ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

M.A. Ganapathy is a former NSG Chief and senior IPS officer with decades of experience in internal security, counter-terrorism, and policing. In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ganapathy breaks down ‘PRAHAAR’, India’s first national counter-terror policy, and explains what it means for the country’s security strategy. He talks about the lessons India can draw from the West Asia conflict, the importance of building capabilities as a deterrent, and why clear objectives are critical in any conflict. He also discusses the growing threats of drone warfare, cyber attacks, and radicalisation, and why India needs a “whole of society” approach to tackle terrorism. The conversation covers the role of intelligence agencies, coordination between police forces, and how sleeper cells operate in urban environments.*Timestamps*00:00 – Introduction00:46 – US & Israel’s Objectives in Iran05:08 – Role of Intelligence in Wars06:50 – India’s Approach to Iran War07:49 – ‘PRAHAAR’ Counter-Terror Policy13:48 – Interstate Coordination16:31 – State Police Forces20:39 – De-radicalisation in India29:12 – Naxal Networks32:27 – How Criminal Networks Support Terror34:28 – Can Police Tackle Tech-Driven Terror?40:00 – Surveillance and Apps in Modern Warfare45:57 – Tackling Sleeper Cells48:58 – Training Citizens to Recognise Terror52:24 – Role of the NSG56:41 – How the CBI Investigates Cases1:00:09 – Reality of OTT Series1:02:27 – Police Mental Health & Physical Fitness1:05:09 – Why Pakistan Isn’t Mentioned in ‘PRAHAAR’

Pankaj Saran is a former diplomat with over 40 years of experience in foreign policy, strategy, and national security. He has served as India’s Ambassador to Russia and Bangladesh, Deputy National Security Adviser, and worked in the Prime Minister’s Office under Dr Manmohan Singh. He has also been posted at the Indian Mission in Washington, D.C. He is currently the Convenor of NatStrat, a Delhi-based independent centre for research on strategic and security issues.In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ambassador Saran explains why India’s silence on the Iran war is being seen as aligning with the US and Israel. He says Pakistan is not a mediator, but a messenger in the conflict. He also talks about how Pakistan built close ties with the Trump administration, and whether India missed a chance to play a bigger role in stopping the war. The conversation also touches on the film Dhurandhar and why India chose not to retaliate after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.Timestamps00:00 – Introduction00:53 – West Asia War Overview05:47 – Decision-Making in War09:18 – India’s Stand on Iran War12:16 – LPG Supply Crisis17:52 – Gulf Nations Under Attack19:55 – Warfare Strategies27:41 – Pakistan as Mediator in Iran War36:26 – Should India Mediate Iran War?38:44 – Iran’s Global Position42:26 – China & Russia's stand58:38 – India’s Strategic Silence1:04:45 – Can India Build AI Without U.S.?1:08:57 – Did India Misread Iran Situation?1:11:29 – 2008 Mumbai Attacks1:22:45 – Dhurandhar Movie

Manickam Tagore is an Indian National Congress MP representing the Virudhunagar constituency in Tamil Nadu. He serves as Whip of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha and is the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Andhra Pradesh.In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he discusses the Opposition’s strategy in Parliament, the DMK–Congress alliance, actor Vijay, freebies politics, Congress’ organisational challenges, and the BJP’s presence in Tamil Nadu.*Timestamps*00:00 - Introduction 00:22 - Lok Sabha Suspension Revoked 04:25 - DMK–Congress Alliance 08:16 - National Parties in Tamil Nadu 16:28 - Modi vs Rahul Popularity 21:27 - Power Sharing with DMK 26:08 - The Vijay Challenge 35:58 - Tamil Nadu Media 37:21 - Alliance Dynamics in Tamil Nadu 40:24 - Politics of Freebies 46:57 - Rahul as Congress Face 49:42 - Why Rahul Gets Angry 53:50 - Digital Marketing by Political Parties 55:42 - Ravneet Singh Bittu 1:04:28 - Congress Cadre 1:14:23 - Caste Politics in Tamil Nadu

S Gurumurthy, auditor-turned-ideologue and editor of Tamil weekly Thuglak, discusses Dravidian politics, DMK-Congress dynamics, and why star power like Vijay may not unseat established parties. He explores Tamil cultural identity, BJP’s struggles to build a regional ecosystem, media influence in Tamil Nadu, and his investigative clashes with corporate power and political figures.

