He was a nephew of P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja, who served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency and Governor of Orissa.
[3] On 21 December 1941 Raja received an emergency commission as a second lieutenant in the 3rd Madras Regiment in the British Indian Army.
[4] Raja fought in the Burma campaign and qualified as a paratrooper, choosing to wear a parachutist badge throughout the rest of his career.
[7] On 5 August 1961 ONUC created an independent Katanga Command under Raja headquartered in Élisabethville.
[8] On 28 August he led ONUC forces in conducting Operation Rum Punch, and action to detain and deport mercenaries and foreign military personnel serving in the Katangese Gendarmerie.