ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

In this live session of the ANI Podcast, the guests discuss the lessons India has drawn from the Iran war and the learnings from Operation Sindoor as it completes one year. The conversation explores military readiness, evolving threats, and the role of technology and strategy in shaping India’s defence posture.

Participants

Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow, ORF
Tilak Devasher, Author; Former Member, National Security Advisory Board

Moderators

Smita Prakash, Chief Editor & Deputy CEO, ANI
Naveen Kapoor, National Bureau Chief, ANI

*Timestamps*

00:00 - Introduction
00:34 - Lessons from Operation Sindoor
13:46 - Pakistan’s Close Ties with the USA
25:48 - How Pakistan Handles the Media
31:26 - What Changed in Pak After Op Sindoor?
35:56 - Dhurandar Operations in Pakistan
42:35 - India’s Strategic Autonomy
48:45 - How Pakistanis View Indians
1:00:28 - India’s Reaction to Global Conflicts
1:09:09 - India’s Defence Strategy
1:20:10 - India’s Border Security

Sanjeev Kapoor is one of India’s most well-known chefs, authors and entrepreneurs. From ‘Khana Khazana’ to global restaurants, and from cookbooks to food innovation, he has influenced how India looks at cooking and flavour over the last few decades.
In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Chef talks about how eating habits in India are changing, with busy lifestyles and ready-to-eat meals replacing home-cooked meals.
He also explores India’s food culture, from street food and restaurant experiences to hygiene standards and cloud kitchens. Kapoor shares honest views on overhyped food trends, along with what makes a dish special.

00:00 - Introduction
01:23 - Choosing a Cooking Career
13:43 - Starting the Restaurant Journey
26:10 - Western Cooking vs. Indian Cooking
34:13 - Curating Restaurant Menus
38:38 - Indian Food Plating
42:33 - Curating Airline Menus
56:11 - Cooking in Modern Times
1:01:22 – Restaurant Culture
1:04:26 - Snap Reactions
1:08:16 - Hygiene In Cloud Kitchens
1:22:37 - Indian Food Culture
1:44:02 - Underrated Indian Spices

Vikas Tiwari, also known as Ranu Tiwari, runs the YouTube channel Bastar Talkies. He has helped over 200 Naxals surrender and return to mainstream society. In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he talks about how Naxalism began in Chhattisgarh, the challenges of reporting from Bastar, and the goal set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make India Naxal-free. He was awarded the Rameshwaram Hindi Journalism National Award in December 2025. This is a simple, first-hand account from a journalist reporting directly from the remote areas of Chhattisgarh.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
03:18 – From Truck Driver to YouTuber
11:58 – Dangers in Naxal-Affected Areas
15:34 – Naxalism and Its Causes
22:07 – How Naxals Return to the Mainstream
28:33 – Challenges of Reporting in Naxal Areas
36:41 – Naxals in Bastar: What Has Changed
41:10 – Thulthuli Encounter Explained
44:41 – The Story of Mukesh Chandrakar
50:58 – Why Maoists Resisted Development
56:03 – The Reality of Salwa Judum
58:28 – Life After Maoists’ Surrender
1:00:53 – Youth and Maoist Ideology
1:02:35 – Reporting from Naxal Areas
1:07:22 – Stories from Families of Martyrs
1:14:08 – When Maoists Started Losing Power
1:16:36 – Attack on Congress Leader V.C. Shukla
1:18:35 – Understanding “Urban Naxals”
1:24:10 – Suggestions to Counter “Urban Naxals”
1:27:15 – Reality of Bastar Villages

India’s financial markets are going through a complex global situation, shaped by changing geopolitics and shifts in domestic growth. To help us understand what lies ahead, the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash is joined by one of the most respected voices in the investment world, Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company. He is also a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. With decades of experience across market cycles, he shares valuable insights on the economy, markets, and where investors should consider placing their bets. He also explains what lessons India can learn from the West Asia crisis.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction
00:39 – Role in PM’s Economic Advisory Council
03:49 – India’s GDP Ranking
07:30 – India’s Economic Vulnerability
12:30 – Progress of Banking in India
16:16 – Impact of West Asia Conflict on India
20:41 – How India Can Improve Its GDP
25:22 – US Markets During Iran War
27:44 – India–China Trade Explained
31:07 – Monsoon Impact on Indian Economy
32:30 – Why is Rupee Falling?
37:55 – Role of AI in Indian Economy
41:06 – Investor Trust in Indian Equities
42:37 – IPO Rush in 2025 Explained
44:09 – Buy or Sell in the Stock Market
46:45 – How to Manage Money Better

In this episode of ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, we take a deep dive into Women’s Reservation Constitutional Amendment Bill, which was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026.

Joining the conversation are Varghese K. George, resident editor at The Hindu, and Swapnil Tripathi, lead at Charkha (Centre for Constitutional Law) at Vidhi.

Together, they explain what the bill aimed to do and why linking it with delimitation and census data led to political disagreement.

The discussion also covers concerns over North-South balance, population-based seat redistribution, and parliamentary accountability.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Introduction
01:47 – Political Timing of Women’s Quota Bill
05:38 – Delimitation Debate
11:02 – PM Modi’s Guarantee
17:03 – Impact on South India
20:24 – Chandrababu Naidu’s Stand
25:49 – Furore Over Delimitation
30:55 – Reserved Constituencies in India
35:11 – Population & Tax Contribution
40:28 – Tharoor’s Proposal
49:23 – Political Consensus on Women’s Reservation
52:44 – DMK’s Private Member’s Bill
56:43 – Executive-Centric Governance in Democracies
1:07:19 – Arvind Kejriwal & Mamata Banerjee in Court