Vaad

Jagdish Kaur Sandhu is a civilian recipient of the Shaurya Chakra, awarded for her exceptional bravery alongside her husband, Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu (Shaurya Chakra), brother-in-law Ranjit Singh, and sister-in-law. Based in Bhikhiwind (Tarn Taran, Punjab), the Sandhu family stood as an unyielding bulwark against terrorism throughout the 1980s and 1990s, surviving over 40 armed attacks and fierce sieges by Khalistani terror outfits. In October 2020, Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu was martyred after his security was abruptly withdrawn, and Jagdish Kaur continues to fight relentlessly for justice, truth, and national integration.

Ranju Aery Dadhwal is an author, researcher, and independent journalist who has documented the socio-political history and human cost of the Punjab militancy era. Through extensive ground research, oral histories, and documentation—most notably in her book RED CARD —she sheds light on the lived experiences, massacres, and long-standing struggles of victims and displaced families from the 1980s and 1990s.

Harpreet Walia is an Indian globetrotter with roots tracing back to undivided Punjab. Having traveled across Pakistan twice—visiting Lahore, Gujranwala, and beyond—he shares raw, eye-opening accounts of ground realities, unexpected encounters with intelligence networks, and what everyday life across the border truly looks like beyond official narratives.

Colonel Rajesh Pawar (retd) is a former officer of the Indian Army and is now a seasoned war correspondent and defense journalist for India Today. He is best known for his fearless ground reporting from some of the most volatile conflict zones in recent history.His expertise lies in global geopolitics, modern warfare tactics, and defense strategy. Most notably, he provided extensive on-ground coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, reporting live from Kyiv even as the city was under siege.More recently, he has covered the Israel-Hamas war, reporting from locations like Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea to analyze the conflict's military and human impact. His work often focuses on the intersection of military action and its geopolitical ripple effects, making him a critical voice for understanding how global conflicts impact India's strategic interests.

Manish Bhatnagar, a former Major in the Indian Army, is widely known for being the first officer to report the initial Pakistani intrusions during the Kargil War in 1999. Despite his early warnings, the intelligence was overlooked by the higher command, leading to significant consequences. Major Bhatnagar has since become a vocal advocate for accountability and transparency within the military, especially concerning the lapses during the Kargil conflict. His experiences and insights offer a compelling perspective on the challenges and responsibilities faced by those in uniform.Shubham Sharma is a researcher on Indian Military History and Warfare.

Bank details of Sukhwinder Singh Ji:UPI ID: Sukhwinderdayalsingh@axisbankName - Sukhwinder singhBank - Axis bankA/C no - 925010014248741Ifsc code - UTIB0002804Name - Sukhwinder singhBank - PNB Kapurthala branchA/c no - 3492000110276098Ifsc code - Punb0349200 Sukhwinder Singh, also known as Dayal Singh or Kaka, is a significant figure in the history of Khalistani militancy in Punjab. Born into a turbulent era marked by the rise of separatist movements, Sukhwinder witnessed firsthand the violence and chaos that engulfed Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s.Sukhwinder was born in Punjab and grew up in a region deeply affected by the Khalistani movement, which sought to establish a separate Sikh state. His early experiences shaped his understanding of the socio-political landscape, leading him to become involved in counter-terrorism efforts.Sukhwinder was wrongly labelled as an “A” category terrorist by the Punjab government. He experienced both sides of the conflict—being targeted by Khalistani groups while also…

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College. Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn’t, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh. Hindi translation of Verma's books on 1962 and 1965 wars are now also out.His recent publications were Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.…

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College. Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn’t, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh. Hindi translation of Verma's books on 1962 and 1965 wars are now also out.His recent publications were Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.…

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College. Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn’t, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh. Hindi translation of Verma's books on 1962 and 1965 wars are now also out.His recent publications were Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.…

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College. Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn’t, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh. Hindi translation of Verma's books on 1962 and 1965 wars are now also out.His recent publications were Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.…

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College. Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn’t, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh. Hindi translation of Verma's books on 1962 and 1965 wars are now also out.His recent publications were Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.…

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College. Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn’t, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh. Hindi translation of Verma's books on 1962 and 1965 wars are now also out.His recent publications were Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.…

Vikram Jit Singh is a distinguished journalist and columnist. With a career spanning several decades, he has gained recognition for his in-depth reporting and analysis on defense and security issues.Singh served as a war correspondent, notably covering the Kargil War and counter-terrorism operations in Kashmir from 1997 to 1999 and again in 2004. His frontline experiences during these conflicts have provided him with unique insights into military operations and the challenges faced by the Indian armed forces.In addition to his written work, Singh is a TV analyst specializing in defense, where he offers expert commentary and analysis on current military and security affairs.His book 'Flowers on a Kargil Cliff' is an excellent account of the Kargil war from the perspective of a war correspondent.

