ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

Monika Halan is a finance writer, speaker, and author who helps families make better money decisions. She is the founder of Dhan Chakra Financial Education and the author of the best-selling book Let’s Talk Money. She also serves as the Chairperson of SEBI’s Advisory Committee for the Investor Protection and Education Fund.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Halan explains why investors often panic during situations like the Iran war. She says the key is to have a clear asset allocation and not enter the markets without proper understanding or research.

She also highlights the importance of energy and food security for India. She advocates that India has enough coal reserves for the next 100 years and should use them wisely. At the same time, she points out that India cannot be expected to follow the same climate standards as developed countries with much higher incomes.

00:00 – Coming Up
00:00 – Introduction
01:03 – Investor Anxiety Over Iran War
07:41 – Asset Allocation Strategies
14:15 – Where to Invest Amid War?
19:11 – India’s Fiscal & Monetary Safety Nets
25:11 – Financial Influencers
30:30 – Home Loans & Emergency Funds
34:12 – Financial Planning for Children’s Education
40:11 – Behavioural Traps in Investing
43:58 – Portfolio Management Tips
50:30 – India’s Reform Priorities
58:16 – AI and Financial Literacy

Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor (Retd) has served as the Director General (Inspection and Safety) of the Indian Air Force. He has also held the position of Commandant at both the Air Force Academy and the National Defence Academy. With over 7,800 hours of incident-free flying on various trainer, transport, and strategic aircraft, he is considered one of the stalwarts of Aerial Refuelling Operations in the Indian Air Force. He has also flown the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor explains how modern warfare in West Asia is driven by air power, missiles and drones, and how Iran’s air defence has challenged U.S. and Israeli air superiority.

He also highlights that China’s J-20 stealth fighters in Tibet pose a serious challenge and India must develop strong fifth-generation capabilities, while also pointing out that India’s indigenous satellite navigation system needs to be strengthened further.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Introduction
01:16 – Iranian Air Defence Response
05:47 – Iran’s Decentralised Command Structure
09:57 – Iran’s Underground Missile Bases
18:05 – Limits of Modern Interceptor Systems
23:13 – Multi-Domain Warfare
29:20 – US Aircraft Losses
31:54 – India’s Satellite and Navigation Capability Gap
43:53 – Role of Theatre Commands
47:46 – Global Energy Supply Chains
50:56 – Indigenous Defence R&D
54:56 – Jamming and Spoofing
57:42 – Rafale Source Code Access Debate

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 – Introduction
00:46 – US & Israel’s Objectives in Iran
05:08 – Role of Intelligence in Wars
06:50 – India’s Approach to Iran War
07:49 – ‘PRAHAAR’ Counter-Terror Policy
13:48 – Interstate Coordination
16:31 – State Police Forces
20:39 – De-radicalisation in India
29:12 – Naxal Networks
32:27 – How Criminal Networks Support Terror
34:28 – Can Police Tackle Tech-Driven Terror?
40:00 – Surveillance and Apps in Modern Warfare
45:57 – Tackling Sleeper Cells
48:58 – Training Citizens to Recognise Terror
52:24 – Role of the NSG
56:41 – How the CBI Investigates Cases
1:00:09 – Reality of OTT Series
1:02:27 – Police Mental Health & Physical Fitness
1:05:09 – 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.

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