | Australia’s internal security; Five Eyes member; est. 1949; ASIO = Australia’s equivalent of MI5 |
| 30 | NZSIS | New Zealand Security Intelligence Service | New Zealand | 1956 | Combined | New Zealand’s intelligence service; Five Eyes member; est. 1956; smallest of Five Eyes agencies |
| 31 | AIVD | General Intelligence & Security Service | Netherlands | 1945 | Combined | Netherlands’ primary intelligence agency; est. 1945; Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienst |
| 32 | NIS | National Intelligence Service | South Korea | 1961 | Combined | South Korea’s primary intelligence; est. 1961; monitors North Korean activities; combined external/internal |
| 33 | CIRO | Cabinet Intelligence & Research Office | Japan | 1952 | External | Japan’s external intelligence coordination; est. 1952; Japan lacks a full CIA-equivalent due to post-WWII constitutional restrictions |
| 34 | DGI | Directorate of General Intelligence | Cuba | 1961 | Combined | Cuba’s intelligence agency; est. 1961; closely modelled on KGB; Cold War adversary of CIA |
| 35 | VEVAK | Ministry of Intelligence (Vezarat Ettelaat) | Iran | 1984 | Combined | Iran’s intelligence ministry; est. 1984 (replaced SAVAK); handles both external espionage and internal surveillance |
| 36 | SAVAK Dissolved 1979 | Organisation of Intelligence and National Security | Iran (Imperial) | 1957 | Combined | Shah Pahlavi’s feared secret police; dissolved 1979 during Islamic Revolution; replaced by VEVAK |
| 37 | MIT | National Intelligence Organisation (Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı) | Turkey | 1965 | Combined | Turkey’s national intelligence; est. 1965; MIT = Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı; NATO member’s combined agency |
| 38 | GIS | General Intelligence Service | Egypt | 1954 | Combined | Egypt’s primary intelligence (Mukhabarat); est. 1954; one of the most powerful agencies in the Arab world |
| 39 | ABIN | Brazilian Intelligence Agency | Brazil | 1999 | Combined | Brazil’s national intelligence; est. 1999; Agência Brasileira de Inteligência; largest in South America |
| 40 | CNI | National Intelligence Centre | Spain | 2002 | Combined | Spain’s intelligence agency; est. 2002; Centro Nacional de Inteligencia; EU and NATO member |
| 41 | SISMI / AISE | Military Security and Intelligence Service / External Intelligence | Italy | 1977 | Military | Italy’s military intelligence; reorganised into AISE (external) and AISI (internal) in 2007 |
| 42 | DGES / DGST | General Directorate of State Security | Morocco | 1973 | Combined | Morocco’s intelligence directorate; key North African intelligence partner of Western agencies |
| 43 | SEBIN | Bolivarian Intelligence Service | Venezuela | 1969 | Combined | Venezuela’s intelligence agency; est. 1969; Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia; often in news for political repression |
| 44 | SSI | State Security Investigations | Egypt | 1913 | Internal | Egypt’s internal security investigations; est. 1913; one of the oldest intelligence bodies in the Arab world |
| 45 | PLA Intelligence | People’s Liberation Army Intelligence | China | 1927 | Military | China’s military intelligence arm; works alongside MSS; PLA cyber units (APT groups) are major global threat actors |
| 46 | GID / MID | General Intelligence Directorate | Saudi Arabia | 1940 | Combined | Saudi Arabia’s primary intelligence; Al-Mukhabarat Al-Amma; key regional intelligence partner of CIA and Mossad |
⚖️ Compare Two Agencies
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
India has two primary intelligence agencies with distinct mandates. RAW (Research & Analysis Wing, est. 1968) handles external/foreign intelligence and reports directly to the Prime Minister’s Office. It was founded by R.N. Kao after the 1962 Sino-Indian War exposed critical intelligence gaps. IB (Intelligence Bureau, est. 1887 under British India) handles internal security and reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs. IB is India’s oldest intelligence agency. India also operates DIA (military intelligence, 2002) and NTRO (technical/signals intelligence, 2004).
All three are American but have completely different mandates. CIA (1947): foreign intelligence — gathers information about threats OUTSIDE the USA; headquartered at Langley, Virginia; cannot legally operate inside the US. FBI (1908): domestic/internal — federal crimes, counter-terrorism INSIDE the US; law enforcement powers. NSA (1952): signals intelligence (SIGINT) — intercepts communications, phone taps, cyber surveillance; partners with UK’s GCHQ in the Five Eyes network. NSA was famously exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013.
The KGB (Committee for State Security, est. 1954) was the Soviet Union’s feared, all-powerful intelligence apparatus. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, the KGB was dissolved and split into two separate agencies: FSB (Federal Security Service, 1995) — handles internal security and counter-intelligence, Russia’s domestic security; and SVR (Foreign Intelligence Service, 1991) — handles external/foreign intelligence, Russia’s CIA equivalent. The GRU (military intelligence, est. 1918) is Russia’s third major agency — it predates the KGB and survived the Soviet collapse intact. Vladimir Putin served as FSB Director (1998–1999) before becoming President.
