Spying and intelligence

[sveint]

How does this tech work exactly? What does "reduce enemy research bonus mean"?

If India invests in this tech, what are the actual effects for India?

[Hubert Cater]

Probably this is the best thread to go through if you would like a better understanding. There is a lot of detail there but it is comprehensive.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4661678

[Grotius]

I read through the link Hubert provided, and it was certainly comprehensive! But I'm still unsure how "good" Spying and Intelligence is. For countries strapped for resources, like India, Italy, China or maybe Russia, it doesn't seem worth it, since every MPP is precious for those states. I understand that it should be a priority for richer countries like the US and Germany.

How high a priority is this tech, in general? For, say, the USSR, the UK, Japan?