Anchit Gupta is an aviation historian, researcher and the founder of IAFHistory.in, a digital archive dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of the Indian Air Force. An Air Force “brat” who grew up in an Air Force family, Gupta has spent years researching archival records, veterans’ accounts, photographs and official documents to uncover forgotten stories of India’s military aviation history.Professionally, he is an investment professional and Managing Director at Samara Capital, and is an alumnus of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is the author of RAF India to Vayu Bhawan: The History of Air Headquarters and has contributed research to documentaries and official IAF publications. His work on IAF history has also earned him commendations from senior Indian Air Force leadership.

If you want to join Amit Sangwan's courses, just send a Whatsapp VAAD25 to 9289886158 and get 25% discount.Amit Sangwan is a Gurgaon-based content creator, private investor, astrologer, marital-counsellor and real estate consultant whose straight-talk videos have made him a familiar face across India’s YouTube landscape. Branding himself the “No. 1 Clarity Giver,” he runs a cluster of channels—Sango Life Sutras, Clarity for Youth, Guruji from Gurugram, Sango Real Estate and Sango Saral Jyotish—that blend advice on career strategy, relationships, property investing, and Indian philosophy.Sangwan’s mantra—“people need clarity, not motivation”—underpins his candid, sometimes controversial takes on trending national issues and personal finance. Offline, he conducts real-estate webinars, one-to-one counseling sessions and youth workshops. He is best known for delivering actionable frameworks that help them think clearly, act decisively and live intentionally.In this episode, we dive deep into the silent crisis…

If you want to join Amit Sangwan's courses, just send a Whatsapp VAAD25 to 9289886158 and get 25% discount.Amit Sangwan is a Gurgaon-based content creator, private investor, astrologer, marital-counsellor and real estate consultant whose straight-talk videos have made him a familiar face across India’s YouTube landscape. Branding himself the “No. 1 Clarity Giver,” he runs a cluster of channels—Sango Life Sutras, Clarity for Youth, Guruji from Gurugram, Sango Real Estate and Sango Saral Jyotish—that blend advice on career strategy, relationships, property investing, and Indian philosophy.Sangwan’s mantra—“people need clarity, not motivation”—underpins his candid, sometimes controversial takes on trending national issues and personal finance. Offline, he conducts real-estate webinars, one-to-one counseling sessions and youth workshops. He is best known for delivering actionable frameworks that help them think clearly, act decisively and live intentionally.In this episode, we dive deep into the silent crisis…

Avtar Singh is a Nihang Sikh, associated with the Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal under the leadership of Akali Baba Maan Singh Ji 96 Crori. His passion lies in delving into the deeper, unaltered history of Sikhism. Through his research, he aims to bring forward the historical reality of Sikhi’s alignment with Sanatan Dharma, challenging modern narratives established by institutions like the SGPC and other such groups.

Prasanna Tantri is an Associate Professor in the Finance area and Executive Director of the Centre for Analytical Finance at ISB. His research areas include- banking, financial inclusion, financial contagion, regulation, and the relationship between politics and finance. He teaches a course on Indian financial systems.

Adarsh Pandit is a graduate from IIT Delhi. He is a political strategist.

In this video, we dissect the frustrations of India's middle-class taxpayers. Despite footing a massive portion of the nation's bills, taxpayers receive almost nothing in return regarding healthcare, education, or social security. We explore why the "crab mentality" punishes high earners and propose a comprehensive, points-based "Kar Yogdaan Credit" system to reward taxpayers with real, tangible benefits and incentivize tax compliance.

Kuljinder Dhillon is a common man from Majha region in Punjab. Like tens of thousands of youth, he also got swept away by the Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale-led Khalistan movement in late 1970s and early 1980s. He was inside the Golden Temple when the Indian Army launched a military operation codenamed 'Blue Star' to take control of the holy complex back from Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was using the Sikhism's holiest site as a launchpad for his terrorism and anti-India activities.Kuljinder Dhillon actively participated in the battle with Indian army on 4th & 5th June 1984. He was arrested later from the Golden Temple but managed to flee from a hospital where he was referred to for treating injuries inflicted by a grenade attack. He later fled to Pakistan in search of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, believing like lakhs of other Sikhs that 'Sant' was hiding in Pakistan.Kuljinder Dhillon later got involved in smuggling activities across the border but was caught few years later. Ultimately, he got disillusioned…

Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned, finally!

