Understanding the Deep State | Former R&AW Chief Vikram Sood

More from Bharatvaarta

1. 

   7 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 14 min

   Cold War 2.0 Explained | Velina Tchakarova on Wars, Power & India’s Choices

   The world is entering a phase where crises no longer unfold in isolation — wars, supply chains, energy chokepoints, sanctions, and strategic rivalries are now tightly connected inside a rapidly accelerating global power transition.In this wide-ranging conversation, Velina Tchakarova joins Bharatvaarta to explain why we are now living through what she calls Cold War 2.0 — a far more complex confrontation than the first Cold War, shaped not just by military blocs but by technology, finance, energy systems, and strategic interdependence.  We unpack why the United States–China rivalry now…

2. 

   30 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

   India’s Hardest Choices in 2026 | Abhijit Chavda

   India is entering a decade where its biggest challenges will not come from visible enemies alone — but from the choices it makes under pressure in a rapidly fragmenting world order. In this wide-ranging and rigorous conversation, Abhijit Chavda joins Bharatvaarta to examine the hard geopolitical decisions India faces today — from energy security and strategic autonomy to American pressure, global trade realignments, and the limits of the so-called “rules-based order.” We unpack why India’s purchase of Russian energy is not just an economic decision but a sovereignty test, how sanctions and…

3. 

   23 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 28 min

   Hitler: The Proclaimed Messiah of the Palestinian Cause | Aabhas Malhadiyar

   History is often presented as settled, resolved, and safely contained in textbooks. But the reality is far messier — shaped by ideology, selective memory, and the narratives societies choose to preserve or suppress. In this wide-ranging and deeply challenging conversation, Aabhas Malhadiyar examines the Holocaust not as an isolated European event, but as part of a much larger ideological and political story that continues to echo into the present. Drawing from historical research and archival material, Aabhas Malhadiyar walks us through the roots of Jewish persecution, the ideological…

4. 

   8 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

   Deregulation, Civil Service Reform & India’s Growth Story | Manish Sabharwal

   ⚔️ Manish Sabharwal — Why India Isn’t Creating Jobs, Regulatory Cholesterol & Fixing the Administrative State 🇮🇳📉 India doesn’t lack land. It doesn’t lack capital. And it certainly doesn’t lack labour. So why isn’t it combining into prosperity the way it did in China? In this sharp, no-nonsense conversation, Manish Sabharwal explains why India’s real bottleneck is not infrastructure or skills — but a regulatory mindset that treats innovation as “prohibited till permitted.” We unpack why 1991 was necessary but incomplete, how regulatory cholesterol suffocates entrepreneurship, why…

5. 

   20 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 53 min

   Inside the RSS: How the Sangh Shapes Policy & Politics in Modern India | Sachin Nandha

   ⚔️ Sachin Nandha — Inside the RSS, Rashtra vs Raja & How Power Really Works in India 🇮🇳🧠 The RSS has never contested an election — yet it remains one of the most influential forces shaping modern India. So what exactly is the RSS? An ideology? An organisation? A movement? Or something far more complex? In this deep, nuanced, and often uncomfortable conversation, Sachin Nandha breaks down how the RSS actually functions — not as a conventional institution, but as a bottom-up social movement built around the daily shakha, psychological rootedness, and the long project of rebuilding the…

6. 

   12 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 15 min

   The Algorithmic War — Big Tech, Geopolitics & India’s Security Future | Col. Pavithran Rajan

   ⚔️ Col. Pavithran Rajan — Are We Already at War? Algorithms, Sovereignty & The Future of India’s National Security 🇮🇳🛰️ War today isn’t declared — it’s engineered. In this explosive conversation, Col. Pavithran Rajan breaks down why the world has entered a permanent state of “Persistent Unpeace.” Battles now unfold through algorithms, digital platforms, currency shifts, and information warfare long before a single shot is fired. From Kautilya’s systems thinking to Clausewitz’s kinetic doctrine, from NATO’s eastward push to Ukraine’s hybrid war, Col. Rajan explains how modern conflict is…

7. 

   9 Oct 2026 · 45 minNew

   Why Are Insurance Commissions Becoming a National Debate? | Monika Halan

   What really happens to your money when you buy an insurance policy in India? Monika Halan explains - and it’s a question the whole industry is suddenly being forced to answer. Insurance mis-selling is finally India’s biggest money debate. IRDAI’s new consultation paper has capped commissions, exposed how insurance is really sold - and sent stocks like PolicyBazaar crashing. Monika Halan explains what it all means for your money. For over 20 years, Monika Halan has warned about how insurance is mis-sold in India - and now the regulator’s own data is proving her right. In this conversation…

8. 

   3 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 12 min

   If AI Changes How We Work, How Do You Stay Relevant? Manish Sabharwal

   India doesn't have a jobs problem. It has a wages problem. That reframe from Manish Sabharwal sets up one of our sharpest conversations on why India keeps producing record numbers of graduates who still feel stuck - and what a young person should actually do about it. Roshan Cariappa sits down with Manish Sabharwal - co-founder of TeamLease and Ashoka University - to ask questions that are useful at any age: government job, private job, or building your own thing? And in a world where AI can do the "quick and dirty" first draft, what keeps a human relevant? They get into India's 200-year-old…

9. 

   29 Sep 2026 · 27 min

   What Is the Real Business Model Behind AI? Ft. Vivek Raghan, Co-Founder Sarvam AI

   AI is getting better. AI models are getting more capable. And yet, in many cases, the cost of using AI keeps falling. So… who is actually paying for all of this? In this conversation, Roshan Cariappa sits down with Vivek Raghavan, Co-founder of Sarvam AI, to unpack one of the biggest questions around the AI boom: what is the real business model behind AI? We talk about why companies can spend billions building AI and still offer powerful models to users at little or no upfront cost. What exactly are we giving up when we use “free” AI? And if India is among the world's biggest users of AI,…

10. 

    18 Sep 2026 · 30 min

    If God is Formless, Why Do Hindus Worship So many Idols? Ft. Ami Ganatra

    Who is a Hindu? And what does it really mean to be one? Many of us grew up calling ourselves Hindu, but the deeper we look, the more questions emerge. Is Hinduism a religion or a way of life? How did the gods and deities we worship today evolve? And what ideas hold together such a diverse philosophical tradition? In this conversation, Roshan Cariappa sits down with author Ami to explore the foundations of the Hindu worldview — from karma, rebirth and moksha to dharma, the cosmic order, questioning, pluralism and the evolution of Hindu deities. The conversation also looks at how Vedic gods…

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