Far from just another interview show, this is conversation shaped by experience. Because foreign policy is not just theory. It must be lived. Hosted by India’s former external affairs minister, the show offers a rare window into how the world is understood by those who have helped shape it. The seasoned statesman draws on decades of diplomacy, law, and international negotiations as host. Don’t miss the conversation.
In Conversation with Salman Khurshid: Kishwar Desai, the founder-chairperson of India’s Partition Museum
In the latest episode of In Conversation with Salman Khurshid, Kishwar Desai, the founder-chairperson of India’s Partition Museum, joins former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for a conversation marking the 79th anniversary of India’s Independence. Desai says the museum, curated along the lines of Apartheid and Holocaust museums, serves as a reminder to the world of how a line drawn on a map split a nation in two, resulting in the displacement and deaths of millions. For her, the museum is a “site of conscience” that reminds us that these tragedies must never be repeated. She blames the British and their policy of divide and rule for partitioning the nation, and for doing so in haste, leaving behind two newly formed countries and millions of people to fend for themselves. Desai says the Partition Museum also celebrates the innate goodness of humanity by showcasing how people from different communities saved one another’s lives during the violence of partition. According to her, both India and Pakistan need to overcome the burden of the cultural disruption, and the museum plays an important role in preserving uncomfortable memories while promoting understanding and reconciliation.
In Conversation with Salman Khurshid: Srijan Pal Singh, former advisor to Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
In the latest episode of In Conversation with Salman Khurshid, author, scientist, and former advisor to late Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Srijan Pal Singh, joins former External Affairs Minister of India Salman Khurshid for an insightful discussion. Reflecting on his years with Dr. Kalam, Srijan shares that the former president never wanted to be remembered solely as the ‘Missile Man’ or the ‘People’s President’; at heart, he always remained a teacher. He recalls Dr. Kalam’s deep emotional connection with India’s missile program and how he would often joke that his three sons were Prithvi, Agni, and BrahMos. Srijan also traces the origins of the BrahMos missile, revealing how an abandoned ramjet engine in Russia inspired Dr. Kalam with the idea that eventually led to the development of one of the world’s most advanced missile systems.
In Conversation with Salman Khurshid: Ex-Vice Chairperson of India’s Niti Aayog Dr. Rajiv Kumar
In the latest episode of “In Conversation with Salman Khurshid”, the former vice chairperson of India’s Niti Aayog, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, joins former external affairs minister of India, Salman Khurshid. Dr. Rajiv recalls the journey of India’s economic liberalization in 1991 and busts the myth that it was borne out of crisis. He says the thought of liberalization was there right from Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure. Regarding China, he is of the view that it is far ahead of India as an economic and technological power, and that India should accept this reality and open itself up to China, its technology and investments. He believes that the $100 billion India-Russia trade target shouldn’t just be a goal, it’s a necessity and one way to achieve it is to tap into the huge demand for non-chemical and organic Agri products in Russia.
In Conversation with Salman Khurshid: François Gautier
In the latest episode of In Conversation with Salman Khurshid, journalist and author François Gautier recounts his remarkable journey from France to India that became a spiritual discovery and led him to find a ‘home’ in India. During the discussion, he makes a passionate case for “the decolonization of the Indian mind,” urging Indians to reclaim pride in their own identity. Gautier shares how the Western media has long viewed India through clichés and prejudices, failing to recognize its achievements. He also reflects on how President Vladimir Putin restored Russia’s pride by making Russians proud of their country and says India too should draw confidence from its own civilizational heritage.
In Conversation with Salman Khurshid: Sanjaya Baru, policy analyst and former media adviser to Indian PM
In the latest episode of In Conversation with Salman Khurshid, Sanjaya Baru, author, policy analyst, journalist, and former media adviser to Indian PM Manmohan Singh, argues that India needs to stop looking at its diaspora only through the lens of remittances and soft power. He points out that Indians abroad are increasingly facing anti-immigration sentiment in the West, just like Africans and Muslims. On the global economic order, he says the West’s weaponization of trade and energy proves exactly why the world needs non-Western blocs like BRICS. And on India-Russia ties, he believes the relationship needs to go well beyond defense and oil – into new products and deeper people-to-people connections.
In conversation with Salman Khurshid: Former managing director of Proctor & Gamble Gurcharan Das
Gurcharan Das, author, columnist and the former managing director of Proctor & Gamble (worldwide), joins Salman Khurshid for the latest episode of In Conversation with Salman Khurshid. He’s a real partition child, born in Pakistan but having to move to Delhi after partition. He still vividly remembers the violence and bloodshed he saw while moving from one country to another and since then he has always been suspicious of religion entering into public space. He says the course of his life and career changed from engineering to liberal sciences after he discovered Russian literature. He considers himself neither a leftist nor a right-winger, he’s in the middle and according to him it’s a lonely place to be.