Puneet Sahani is an independent researcher and commentator known for his work on Sikh history, identity, and the intersection of religion and politics in South Asia. He is particularly recognized for his critical perspectives on the evolution of Sikh identity and the Khalistan movement.

Jay Vardhan Singh is currently doing his PhD in Ancient Indian History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. His area of interest includes the Ancient and early medieval history of the Indian subcontinent.Follow Jay’s YouTube channel (English): @JayVardhanSingh ; Hindi: @ThestoryofIndia

Dinkar P. Srivastava joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1978. He has served in Karachi in the early 90s. Also served in the Middle East, Washington, Brussels and Tehran.In 1993-94, as Director (UNP), he was part of successful Indian lobbying efforts against four Pakistani attempts to have resolutions on J&K adopted in UN General Assembly and UN Commission on Human Rights. He was involved in the drafting of National Human Rights Commission statute. As Joint Secretary (UNP), he participated in Indian lobbying efforts to contain the diplomatic fallout of the Pokhran II nuclear tests and prevent the internationalization of the J&K issue during the Kargil war (1999).He dealt with Indian candidature for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, UN Peace-keeping and Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. He was a member of the Indian delegations to the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, and the International Court of Justice in the case of Aerial Incident of 1999 (Pakistan v. India).…

Colonel Rajesh Pawar (retd) is a former officer of the Indian Army and is now a seasoned war correspondent and defense journalist for India Today. He is best known for his fearless ground reporting from some of the most volatile conflict zones in recent history.His expertise lies in global geopolitics, modern warfare tactics, and defense strategy. Most notably, he provided extensive on-ground coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, reporting live from Kyiv even as the city was under siege.More recently, he has covered the Israel-Hamas war, reporting from locations like Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea to analyze the conflict's military and human impact. His work often focuses on the intersection of military action and its geopolitical ripple effects, making him a critical voice for understanding how global conflicts impact India's strategic interests.

Colonel Yogander Singh is a retired Indian Army officer and military historian, with special focus on Haryana. He has written several books, most prominent among them being 'Hal Wa Samshir: Politico-Military History of Haryana', Future Ready Indian Army and 'Effective Deterrence: Thoughts on India's Security Policy and Structures in the Twenty-first Century'.

Dr Abhinav Pandya, a Cornell University graduate in public affairs and a bachelor's from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, is a founder and CEO of Usanas Foundation, an India-based foreign policy and security think tank. He has authored books named 'Radicalization in India: An Exploration (2019)' and 'Terror Financing in Kashmir (2023)'.He had previously advised the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir on security issues during the critical times when Kashmir's special status, Article 370, was revoked.He has written extensively for several national and international newspapers, and worked with the International Labour Organization, the United Nations.His latest book is 'The Jihad Game: Inside Pakistan's dark war'

Dr Ramesh Chandra Sinha is a 1962-batch IAS officer whose six-decade career produced some of the most consequential infrastructure projects in modern India.As Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) under PWD Minister Nitin Gadkari, he built India's first world-class expressway — the 95-km Mumbai-Pune Expressway — completing it in 36 months at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, which was Rs 50 crore below the MSRDC's own estimate and roughly half of Reliance's competing bid that came with 78 concessions. He raised Rs 2,400 crore from the open market through non-convertible debentures on an equity base of just Rs 5 crore, creating a financing model that other states later sought to replicate.Alongside the Expressway, he delivered 50-plus flyovers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region with an average construction time of around 30 months, along with numerous rail over-bridges and town bypasses.Earlier, as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CIDCO under Chief…

Vishal Bhargava is one of India's most independent voices on real estate — a journalist and analyst who has tracked the sector for nearly two decades from inside both finance and media. He began his career on the institutional side, with stints at CLSA India and Bank of America, before moving to financial journalism at The Economic Times and ET NOW.Today he writes regular columns on real estate, and runs BHK-Voice, his independent platform that has become required reading for serious homebuyers, builders, and policy-watchers. He is based in Mumbai and applies the discipline of an equity analyst to a sector that has historically resisted scrutiny - pricing builders the way one would price stocks, and reading projects through their lenders, their balance sheets, and their political backers.His writing and commentary are known for being unusually plain-spoken in an industry built on spin: he has called Mumbai's market "Lower Parelised," predicted Gurgaon's coming correction long before consensus, and coined the…

