After Sandhurst, Hunt was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) on 30 January 1930. Among his fellow graduates were Charles Harington and Alan Brown. In 1931, the regiment was posted to India. He was promoted lieutenant in 1933. Despite his background he seems not to have been entirely comfortable with the prevailing social climate of the Raj. He preferred rugby to polo, and having already gained fluency in German and French he added Urdu and some Bengali. In 1934 he became a Military Intelligence officer in the Indian Army, with the local rank of captain, and was seconded to the Indian Police. At this time the Indian independence movement was gaining ground, and Bengal was particularly affected. Hunt even worked undercover, gathering intelligence in Chittagong while dressed in local clothing. He returned to his regiment in 1935, having been awarded the Indian Police Medal.