Alumnus of St Columba’s School, New Delhi, National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy, Anil Bhat was commissioned into 19th Battalion, The Madras Regiment on 31st March 1972 and later, transferred to 4 Horse. Specially selected for posting to Defence Ministry’s Directorate of Public Relations in 1988, he raised two of its regional offices at Imphal and Guwahati in 1988 and 1991 respectively. In 1993 he was posted as Public Relations Officer, Indian Army in New Delhi, from where he took early retirement in April 1999.

A recipient of Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India and Commendations by Chief of Army Staff and GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, he was Research Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (2001-2003), working on a then new subject, ‘Public Information and National Security’. His earlier books are ‘Information And Security: Where Truth Lies’ (Manas), followed by ‘Assam Terrorism and the Demographic Challenge (Centre for Land Warfare Studies and Knowledge World), After Abbottabad: Terror To Turmoil In Pakistan (Pentagon Press) and Modi’s Blueprint for India (edited-Pentagon Press). With research papers, articles and book reviews in many edited books, newspapers, magazines and journals, he is a syndicated columnist and commentator on defence and strategic affairs, Editor of his own agency, WordSword Features, Associate Editor, Salute Magazine and Editorial Consultant, South Asia Monitor.

In a series of tele-films on India’s wars, he has played the roles of all three Indian Services Chiefs during the 1971 Indo-Pak War and of two Pakistani army dictator/chiefs during 1965 Indo-Pak War and 1999 Kargil confrontation as well as the Pakistani General who attacked Kashmir in 1947.