ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

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

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 – Introduction
02:05 – The Middle East War
03:51 – Gulf Nations Under Attack
09:09 – Israel’s Objectives in Iran
12:24 – US–Israel Targeting Strategy
16:12 – Did U.S. Abandon GCC Bases?
24:01 – IRGC’s Command Structure
29:48 – Iran’s War Mindset
35:27 – Impact of Khamenei’s Death
37:22 – 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 Role
55:33 – The Modi–Netanyahu Meeting
59:00 – Evacuation Plans & Economic Impact on India
1:07:53 – The Roles of China and Russia
1:18:57 – How Long Could This War Last?

Ashish Chauhan is the MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE). A technocrat from IIT Bombay and IIM Calcutta, he was part of the founding team that built the NSE. He is credited with bringing several key innovations to India’s stock market. He also served as the MD and CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange for 10 years.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he speaks about the much-awaited NSE IPO, how the exchange handles cyberattacks, and how the NSE powers India’s stock market. He advises investors to stay away from social media “tips,” shares his views on India’s options market, and discusses the future of de-dollarisation and India’s growing number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

00:00 – Introduction
00:42 – What Does NSE Do?
06:35 – How NSE Earns Revenue
09:16 – How NSE Powers India’s Stock Market
15:18 – Regulations in Capital Markets
20:02 – NSE IPO Coming Soon?
27:56 – NSE Co-Location Scam
33:12 – 1992 Harshad Mehta Scam
39:23 – India’s Options Market
44:55 – NSE’s Investor Awareness Initiatives
47:29 – Why India Bans Prediction Markets
50:45 – How NSE Survives Cyberattacks
57:29 – Challenges as NSE MD
1:02:09 – Future of De-Dollarisation
1:06:55 – India’s FTAs
1:16:04 – Modinomics vs Manmohanomics
1:23:42 – NSE’s Vision for Viksit Bharat 2047