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.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:53 – West Asia War Overview

05:47 – Decision-Making in War

09:18 – India’s Stand on Iran War

12:16 – LPG Supply Crisis

17:52 – Gulf Nations Under Attack

19:55 – Warfare Strategies

27:41 – Pakistan as Mediator in Iran War

36:26 – Should India Mediate Iran War?

38:44 – Iran’s Global Position

42:26 – China & Russia's stand

58:38 – India’s Strategic Silence

1:04:45 – Can India Build AI Without U.S.?

1:08:57 – Did India Misread Iran Situation?

1:11:29 – 2008 Mumbai Attacks

1:22:45 – 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

Swaminathan Gurumurthy is the editor of the Tamil political weekly Thuglak. An auditor by training and an ideologue by conviction, he has spent decades at the intersection of economics, politics and civilisational debate. From his investigations into corporate power in the 1980s involving Reliance Industries to his critique of globalisation and role in shaping the intellectual ecosystem of the RSS, he has remained an influential and outspoken voice in India’s public life.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he discusses the DMK-Congress alliance, actor Vijay, Sanatana Dharma, Tamil Nadu politics and RSS.

Gurumurthy outlines the structural and ideological challenges the BJP faces in Tamil Nadu, shaped by decades of Dravidian politics and alliance-driven electoral dynamics.

He also speaks candidly about Ramnath Goenka, Dhirubhai Ambani, Indira Gandhi-era politics and his clashes with corporate power in India.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction

02:14 - Dravidian Politics

14:43 - DMK-Congress Alliance

21:25 - Can Vijay Challenge DMK?

25:42 - Tamil Nadu’s Cultural Ethos

33:56 - Electoral Shifts in Tamil Nadu

40:43 - BJP’s Challenge in Tamil Nadu

48:05 - Tamil Cultural Media

51:46 - Anti-Hindu Politics in Tamil Nadu

55:58 - Story Behind ‘Guru’ Movie

58:51 - Ties with Ramnath Goenka

1:08:20 - Dhirubhai Ambani Investigations

1:10:35 - Advisory Role in Corporate Family Disputes

1:17:12 - Political Engagement Across Parties

1:24:28 - Congress’s Leadership Crisis

1:32:58 - West Asia Conflict

1:39:33 - BJP’s Outreach to Minorities

1:49:03 - Views on the Gandhi Family

1:54:21 - BJP-RSS Coordination

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.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

00:52 – Who’s Winning Iran War?

05:36 – Future of Iranian Regime

08:32 – Will U.S. Deploy Troops to Iran?

11:28 – Strait of Hormuz Blockade

14:51 – Future of Alliances in West Asia

19:57 – Will Gulf Nations Attack Iran?

23:00 – Russia & China on Iran War

24:10 – Trump Delays Beijing Visit

25:21 – Did Trump Miscalculate Iran?

30:46 – Biden or Clinton: Response to Iran War

32:35 – Will Iran Surrender?

34:28 – Trump Opening New War Fronts?

37:30 – If Iran Survives, Who Wins?

40:38 – Saudi-Pakistan Ties

44:17 – Do Americans Support Iran War?

49:46 – Iran’s Missile Capacity

52:41 – Did Biden Give $6 Billion to Iran?

55:48 – Iran’s Nuclear Program

58:21 – India’s Stand on Iran War

1:00:39 – 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 Up

00:30 – Global Impact of Iran War

04:18 – U.S. Operation Against Maduro

07:14 – U.S. Objectives in Iran

10:53 – U.S. Military Strength

15:20 – Iran’s Counterattack

21:16 – Implications of Iran War

22:27 – Iran’s Shahed Drones

32:07 – U.S.–Israel Tech Alliance

41:34 – India’s Role in Global Tensions

46:45 – China’s High-Tech Warfare

50:14 – India’s Defence System

58:49 – Attack on IRIS Dena

1:00:31 – India’s Strategic Partners

1:10:12 – Iran’s Strikes on the Gulf

1:13:28 – 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 – Introduction

00:35 – India’s Stand on the Iran War

07:29 – Sinking of IRIS Dena

18:12 – PM Modi’s Visit to Israel

23:55 – Iran’s Nuclear Program

28:15 – War with a “Civilizational State”

30:12 – India–U.S. Relations

39:42 – Christopher Landau’s Remarks

43:45 – Why India Needs the Gulf

49:41 – Americans as Partners

56:37 – Russia–Ukraine War

1:00:21 – France’s Nuclear Umbrella

1:02:12 – Which Countries Might Go Nuclear Next?

1:07:30 – Importance of the Strait of Hormuz

1:11:45 – Targeting Fuel Depots in Iran

1:15:05 – Gulf Under Attack

1:18:10 – Possible Outcomes of the Iran War

1:21:42 – How the Iran War Could Affect India

1:25:54 – 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 - Introduction

00:50 - T20 World Cup Victory

01:52 - How to Handle Critics

04:18 - Handling Social Media Toxicity

06:35 - Being a Coach

08:23 - Playing in Front of Legends

09:30 - Dhoni’s Post for Gambhir & Team

10:50 - Fans’ Expectations

12:56 - India Tailoring Pitches Allegation

14:07 - India’s Power in World Cricket

15:19 - Money Power in Cricket

16:33 - Hanuman Mandir Visit Controversy

18:59 - Backing Sanju Samson

19:52 - Beyond Individual Performance

21:10 - Superstars in the Team

22:30 - Who Offered Head Coach Role?

27:03 - Freedom in the Dressing Room

29:18 - Expectations from Players

32:06 - Who Does Gambhir Listen To?

33:34 - Gambhir on Ashwin's Remarks

35:25 - Achievements as Head Coach

40:02 - Fitness in the Game

43:43 - Mental Makeup During Test Matches

46:37 - The Role of Family

48:44 - Mood in the Dressing Room After Victory

49:56 - First Meal After Victory

50:20 - Diet Discipline in Cricket

51:32 - Planning for the 2027 World Cup

51:56 - 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 – Introduction

01:18 – Regime Change in Iran

04:30 – U.S. Objectives in Iran War

07:36 – Gulf Nations Under Attack

14:18 – China Helping Iran in War?

16:39 – U.S.–Iran Nuclear Talks

18:35 – Trump’s War Powers

23:04 – U.S. Nuclear Umbrella

27:23 – U.S.–Pakistan Relations

33:52 – U.S.–India Ties

37:13 – Serving Under Obama & Biden

41:27 – China’s Limited Global Alliances

47:54 – How U.S. Media Portrays India

52:51 – Jeffrey Sachs’ Claims on Jake Sullivan