Dr Abhinav Pandya, a Cornell University graduate in public affairs and a bachelor's from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, is a founder and CEO of Usanas Foundation, an India-based foreign policy and security think tank. He has authored books named 'Radicalization in India: An Exploration (2019)' and 'Terror Financing in Kashmir (2023)'.He had previously advised the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir on security issues during the critical times when Kashmir's special status, Article 370, was revoked.He has written extensively for several national and international newspapers, and worked with the International Labour Organization, the United Nations.His latest book is 'The Jihad Game: Inside Pakistan's dark war'

Nityānanda Miśra is a Mumbai-based finance professional in the investment banking industry. He specialises in quantitative finance, equity market microstructure, algorithmic trading, and execution consulting. He is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore (2007) and a gold medalist from Gujarat University (2004).Nityānanda is a multifaceted personality—a Sanskrit scholar, a polyglot, a grammarian, a littérateur, an instrumentalist, a musicologist, a researcher, an editor, an author, and a book designer. He has authored thirteen books, including several bestsellers. He is also a professional onomastician, specialising in Sanskrit names.Nityānanda is passionate about Indic culture, literature, music, and arts. He runs a popular YouTube channel, which produces content on these topics.

Our guest today is the journalist Anirudhya Mitra. In May 1991, when a former Prime Minister of India was assassinated at Sriperumbudur, Mitra was a young reporter who had joined India Today magazine barely a month earlier. Over the next ninety days, he covered the hunt for Rajiv Gandhi's killers from closer than almost any other journalist in the country — his investigative stories became known as the "inside story" of the assassination. That reporting also made him a target: he was followed, threatened, and publicly branded a CBI agent by both the DMK and the LTTE chief Prabhakaran himself. For thirty years he carried facts he could not put in print. In 2022, he finally wrote them down — in the book that is the subject of today's conversation, Ninety Days: The True Story of the Hunt for Rajiv Gandhi's Assassins.

Dr Anil Kakodkar is one of the senior-most living architects of India's atomic energy programme and a Padma Vibhushan awardee. He joined the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1964. He served as Director of BARC from 1996 to 2000 and as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy, from 2000 to 2009.He was among the small group of scientists at Pokhran for India's first nuclear test — Smiling Buddha — on 18 May 1974, and played a central role a quarter-century later in the five Pokhran-II nuclear tests in May 1998 that established India as a declared nuclear weapons state.As a working engineer through the long sanctions era, he designed and built the Dhruva research reactor entirely indigenously, led the development of pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) systems that today form the backbone of India's civilian fleet, and rehabilitated Units 1 and 2 of the Madras Atomic Power Station after the 1989 failure of their moderator inlet manifolds — both reactors had been on…

Dr. Chaitanya Giri is a distinguished space scientist, astrochemist, and technology strategy analyst whose expertise bridges planetary science, space policy, and astropolitics. He serves as a Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation's (ORF) Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology and is an Associate Professor at FLAME University.Dr. Giri holds a Ph.D. in Astrochemistry from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. His scientific career includes significant tenures at the Earth-Life Science Institute at Tokyo Institute of Technology, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Carnegie Institution for Science. Notably, he was a co-investigator for the COSAC payload on the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, which made groundbreaking discoveries on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Beyond his scientific research, Dr. Giri is deeply involved in science diplomacy and policy, having consulted for India's National Security Council Secretariat and…

Zahack Tanvir is a Hyderabad-born independent journalist, counter-extremism expert, and the founder and editor of the UK-based media outlet Milli Chronicle. He specializes in international affairs and counter-terrorism, having completed academic programs in these fields at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands and the London School of Journalism.His educational background is diverse, also comprising an engineering degree in Computer Science from Osmania University, a post-graduate diploma in AI and Machine Learning from IIIT India, and a Master’s in AI-ML from Liverpool John Moores University.Tanvir identifies as a traditional Muslim who is vocally "anti-Islamist," often criticizing extremist ideologies and the political misuse of religion. He lived in Saudi Arabia for 13 years until a significant legal ordeal in late 2023, when he was detained by Saudi authorities following a complaint filed by Pakistan regarding his social media content, which was alleged to be anti-Pakistan. He was released in…

Vaibhav Singh is founder of Defensive Offense and DO News.

