80 and still serving…Yes, at the age when most of the public servants would have long retired, leaving behind a lifetime of experience for the next generation to build upon, Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Adviser, remains at the heart of the country’s strategic decision-making. For decades, Doval has been described as India’s “James Bond”, a man who moves effortlessly in the shadowy corridors of intelligence and diplomacy, shaping the nation’s security policy with quiet yet unmistakable authority.
But why has India chosen not to put him out to pasture, despite his age? The answer lies in a combination of experience and the nature of contemporary security challenges.
Experience That Cannot Be Replaced
Ajit Doval’s career is unlike that of any other serving official. His understanding of intelligence, diplomacy, and national security is rooted in years of direct operational exposure, something that cannot simply be replaced with younger officers, however capable they may be.
From counter-insurgency to high-stakes negotiations, his career has been defined by work that shaped India’s security doctrines. His guidance today is anchored in lessons drawn from decades spent in the shadows, analysing threats both internal and external.
This is why he remains indispensable in the eyes of India’s political leadership: he carries institutional memory and strategic insight that no textbook or training academy can reproduce.
Former R&AW Chief Amarjit Singh Dulat termed him indispensable. “Ajit Doval is very close to PM Modi, and if you look around, there is no one who could replace him. Many times I have thought about this, that if Doval is not there, who can take that spot? So in my eyes, there’s no one at present, unless someone I might not know. He is indispensable,” said Dulat.
Speaking further, he added, “We are friends and have worked together. He is a very kind and one of our best officers. He shares a very special bond with PM Modi. He has worked in all the phases, under the UPA government, and now under the NDA government.”
Rise Of A Cop
Born in 1945 in Pauri Garhwal in the erstwhile United Provinces (now Uttarakhand), Ajit Doval grew up in Ajmer, Rajasthan, in a family with a strong military background; his father served as an officer in the Indian Army. After graduating from Agra University, he joined the Indian Police Service in 1968 in the Kerala cadre.
His early years were spent in some of the country’s toughest theatres. He worked extensively on anti-insurgency operations in Mizoram and Punjab, including several undercover assignments that later became part of intelligence folklore. His role in negotiating the release of passengers from the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in Kandahar in 1999 remains one of his most high-profile interventions.
Doval went on to become Director of the Intelligence Bureau in 2004, before retiring in 2005. Even in retirement, he continued to contribute to national security debates through commentary and lectures. His return to government came in 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed him India’s fifth National Security Adviser.
On 3 June 2019, when Doval was reappointed, the NSA’s role was elevated from the rank of Minister of State to that of a Cabinet Minister, an unprecedented move since the post was created in 1998. This upgrade reportedly reflected the strategic dialogues he was leading with several major powers, including negotiations between the Special Representatives of India and China on the boundary dispute.
This journey, from an IPS officer to one of India’s most powerful national security figures, explains why his presence continues to be viewed as an asset rather than a relic of the past.
Kapil Kak, Founding Additional Director, Centre For Air Power Studies, New Delhi, Air Vice Marshal (Retd), while speaking about Doval, said, “Mr Doval and I have known each other for nearly 35 years, and he is a friend of mine. The post he holds is an appointment which coordinates all the activities of all the ministries in pursuit of achieving national security goals and national interest objectives. We know that, as per the Government of India rules, the official retirement age for all Government of India employees is 60. Mr Doval is already 80, but he is not a Government of India employee. He is the advisor to the Prime Minister, and one can say that he is one of the most trusted advisors to the PM. As per my view, it seems that Prime Minister Modi will keep him as long as he is the PM.”
The Doval Doctrine
Doval’s enduring relevance lies in his distinct approach to national security, often summarised informally as the “Doval Doctrine”. It blends firmness with calibrated risk, sending clear signals without reckless escalation. Under his guidance, India’s posture has shifted from reactive to proactive. Some of the clearest examples include the response to cross-border terrorism after major attacks, intelligence-led operations along the Line of Control, and the strengthening of internal security networks across states.
He pushed for reforms that allow the security apparatus to move faster, coordinate better, and anticipate threats earlier. Critics argue that this approach leans heavily on strong-state frameworks, but supporters see it as essential in a volatile region.
When asked whether such challenges require younger leadership, Kapil Kak, Founding Additional Director, Centre For Air Power Studies, New Delhi, Air Vice Marshal (Retd), offered perhaps the most important insight of this debate, “Whether the NSA is young or old is not the real issue. What matters is vision, experience, and the knowledge needed to face India’s grand strategic challenges.”
“When you look at the perception of security today, it is a far wider envelope than it once was. Earlier, the focus was primarily on territorial security, ensuring India’s borders were safe, with the armed forces playing a central role. Over time, this evolved into the concept of comprehensive security, which encompasses energy security, food security, water security, climate security, and, more crucially now, supply-chain security. A nation can come to a standstill if its supply chains are halted or disrupted, making this dimension increasingly important. The landscape has expanded further with the rise of cyber challenges, multi-domain warfare, and threats shaped by climate change. Alongside these, India continues to navigate immediate territorial pressures from China and Pakistan, as well as developments in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the broader neighbourhood. Each of these areas is filled with complexities and demands a very wide range of qualifications and experience,” he added.
“This requirement does not apply only to the National Security Adviser but also to the National Security Council Secretariat, because the NSA is not working alone. There is an entire apparatus, intelligence agencies and other arms of the security establishment, constantly assessing threats, often on an hour-to-hour basis, and feeding their assessments into the government’s decision-making process,” he concluded.
Why Retirement Remains Unlikely
For now, the question is not when Ajit Doval will retire, but whether India can afford his absence. His long career symbolises a blend of instinct, intelligence, and strategy that is difficult to replace. His continued presence reflects not sentiment, but necessity — the government believes he still offers clarity at a time when global uncertainty is rising.
Doval may not be India’s “James Bond” in the cinematic sense, but he has spent his life operating in the shadows, shaping decisions that rarely make headlines. His story is a reminder that some roles depend on more than age; they rely on accumulated insight, steady judgment, and the confidence of those in power.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
