Geetam Tiwari is an Emeritus Professor at the Transportation Research & Injury Prevention Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. She has over 25 years of experience in transportation planning, road safety, and urban mobility. Her work focuses on safer roads, better footpaths, bicycle infrastructure, and protecting pedestrians.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, she talks about why Indian cities face traffic chaos, unsafe roads, and poor pedestrian facilities. She also discusses what India needs to do to build safer, smarter, and more efficient transport systems.

00:00 – Introduction

02:21 – Rising Road Deaths

08:13 – International Driving Tests

10:03 – Road Safety Rules

11:49 – School Bus Safety

13:38 – Highways & Expressways Design Flaws

17:03 – Audible Road Markers

21:12 – Why Indians Ignore Road Signs

22:05 – Facilities on Expressways & Highways

23:53 – Expressways & Highways for Two-Wheelers

25:41 – Importance of Service Roads

29:07 – Wrong-Side Driving

31:26 – Pedestrians & Cyclists

37:45 – Public Spaces Accessibility

39:13 – Reality of Vendors on Indian Roads

41:38 – Why Foot Overbridges & Underpasses Fail

46:31 – The Pothole Problem

49:58 – Corruption in Road Construction

53:11 – Municipal Corporations and Dug-Up Roads

55:02 – Labourers at Road Construction Sites

58:18 – Road Reality Check Segment

1:04:49 – Building Proper Bicycle Paths

Dr Arvind Gupta is Director of the Vivekananda International Foundation and a former Deputy National Security Advisor of India.

Ambassador Veena Sikri is a former Indian diplomat who served as High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Malaysia, with decades of experience in foreign policy.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, the discussion focuses on how the global power structure is changing and whether institutions like NATO, the Quad, the United Nations, BRICS, and the G20 still remain relevant in today’s world.

The episode also explores India’s foreign policy approach, including strategic autonomy, multi-alignment and the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, as well as Pakistan’s growing diplomatic role and its impact on South Asia.

00:00 – Introduction

02:04 – NATO Crisis

07:15 – Decline of Post-Cold War Order

13:34 – Gulf Countries’ Security Alliances

18:25 – Germany and Japan’s Defence Reset

21:48 – Future of US-China G2

27:09 – Global Sea Route Security

30:47 – India’s Balancing Act in West Asia

35:25 – Pakistan as Mediator Between the US and Iran

39:34 – Can SAARC Be Revived?

43:36 – India, Pakistan & Narrative War

52:47 – India-Bangladesh Ties

55:44 – India’s Strategic Role in BRICS

1:02:13 – ‘Vishwamitra’ Doctrine Under PM Modi

1:05:08 – India’s Geopolitical Challenges

1:09:08 – Regionalisation & Global Power Shifts

The much-awaited episode of The ‘Real’ Samosa Caucus – Edition 8.0 is here, packed with raw, uncensored, and no-holds-barred conversations.

Joining the panel are:

Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow at ORF

Tehseen Poonawalla, TV personality and political analyst

Anand Ranganathan, author and scientist

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, Senior Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

This episode discusses the recently conducted Assembly polls in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam; the Iran war; the Trump phenomenon; Pakistan’s stature after the war.

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