Vishnu Som is a prominent, award-winning Indian journalist and news anchor who currently serves as the Executive Editor and Principal Anchor for New Delhi Television (NDTV). Som has built a distinguished career spanning over 28 years in broadcast journalism. He is widely recognized for anchoring prime-time national news broadcasts, including the flagship show "Left, Right and Centre."Som is particularly noted for his extensive frontline reporting on global conflicts, aviation, the environment, and natural disasters. He has reported directly from war zones in Kargil, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Ukraine, and provided on-the-ground coverage of catastrophic events like the 2004 Asian tsunami and the 2011 Japan earthquake.His comprehensive reporting and documentary work have earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award in Journalism, the Commonwealth Broadcasting Award, and several Indian Telly Awards.

Ami Ganatra is a bestselling Indian author and management professional who has built a rare bridge between the corporate world and India's classical knowledge tradition. An alumna of IIM Ahmedabad, she spent over fifteen years in consulting and business management across sectors and geographies before turning her deeper intellectual energies toward the texts that shaped the civilisation she grew up in.Her work is defined not by imaginative retellings but by a strict commitment to the original Sanskrit sources, presenting their insights with a focus on contemporary relevance — a rare discipline in a space crowded with popular mythology. She first made her mark with the Unravelled series — Mahabharata Unravelled and Ramayana Unravelled — which have since been translated into several Indian languages.Her latest book, Why Are We This Way: A Guide to Hindu Shastras is now out (Order your copy here: https://amzn.in/d/07TzUnpz).Beyond her work for adults, she has also authored several children's books including…

Jay Vardhan Singh is currently doing his PhD in Ancient Indian History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. His area of interest includes the Ancient and early medieval history of the Indian subcontinent.

Colonel Rajesh Pawar (retd) is a former officer of the Indian Army and is now a seasoned war correspondent and defense journalist for India Today. He is best known for his fearless ground reporting from some of the most volatile conflict zones in recent history.His expertise lies in global geopolitics, modern warfare tactics, and defense strategy. Most notably, he provided extensive on-ground coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, reporting live from Kyiv even as the city was under siege.More recently, he has covered the Israel-Hamas war, reporting from locations like Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea to analyze the conflict's military and human impact. His work often focuses on the intersection of military action and its geopolitical ripple effects, making him a critical voice for understanding how global conflicts impact India's strategic interests.

Colonel Rajesh Pawar (retd) is a former officer of the Indian Army and is now a seasoned war correspondent and defense journalist for India Today. He is best known for his fearless ground reporting from some of the most volatile conflict zones in recent history.His expertise lies in global geopolitics, modern warfare tactics, and defense strategy. Most notably, he provided extensive on-ground coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war, reporting live from Kyiv even as the city was under siege.More recently, he has covered the Israel-Hamas war, reporting from locations like Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea to analyze the conflict's military and human impact. His work often focuses on the intersection of military action and its geopolitical ripple effects, making him a critical voice for understanding how global conflicts impact India's strategic interests.

Jaideep A. Prabhu is a scholar of diplomatic history and nuclear policy though he has a wide range of scholarly interests from the Classics, ethics, history, law, literature, political philosophy, religion, and security. His regional interests, however, are limited to Western Europe and the Greater Levant. Prabhu has three Masters’ degrees in the humanities despite an engineering background, and has written for several periodicals as well as appeared on national television as an expert commentator.Presently, Prabhu is based in Israel and conducting research at Ben Gurion Research Institute (BGRI) on religion, secularism, and nationalism, making Israel’s early state-building and foreign policy a case study. The research also touches upon a brief comparative analysis of Zionism and the idea of a Jewish state on the one hand with Hindutva and India on the other.Prabhu spends his spare time engaged in martial arts, cooking, flamenco, travelling, and scuba diving; he is also an avid fan of football and tennis.

Nilüfer Koç is an expert on the Middle East and spokeswoman for the Foreign Policy Committee of the Kurdistan National Congress. The child of Kurdish migrant workers, she came to Germany in 1976 and studied political science at Bremen University.Between 2013 and 2019, she worked as co-president of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) and spent most of her time in western and southern Kurdistan. Alongside efforts to achieve national unity, Nilüfer Koç is also active on the international stage to raise awareness of the right to self-determination of the Kurdish people and all the ethnic and religious components of Kurdistan, and is interested in and committed to the active and autonomous participation of women in all areas of society and politics.She has also been an advocate of building vast cultural networks around the Kurdish cause, involving artists, musicians and theatre-makers in the construction of international exchanges, including the artist Jonas Staal, with whom she collaborated on the New World…