Daniel Benaim served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs at the U.S. State Department. He previously advised President Joe Biden on West Asia policy and has worked at the White House and the U.S. Senate. He also wrote speeches for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other senior U.S. officials. He closely follows developments in West Asia and U.S. foreign policy.In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Daniel says that the U.S. miscalculated the Iran war and wasn’t fully prepared. He explains how Iran may be “winning without winning”, and why Gulf countries feel let down by the conflict. He also talks about Iran’s use of the Strait of Hormuz as a key lever, and why India’s approach to the crisis appears measured and pragmatic.Timestamps00:00 – Introduction00:52 – Who’s Winning Iran War?05:36 – Future of Iranian Regime08:32 – Will U.S. Deploy Troops to Iran?11:28 – Strait of Hormuz Blockade14:51 – Future of Alliances in West Asia19:57 – Will Gulf Nations Attack Iran?23:00 – Russia & China on Iran War24:10 – Trump Delays Beijing Visit25:21 – Did Trump Miscalculate Iran?30:46 – Biden or Clinton: Response to Iran War32:35 – Will Iran Surrender?34:28 – Trump Opening New War Fronts?37:30 – If Iran Survives, Who Wins?40:38 – Saudi-Pakistan Ties44:17 – Do Americans Support Iran War?49:46 – Iran’s Missile Capacity52:41 – Did Biden Give $6 Billion to Iran?55:48 – Iran’s Nuclear Program58:21 – India’s Stand on Iran War1:00:39 – Will India Pick a Side in Iran War?1:04:27 – What Does Saudi Want from Pakistan?1:06:56 – Who Can Mediate Iran War?1:08:39 – Will Iranian Regime Survive?1:10:47 – Who is Face of the Democrats?1:12:29 – Evolving India-U.S. Ties

What lessons can India learn from the Iran war? How have drones proved to be a game-changer in modern warfare? How is Iran using ‘Shahed’ drones to carry out attacks on Israel and Gulf nations? How can Artificial Intelligence be integrated into defence systems? What impact could this conflict have on the global defence industry? How are Gulf nations looking at their security today?In this edition of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Lt Gen Raj Shukla (Retd.), former General Officer Commanding of the Army Training Command and a noted military strategist, answers these questions and explains the changing nature of modern warfare.00:00 – Coming Up00:30 – Global Impact of Iran War04:18 – U.S. Operation Against Maduro07:14 – U.S. Objectives in Iran10:53 – U.S. Military Strength15:20 – Iran’s Counterattack21:16 – Implications of Iran War22:27 – Iran’s Shahed Drones32:07 – U.S.–Israel Tech Alliance41:34 – India’s Role in Global Tensions46:45 – China’s High-Tech Warfare50:14 – India’s Defence System58:49 – Attack on IRIS Dena1:00:31 – India’s Strategic Partners1:10:12 – Iran’s Strikes on the Gulf1:13:28 – Private Sector in National Security

Kanwal Sibal is a former Foreign Secretary to the Government of India. He has served as India’s Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France and Russia, and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington DC with the personal rank of Ambassador. He was also a member of India’s National Security Advisory Board from 2008 to 2010. With over 41 years of diplomatic experience, he explains geopolitics and foreign affairs from an Indian perspective.In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ambassador Kanwal Sibal explains how the Israel–U.S. war against Iran could deeply hurt India’s interests in the Gulf. He also discusses why Iran could sink any ship in the Strait of Hormuz and why he believes there is “a huge vacuum in global leadership.”He also discusses what India should do in the conflict, the sinking of the IRIS Dena, the objectives of the U.S. and Israel in the war, and what the future of security in the Gulf could look like.00:00 – Introduction00:35 – India’s Stand on the Iran War07:29 – Sinking of IRIS Dena18:12 – PM Modi’s Visit to Israel23:55 – Iran’s Nuclear Program28:15 – War with a “Civilizational State”30:12 – India–U.S. Relations39:42 – Christopher Landau’s Remarks43:45 – Why India Needs the Gulf49:41 – Americans as Partners56:37 – Russia–Ukraine War1:00:21 – France’s Nuclear Umbrella1:02:12 – Which Countries Might Go Nuclear Next?1:07:30 – Importance of the Strait of Hormuz1:11:45 – Targeting Fuel Depots in Iran1:15:05 – Gulf Under Attack1:18:10 – Possible Outcomes of the Iran War1:21:42 – How the Iran War Could Affect India1:25:54 – Global Leadership Crisis

