Let’s Talk Bharat

Bharat is on a roll, says Indian banker and business executive Naina Lal Kidwai

In today’s episode, Anupam Kher is joined by banker, chartered accountant and business executive Naina Lal Kidwai, who reveals what it was like to make a career in finance as a woman in the 1980’s.

Mrs. Kidwai, who was the first Indian woman to get an MBA from Harvard Business School and the first woman to lead a foreign bank in India, talks about how much the country’s banking and business sectors have changed - in large part due to the politics of the Modi government.

She also sheds light on the extensive work the government and the corporate sector have done to improve sanitation, and shares her views on the corporate responsibility to give back to others.

India saved West from economic meltdown by buying Russian oil, says energy minister

In today’s episode of ‘Let’s Talk Bharat,’ Anupam Kher is joined by India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Puri. A prominent politician who at one point held three ministerial positions, Puri explains how India’s decision to buy more Russian oil in 2022 saved the world from an economic meltdown and breaks down India’s current energy policy and perspective. He also describes how Prime Minister Modi’s vision for India not only managed to ensure the country’s economic growth, but to instill in Indians a pride in their country’s historical past.

India rejected Western advice to destroy own economy - PM Modi’s economic adviser Sanjeev Sanyal

In today’s episode, Anupam Kher is joined by Sanjeev Sanyal, a prominent Indian economist and member of the Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sanyal talks about the nation’s goal of self-reliance and explains not only the current state of Bharat’s economy, but also breaks down just what it took to make the country the world’s fifth-largest and fastest-growing major economy. Sanyal also touches upon persistent Western attempts at patronizing India, as he recalls how New Delhi chose not to listen to Western advice during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has allowed it to remain a macroeconomically stable nation.

Sunny Deol on the power of Indian cinema

On today’s episode, Anupam Kher is joined by Bollywood star-turned-producer and director Sunny Deol – the eldest son of veteran actor Dharmendra Deol. He made a spectacular Bollywood comeback in 2023 with “Gadar-2,” a period action-drama about the violent fallout of the partition of colonial India in 1947. Deol is known for his larger-than-life on-screen characters and patriotism for his homeland. He is impressed by the realistic portrayals of South Indian films that have struck a chord with their audience. As a one-term member of parliament with the BJP, Deol is ready to bid farewell to politics and concentrate fully on creating engaging cinema that makes his family tradition proud.

‘Make in India’ is challenging China’s ‘factory of the world’ status: Dilip Piramal

In the latest episode of Let’s Talk Bharat, Anupam Kher is joined by Dilip Piramal, the chairman of VIP Industries, the world’s second-largest luggage manufacturer. He details the secret sauce behind the homegrown brand which burst onto the scene in 1972 when India’s consumer sector was dominated by Western multinationals during the pre-economic liberalization era. Piramal is an ardent advocate of the free market and hails Bharat’s robust growth in the past decade, buoyed by widespread reforms of the tax code. He singles out the government’s “Make in India” scheme, which was launched in 2014 to take on Asia’s economic powerhouse: China. Piramal is optimistic about India’s emergence on the world stage in 2047 – known as “Amrit Kaal,” or “The Era of Elixir” – in the centenary year of Bharat gaining freedom from colonial British rule.

India’s cultural diversity is one of its biggest strengths: Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar

Renowned filmmaker and five-time National Award winner Madhur Bhandarkar joins host Anupam Kher on this episode of Let’s Talk Bharat. Bhandarkar’s journey from school dropout to celebrated director embodies the spirit of a rising India – a testament to dreaming big and achieving success. His film, Chandni Bar (2001), solidified his position as a masterful storyteller, delving into thought-provoking narratives that expose the underbelly of urban Indian society. A frequent attendee of the Moscow International Film Festival, Bhandarkar holds a special affection for Russia. He celebrates the diverse tapestry of Bharat’s culture and the global acclaim for its delectable cuisine, all set against the backdrop of the nation’s remarkable growth in the past decade.