Iqbal Chand Malhotra is a distinguished media producer and author known for his work on geopolitical history and strategic affairs. He holds a first-class degree in Economics from Queens' College, University of Cambridge.Media Career: He is the Chairman and Producer of AIM Television Pvt. Ltd. Over his career, he has produced over 500 hours of television programming and served as an advisor on India to media mogul Rupert Murdoch (1993–1995), helping to launch MTV in India.Malhotra has directed several award-winning documentaries, often focusing on historical mysteries and security issues. Notable titles include The Legend of Malerkotla, Netaji Bose and the Lost Treasure, and Kashmir’s Troubled Waters. He is a long-standing member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has served as a juror for the International Emmy Awards.He has written extensively on conflict and strategy. His books include Red Fear: The China Threat and Dark Secrets: Politics, Intrigue and Proxy Wars in Kashmir.…

Dr Abhinav Pandya, a Cornell University graduate in public affairs and a bachelor's from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, is a founder and CEO of Usanas Foundation, an India-based foreign policy and security think tank. He has authored books named 'Radicalization in India: An Exploration (2019)' and 'Terror Financing in Kashmir (2023)'.He had previously advised the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir on security issues during the critical times when Kashmir's special status, Article 370, was revoked.He has written extensively for several national and international newspapers, and worked with the International Labour Organization, the United Nations.His latest book is 'The Jihad Game: Inside Pakistan's dark war'.

Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat (Retd) A seasoned fighter pilot and strategic military thinker, Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat (Retd) brings over 25 years of distinguished service in the military (Indian Air Force) and civil aviation. Commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Dec 1996, after graduating from the National Defence Academy (NDA), he has operated high-performance fighter jets, besides handling various command and staff appointments.He has extensive experience in aerospace operations, force application in support of national security, and planning of complex operations. He is a qualified civil aviation pilot as well and holds type ratings on the Boeing 737, Airbus A320, and Gulfstream G-200. His military tenure was defined by key leadership roles such as Commanding Officer of the IAF Hawk training squadron and Operations staff at HQ Western Air Command. He was nominated for various international courses by the IAF, including- Qualified Flying Instructor with the Royal Air Force (UK), Advanced Air…

Dr. Chaitanya Giri is a distinguished space scientist, astrochemist, and technology strategy analyst whose expertise bridges planetary science, space policy, and astropolitics. He serves as a Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation's (ORF) Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology and is an Associate Professor at FLAME University.Dr. Giri holds a Ph.D. in Astrochemistry from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. His scientific career includes significant tenures at the Earth-Life Science Institute at Tokyo Institute of Technology, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Carnegie Institution for Science. Notably, he was a co-investigator for the COSAC payload on the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, which made groundbreaking discoveries on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Beyond his scientific research, Dr. Giri is deeply involved in science diplomacy and policy, having consulted for India's National Security Council Secretariat and…

Shripal Morakhia is an Indian serial entrepreneur best known for founding the pioneering online retail brokerage Sharekhan and the sports-entertainment venture Smaaash. His career began in the United States, where, after earning his MBA, he served as the Executive Assistant to the President of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).Following the death of his father in 1981, Morakhia returned to India to helm his family's stockbroking business, eventually establishing SSKI, an early institutional brokerage firm serving foreign investors. Beyond finance, Morakhia explored the entertainment industry by launching iDream Productions, through which he produced and distributed notable films like Bend It Like Beckham and Monsoon Wedding, and made his directorial debut with Naina in 2005.In 2012, he partnered with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar to create Smaaash, an innovative indoor gaming and virtual reality center. While his career has been marked by high-profile successes, it has also involved complex business…

Rajarshi Nandy is a a prominent spiritual practitioner (sadhaka) known for his efforts to demystify and revive the ancient traditions of Tantra within the framework of Sanatana Dharma. He is the founder of the Kamakhya Bhairava Upasaka Foundation (KBUF), an organization dedicated to guiding aspirants in spiritual practices. Nandy frequently appears on popular podcasts and public platforms to discuss complex spiritual concepts, aiming to bridge the gap between modern scientific understanding and traditional esoteric wisdom.His latest book is titled "The Truth About Tantra: Structure, Sadhana, Shakti" which seeks to dispel common misconceptions surrounding Tantra—often misunderstood as merely sorcery or sensual rituals—and presents it instead as a disciplined, lived path of awareness and energy.