The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an organisation

Intelligence agency

An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...

 responsible for providing and coordinating intelligence

Intelligence (information gathering)

Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...

 for the Indian armed forces

Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. They consist of the Army, Navy and Air Force, supported by three paramilitary forces and various inter-service institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command.The President of India is...

. It was created in March 2002 and is administered within the Union Ministry of Defence.

Creation

The creation of an intelligence agency coordinating the intelligence arms of the three military services had long been called for by senior Indian military officers. It was formally recommended by the Cabinet Group of Ministers, headed by the then-Deputy Prime Minister of India

Deputy Prime Minister of India

The Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the Indian cabinet in the Indian government. The post is not a constitutional post and seldom carries any specific powers. Generally a Deputy Prime Minister also holds other key portfolios like Home minister or Finance Minister...

 Lal Krishna Advani

Lal Krishna Advani

Lal Kishanchand Advani known as Lal Krishna Advani is a Veteran Indian politician. A former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the major opposition party in the Indian Parliament. He also served as a Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004...

. The Group of Ministers investigated intelligence lapses that occurred during the Kargil War

Kargil War

The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...

 and recommended a comprehensive reform of Indian intelligence agencies. The Defence Intelligence Agency was created and became operational in March, 2002. As part of expanding bilateral cooperation on gathering intelligence and fighting terrorism, the United States military also provided advice to Indian military officers on the creation of the DIA.

Organisation

The Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency is the head of the entire organisation. The director general is the principal advisor on intelligence to the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff. The post of the director general will be held in rotation between the three armed services. The first Director General of the DIA was Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar

Kamal Davar

Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar is an Indian military officer who served as the first Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency. Lt General Kamal Davar retired from the Indian Army in 2004 after a most distinguished service spanning four decades. He has held coveted command, staff and instructional...

, former director of the mechanised forces of the Indian Army

Indian Army

The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...

. The Director General of the Agency is assisted by the Deputy Director General, held first by Air Marshal S. C. Malhan

S. C. Malhan

Air Marshal S. C. Malhan is an Indian air force commander who served as the first Deputy Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency.-References:...

. The DIA will also be involved in intelligence support groups with the IB and RAW to coordinate military a

Functions

Before the creation of the Defence Intelligence Agency, the military intelligence capability of India's armed forces was limited to Field Intelligence Units (FIU), the Directorate of Military Intelligence and separate intelligence arms of the services. These distinct services were not able to effectively coordinate intelligence operations and sharing of information. The armed forces also heavily relied on civilian intelligence agencies such as the Research and Analysis Wing

Research and Analysis Wing

The Research and Analysis Wing is India's external intelligence agency. It was formed in September 1968 after the poor performance of the Intelligence Bureau in the Sino-Indian war of 1962 and the India-Pakistani war of 1965 convinced the then government of India that a specialized, independent...

 and the Intelligence Bureau

Intelligence Bureau (India)

The Intelligence Bureau also known as IB is India's internal intelligence agency and reputedly the world's oldest intelligence agency. It was recast as the Central Intelligence Bureau in 1947 under the Ministry of Home Affairs...

. With wide-ranging resources and functions, the DIA will be superior to and coordinate the Directorate of Military Intelligence

Directorate of Military Intelligence

The Directorate of Military Intelligence was a department of the British War Office.Over its lifetime the Directorate underwent a number of organisational changes, absorbing and shedding sections over time.- History :...

, Directorate of Air Intelligence

Directorate of Air Intelligence (India)

The Directorate of Air Intelligence is the intelligence arm of the Indian Air Force.Air Force intelligence responsibilities include imagery intelligence collection MiG-25R and Jaguar recconnaissance aircraft. During the 1971 war with Pakistan, Russian satellite imagery provided India with...

 and the Directorate of Naval Intelligence.