Meera Shankar is India's former Ambassador to the United States and Germany. She has decades of diplomatic experience and a deep understanding of India's relations with major world powers.
Dr Zorawar Daulet Singh is a foreign policy analyst, historian and author whose work focuses on India's foreign policy, the balance of power in Asia and the changing world order.
In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Meera Shankar and Zorawar Daulet Singh discuss India-US relations, Trump's foreign policy, trade tensions and allegations of American interference in Indian politics. They also talk about the Iran war, India's relations with China and Russia, the H-1B visa debate and the challenges India faces in making its own foreign policy decisions in a changing world.

*Timestamps*
0:00 – Introduction
2:11 – How Does America See India?
8:19 – Why Trump Targets India
11:20 – US Pressure on India’s Politics
17:49 – India’s Dependence on the US
20:57 – Elon Musk, Ambani, Polymarket
22:54 – India–US Trade Deal
24:53 – America During the Obama Years
25:44 – Trump & American Diplomacy
26:44 – India’s Brain Drain
30:40 – H-1B Crackdown
33:01 – West Asia Security Outlook
37:41 – China’s Confrontation with the US
42:00 – How Iran Surprised the World
48:36 – India’s Strategic Autonomy
52:27 – Jaishankar on India–China Tensions
55:33 – Future India–China Ties
1:02:21 – Europe’s Energy Crisis
1:04:15 – Can BRICS Challenge the US-Led Order?
1:06:31 – Dollar, Sanctions & Financial Systems
1:11:44 – Marco Rubio’s India Visit
1:16:21 – India’s Leverage over American Tech Giants
1:21:08 – India’s Own Digital Infrastructure
1:23:01 – Future of India–US Ties
1:26:34 – India’s Global Leverage
1:29:27 – Indian Foreign Policy
1:32:22 – Trade Corridors & Regional Connectivity
1:32:55 – New World Order
1:35:11 – Closing Remarks

M. Farook Sait is an attorney at law who moved to America from India in 1963, at the age of 23. He served as Special Counsel to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1972 to 2012. Over the past six decades, he has witnessed some of the most defining moments in American history.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Farook Sait discusses his early years in America, his experiences with racism, and the realities of the American Dream. He also talks about the H-1B visa debate and how life in America has changed for the Indian diaspora.

For more information on PILOT's initiatives to support girls' education, visit https://impilot.org/

00:00 – Introduction

01:02 – Moving to the U.S. in 1963

04:04 – Discrimination in America

08:42 – Studying in Alabama

15:04 – Life in Segregated American South

18:54 – Love Story with Yvette

33:24 – Elvis Presley Fan

39:14 – John F. Kennedy’s Assassination

48:11 – The Watergate Scandal

50:22 – The 9/11 Attacks

54:05 – H-1B Visas

58:29 – Indian American Community

1:01:51 – ANI Documentary on ‘Indian Muslims Abroad’

1:06:32 – Indian Diaspora’s Challenges Abroad

1:14:18 – Memories of Bangalore

1:17:18 – India’s Progress Over the Decades

1:23:07 – A Childhood Story from 1947

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, senior journalists Neerja Chowdhury, Rasheed Kidwai and Nistula Hebbar discuss the BJP’s strategy, the CJP protest, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach, the SIR controversy and the challenges facing the NDA government.
They also examine whether the opposition can turn public anger into votes and what the road ahead looks like for the BJP.*Timestamps*
00:00 – Introduction
01:40 – BJP on Protests
06:36 – NEET vs SIR Protests
12:26 – BJP Losing the Plot?
16:56 – SIR Controversy
19:49 – Indira Gandhi and Protests
22:32 – BJP’s Political Response
23:06 – SIR vs Mandal
25:59 – BJP’s Protest Strategy
29:24 – What Should CEC Do?
30:58 – INDIA Bloc’s Strategy
35:10 – Rahul Gandhi’s Spies Claim
40:34 – Social Media’s Power
42:51 – Rahul Gandhi’s Impact
44:47 – Is BJP Scared?
46:00 – Vote Bank Politics
48:01 – SIR in UP
50:49 – Akhilesh vs Congress
54:30 – Social Media and Voting
55:48 – New Blood in Congress
1:03:34 – Mamata’s National Ambitions
1:09:15 – Owaisi’s Vote Strategy
1:12:21 – Goa Politics
1:14:34 – Punjab Polls 2027
1:17:20 – BJP’s Punjab Strategy
1:24:13 – Rahul Ignoring State Polls?
1:26:29 – BJP Nervous About UP?
1:31:08 – BJP’s Biggest Challenge
1:33:50 – Reshuffle and Modi’s Successor
1:37:16 – Amit Shah as Deputy PM?