Lieutenant General D’Cunha is the Director General of Army Air Defence (AAD). He assumed command as the Chief of Army Air Defence in 2023. An alumnus of the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned into the Corps of Army Air Defence in December 1988.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he talks about how India’s air defence system foiled a bid by Pakistan to target the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

He discusses how India’s indigenous 'Aksahteer', intercepted and neutralised projectiles from Pakistan and showcased India’s dominance in real-time, automated air defence warfare.

Air Marshal Kapoor praises the efficiency of guns as an aerial shield against Pakistani drone attacks, highlighting their role as an undisputed form of air defence and their success in destroying Pakistan’s drones.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Introduction

00:47 – Pakistan's Attempt to Target Golden Temple

05:37 – India’s Air Defence System

13:02 – India's Akashteer System

20:26 – Drone Strikes by Pakistan on India

28:15 – Role of Guns in Air Defence

32:48 – Evolution of Drone Warfare

37:35 – Rahul-Jaishankar Row

43:53 – Pakistan Using Civil Air Traffic as a Shield

49:15 – Red Team Concept

52:16 – Warning to Pakistan’s Military Leadership

56:27 – Strategy of the Indian Army

Byju Raveendran is a teacher and engineer, and the founder of BYJU’S, once India’s most valuable edtech startup, valued at 22 billion dollars. Divya Gokulnath, his wife and co-founder, played a key role in shaping BYJU’S content and brand.

BYJU’S saw a rapid rise followed by a sharp fall due to financial losses, governance issues, and legal troubles. Its fast expansion and multiple acquisitions put pressure on its operations and finances. Regulatory investigations and investor backlash made things worse, leading to layoffs, insolvency concerns, and a damaged reputation.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Byju and Divya break their silence on the controversies surrounding them, from the $1.2 billion term loan case in the U.S. to legal battles and company acquisitions. Byju also opens up about the mistakes that led to the downfall of India’s edtech giant.

Will there be a BYJU’S 3.0? What is the couple up to now? Why are they in Dubai? The founders reveal it all in this tell-all podcast.

*Timestamps*

00:00 – Coming Up

00:00 – Introduction

01:02 – 'Fugitive' Tag

03:32 – Lookout Notice by ED

06:45 – $1.2 Billion Term Loan Case in the U.S.

10:53 – Fight with U.S. Lenders

17:46 – BYJU’S Legal Crisis

19:44 – BYJU’S: Rise and Fall

24:04 – Aakash Institute Acquisition

26:09 – WhiteHat Jr. Acquisition

29:35 – Work Culture at BYJU’S

31:13 – Sales Model of BYJU’S

34:19 – USP of BYJU’S

37:22 – Media Narratives on BYJU’S

42:24 – BYJU’S–BCCI Dispute

45:12 – BYJU’S Ad Deal with Messi & SRK

50:11 – India’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

54:20 – Parents’ Refund Complaints

59:28 – BYJU’S: Highs and Lows

1:02:41 – BYJU’S 3.0

1:08:06 – Impact of AI on Entrepreneurship

1:13:05 – Introduction to Co-Founder Divya Gokulnath

1:15:00 – Divya Gokulnath’s Family Background

1:21:37 – Divya & Byju’s Marriage

1:25:12 – BYJU’S ‘Education for All’ Initiative

1:30:00 – Byju's Family Under 'Threat'

1:37:56 – BYJU’S Insolvency

1:42:51 – ‘International Fugitive’ Tag

1:52:08 – BYJU’S 3.0

1:59:57 – The India Story

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, he talks about India’s air defence system that stunned Pakistan. He discusses advanced systems like the S-400 and Akash missile systems, and explains how the Indian Air Force successfully intercepted Pakistani drones and missiles.

Air Marshal Kapoor praises India’s engineers, scientists, and the Air Force for developing indigenous technology capable of countering threats from Pakistan. He also comments on the continued support the United States gives to Pakistan, despite Islamabad’s well-known record of harbouring terrorists and supporting state-sponsored terrorism.

00:00 - Introduction

00:39 - Operation Sindoor

05:08 - PM's Address to the Nation

09:53 - Air defence deal with Russia

19:19 - First day of Operation Sindoor

20:55 - Integrated Air Command and Control System

25:34 - Pakistan's drone & missiles attack

29:37 - Pak attacks on religious sites in India

34:05 - Pak's Nuclear threat

37:28 - 'Goli Ka Jawab Gola'

42:53 - Global aviation view on India-Pak crisis

45:56 - India's plan amid current conflict

50:42 - Talks only if PoK is returned

52:27 - Sargodha Airfield

54:34 - Is Karachi Port destroyed?

57:45 - Russia-Ukraine Conflict

1:02:16 - Indian vs Pak Air Force

1:07:15 - Will Pakistan strike again?

1:11:09 - US F-series fighter jets

1:12:48 - India's most potent weapon

1:15:18 - Ceasefire status