Executive Summary:

• In February, India introduced its first comprehensive counter-terrorism policy doctrine, the National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, titled ‘PRAHAAR.’ The doctrine marks the culmination of a decade-long shift from reactive counterterrorism to preventive disruption.
• The strategy addresses new technological challenges, including encrypted communications, drone logistics, cryptocurrency funding, and the potential misuse of digital or biological materials.
• Despite addressing key elements of counterterrorism, PRAHAAR is not yet a fully comprehensive, “future-ready” strategy, as it offers limited guidance on algorithmic radicalization and generative artificial intelligence (AI)-produced terrorist content.

On February 23, India unveiled its first National Counter-Terrorism Policy and Strategy, titled ‘PRAHAAR’ (Policy for Response Against Hostile Activities and Radicalism). The doctrine identifies seven clearly defined pillars: 

• Preventing terrorist attacks;
• ensuring a swift and proportionate response;
• aggregating domestic capabilities;
• upholding the rule of law and human rights-based processes;
• mitigating conditions that enable terrorism, including radicalization;
• shaping international counterterrorism efforts; and
• promoting recovery and resilience through a whole-of-society approach. 

The strategy also takes a “zero-tolerance” stance toward all forms of terrorism (Ministry of Home Affairs of India, February 23). Until the introduction of PRAHAAR, India has relied on a combination of legal instruments to counter terrorism, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) of 1967 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of 2023; intelligence-sharing mechanisms involving central agencies such as the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID); and specialized military and police units such as the National Security Guard (NSG). India, however, lacked a comprehensive counter-terrorism doctrine to address the range of hostile actors operating within and beyond its borders. Major attacks—including the 1993 Mumbai bombings in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid controversy, the 2001 Delhi Parliament attack, and the 2008 “26/11” Mumbai attacks—prompted incremental and often ad hoc changes to counterterrorism laws, institutions, and operations. The 2025 attacks in Pahalgam and at the Red Fort appear to have added urgency to the government’s effort to develop an overarching doctrine that closes persistent gaps through coordinated political, legal, technological, and operational measures (see Terrorism Monitor, January 15).

The eight-page policy document outlines India’s evolving threat landscape. Although cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan and Bangladesh remains a central concern, the document also identifies emerging threats such as encrypted terrorist communications, drones, cryptocurrency, organized crime-terrorism linkages, cyber operations, and the potential misuse of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive, and digital (CBRNED) materials. Earlier documents almost exclusively emphasized cross-border infiltration, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and Kashmir- and Pakistan-focused militant groups. The new policy therefore reflects the changing operational realities confronting Indian security agencies.

Has ‘PRAHAAR’ Already Been Activated?

Evidence from recent months suggests that India’s counter-terrorism posture has gradually shifted toward disrupting entire terrorist ecosystems, including overground worker (OGW) networks, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir (Kashmir Life, April 23; New Indian Express, July 8). Recent investigations into a pan-India online radicalization network originating in Andhra Pradesh illustrate this transition. The Andhra Pradesh Police initially uncovered the case in March and later handed it over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which exposed a digitally connected network spanning Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. Authorities identified approximately 13 suspected extremists linked to Al-Hakim Shukoor, a foreign handler affiliated with Islamic State (IS). The network reportedly used digital platforms, including BENEX.com and Instagram, for recruitment and indoctrination (New India Express, June 28).

For the complete article: see India’s ‘PRAHAAR’ Doctrine Addresses Evolving Terrorist Threat Landscape,  Terrorism Monitor, September 17,  2026.

• Tags:
• India, Counterterrorism, PRAHAAR, Terrorist, NIA