National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said he does not use a mobile phone or the internet for his daily work. Speaking at the inaugural session of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Doval confirmed this in response to a question during a Q&A session. He stated that he only uses a phone for family matters or essential communication with people in other countries and relies on alternative methods of communication for official work.
Ajit Doval is India’s National Security Advisor and the fifth person to hold the position. A retired IPS officer from the Kerala cadre, he has spent decades in intelligence, internal security, and counter-terrorism roles.
Born in Uttarakhand in 1945, Doval joined the Indian Police Service in 1968 and became the youngest officer to receive the Kirti Chakra for bravery. Over his career, he handled insurgency operations in Mizoram, Punjab, and the Northeast, and played a key role in major national security decisions, including the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. He was also involved in managing the Doklam standoff and shaping India’s internal security policies.
In 1999, Doval was one of the negotiators during the IC-814 hijacking crisis in Kandahar. Between 1971 and 1999, he managed multiple aircraft hijacking cases and spent several years working undercover in Pakistan.
Last year, the Press Information Bureau clarified that a Facebook post falsely warning of a cyberattack and attributed to Doval was fake. He does not have an official Facebook account, and the post circulating with his name and photograph was entirely fabricated.