Gautam Gambhir is the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team. Under his leadership, the team has won two major ICC tournaments — the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He is the first Indian head coach to win two ICC trophies. Gambhir is also the most successful Indian cricketers in terms of trophies, both as a player and as a coach.In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he speaks about the T20 World Cup win, social media toxicity, honesty with players, ending the superstar culture in the team and what’s next for him.00:00 - Introduction00:50 - T20 World Cup Victory01:52 - How to Handle Critics04:18 - Handling Social Media Toxicity06:35 - Being a Coach08:23 - Playing in Front of Legends09:30 - Dhoni’s Post for Gambhir & Team10:50 - Fans’ Expectations12:56 - India Tailoring Pitches Allegation14:07 - India’s Power in World Cricket15:19 - Money Power in Cricket16:33 - Hanuman Mandir Visit Controversy18:59 - Backing Sanju Samson19:52 - Beyond Individual Performance21:10 - Superstars in the Team22:30 - Who Offered Head Coach Role?27:03 - Freedom in the Dressing Room29:18 - Expectations from Players32:06 - Who Does Gambhir Listen To?33:34 - Gambhir on Ashwin's Remarks35:25 - Achievements as Head Coach40:02 - Fitness in the Game43:43 - Mental Makeup During Test Matches46:37 - The Role of Family48:44 - Mood in the Dressing Room After Victory49:56 - First Meal After Victory50:20 - Diet Discipline in Cricket51:32 - Planning for the 2027 World Cup51:56 - Does IPL Drain Players?52:47 - What’s Next for Gambhir?53:12 - Will Gambhir Rejoin Politics?

Jon Finer is an international affairs expert and former Principal Deputy National Security Adviser to Jake Sullivan during the presidency of Joe Biden. Before that, he served in the White House under Barack Obama as a White House Fellow, working in the office of the Chief of Staff and the National Security Council. Finer was a foreign and national correspondent for The Washington Post. He reported from more than 20 countries around the world. He also co-hosts “The Long Game,” a weekly national security podcast with Jake Sullivan. In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Jon Finer discusses the U.S.–Israel military action against Iran and its strategic implications. He says Donald Trump is creating ambiguity about the real objective of the conflict. According to him, “A U.S. win is unclear and politically difficult to define.” He adds that China is supporting Iran rhetorically, but not militarily. He also warns that this conflict could accelerate global nuclear proliferation. Finer also speaks about India–U.S. ties and America’s growing closeness with Pakistan.00:00 – Introduction01:18 – Regime Change in Iran04:30 – U.S. Objectives in Iran War07:36 – Gulf Nations Under Attack14:18 – China Helping Iran in War?16:39 – U.S.–Iran Nuclear Talks18:35 – Trump’s War Powers23:04 – U.S. Nuclear Umbrella27:23 – U.S.–Pakistan Relations33:52 – U.S.–India Ties37:13 – Serving Under Obama & Biden41:27 – China’s Limited Global Alliances47:54 – How U.S. Media Portrays India52:51 – Jeffrey Sachs’ Claims on Jake Sullivan

Dr. Swasti Rao is a geopolitics and defence expert, commentator, and author. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Jindal School of International Studies and a Consulting Editor for Strategic and International Affairs at ThePrint. She explains key geopolitical and security issues from an Indian perspective.In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, she discusses what could happen to Iran after Ayatollah Khamenei’s death and how the security structure of Gulf nations might change. She describes Donald Trump as the only U.S. President to have gone this far in supporting Israel, and explains what another war could mean for the Middle East. She also talks about the impact on global oil supplies and what is at stake for India.00:00 – Introduction02:05 – The Middle East War03:51 – Gulf Nations Under Attack09:09 – Israel’s Objectives in Iran12:24 – US–Israel Targeting Strategy16:12 – Did U.S. Abandon GCC Bases?24:01 – IRGC’s Command Structure29:48 – Iran’s War Mindset35:27 – Impact of Khamenei’s Death37:22 – GCC in Shock After Attacks?41:57 – What Do Saudi Arabia & Israel Want?44:41 – Iran–Turkey Ties: What’s Next?46:29 – Pakistan’s Role55:33 – The Modi–Netanyahu Meeting59:00 – Evacuation Plans & Economic Impact on India1:07:53 – The Roles of China and Russia1:18:57 – How Long Could This War Last?