The “Five Eyes” (FVEY) is an intelligence-sharing alliance comprising: USA (CIA/NSA), UK (MI6/GCHQ), Canada (CSIS), Australia (ASIS/ASIO), and New Zealand (NZSIS) — all five are English-speaking nations with deep intelligence cooperation dating back to World War II signals intelligence (Bletchley Park). Member agencies share signals intelligence (SIGINT) and human intelligence (HUMINT) freely. Questions on which countries form Five Eyes appear in UPSC and CDS exams. Note: France, Germany, Israel, and India are NOT members.
India’s 4 agencies: “RAW IB DIA NTRO” → Really Important Defence & National Technology Rules Ops
UK agencies: “6 goes OUT, 5 stays IN” → MI6 = external (foreign); MI5 = internal (domestic)
Russia KGB split: “KGB dies → FSB (internal) + SVR (external) born” → 1991 split
Israel trio: “Mossad outside | Shin Bet inside | Aman military” → Moss grows outside; Shin guards inside
Five Eyes = UKCAN-ANZ: UK + Canada + Australia + New Zealand + USA — all Anglophone, all WWII allies
USA agencies (CFN): CIA (foreign) + FBI (federal/internal) + NSA (signals) → “Carefully Finding Nukes”
🃏 Flashcards
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🧩 Practice Quiz
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RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) was established in 1968 under R.N. Kao, carved out of the Intelligence Bureau after the 1962 Sino-Indian War exposed critical intelligence gaps. It reports directly to the Prime Minister\u2019s Office. 1947 = India\u2019s Independence. 1962 = the event that prompted RAW\u2019s creation. 1971 = Bangladesh Liberation War.
MI5 (Military Intelligence, Section 5) handles domestic counter-intelligence and internal security in the UK. MI6 (SIS) handles foreign intelligence. GCHQ handles signals intelligence. SAS is a special forces unit, not an intelligence agency. Remember: 6 goes out, 5 stays in.
Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing alliance comprising the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand \u2014 all English-speaking nations with deep historical intelligence cooperation dating back to World War II. France, Israel, and Russia are not members.
After the Soviet Union\u2019s collapse, the KGB was split into the FSB (Federal Security Service \u2014 handles internal/counter-intelligence) and SVR (Foreign Intelligence Service \u2014 handles external intelligence). The GRU (military intelligence) existed separately and was not a KGB successor \u2014 it predates the KGB (est. 1918) and survived the collapse intact.
The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), established in 1947 under the National Security Act, is headquartered at Langley, Virginia. It is the USA\u2019s primary foreign intelligence agency. The FBI is domestic (Washington DC). The NSA handles signals intelligence (Fort Meade, Maryland). The DIA handles military intelligence (Pentagon, Washington DC).
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
India has four primary intelligence agencies: RAW (external intelligence, reports to PMO, est. 1968), IB or Intelligence Bureau (internal security, reports to MHA, est. 1887 — oldest), DIA or Defence Intelligence Agency (military intelligence, under Ministry of Defence, est. 2002), and NTRO or National Technical Research Organisation (technical/signals intelligence, est. 2004). RAW and IB are the two most examined in competitive exams. The SPG (Special Protection Group, 1985) handles VIP protection for the PM.
Both are American agencies but operate in completely different domains. The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency, est. 1947) handles foreign intelligence — it gathers information about foreign governments, non-state actors, and threats outside the USA, and is headquartered in Langley, Virginia. The CIA cannot legally operate inside the USA. The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation, est. 1908) handles domestic matters — federal crimes, terrorism within the US, and counter-intelligence inside American borders. The NSA (1952) is a third American agency handling signals intelligence (SIGINT) including phone taps and cyber surveillance.
There is no definitive official ranking, but the CIA (USA), Mossad (Israel), MI6 (UK), and RAW (India) are consistently cited among the most capable agencies globally. The CIA has the highest confirmed budget (estimated $15 billion+). Mossad is widely regarded as the most effective per capita — its operations including the targeting of Black September members (1972 Munich Olympics aftermath) and operations against Iran’s nuclear programme are legendary. The FSB/SVR (Russia) and MSS (China) are increasingly powerful. This question appears in GK quizzes but has no single official answer.
Intelligence agency full forms, founding years, and country associations are tested in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, CDS, AFCAT, NDA, Banking, and State PSC exams. Questions typically ask for full forms (especially RAW, CIA, FBI, ISI, Mossad), the year RAW was established (1968), which agency India uses for external intelligence (RAW) versus internal security (IB), facts about the Five Eyes alliance (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand), or the KGB’s successor agencies (FSB for internal, SVR for external). It is a largely static GK topic with very high return on study time.
