  We study the synergy between the long-baseline (LBL) experiments NO$\nu$A and
T2K and the atmospheric neutrino experiment ICAL@INO for obtaining the first
hint of CP violation in the lepton sector. We also discuss how precisely the
leptonic CP phase ($\delta_{CP}$) can be measured by these experiments. The CP
sensitivity is first described at the level of oscillation probabilities,
discussing its dependence on the parameters -- $\theta_{13}$, mass hierarchy
and $\theta_{23}$. In particular, we discuss how the precise knowledge or lack
thereof of these parameters can affect the CP sensitivity of LBL experiments.
We follow a staged approach and analyze the $\delta_{CP}$ sensitivity that can
be achieved at different points of time over the next 15 years from these LBL
experiments alone and/or in conjunction with ICAL@INO. We find that the CP
sensitivity of NO$\nu$A/T2K is enhanced due to the synergies between the
different channels and between the two experiments. On the other hand the lack
of knowledge of hierarchy and octant makes the CP sensitivity poorer for some
parameter ranges. Addition of ICAL data to T2K and NO$\nu$A can exclude these
spurious wrong-hierarchy and/or wrong-octant solutions and cause a significant
increase in the range of $\delta_{CP}$ values for which a hint of CP violation
can be achieved. In fact in parameter regions unfavourable for NO$\nu$A/T2K, we
may get the first evidence of CP violation by adding the ICAL data to these.
Similarly the precision with which $\delta_{CP}$ can be measured also improves
with inclusion of ICAL data.
