In Our Defence

India's buying cheap Russian oil. Trump's not happy. And now he's slapped 50% tariffs on Indian goods. Officially, it's about funding Russia's war machine. Unofficially? It might be about one man's ego, a Nobel Peace Prize dream, and India refusing to play along.

From the MEA's unusually sharp statement to the PM's vow to "pay any price to protect farmers," we unpack the real stakes amid the India-US showdown over tariffs.

- Is India's "multi-alignment" foreign policy reaching breaking point?

- Why agriculture is a red line in India-US trade talks.

- How diplomats handle unpredictable leaders like Donald Trump.

- The shift in India's diplomatic tone - and why a career diplomat as EAM matters.

- Will India hit back with counter-tariffs or play the long game?

Veteran national security journalist Sandeep Unnithan joins host Dev Goswami to decode this latest round of diplomatic warfare -- from South Block's air-conditioned strategy rooms to the high-stakes oil politics of Moscow and Washington.

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

India's 30-year submarine plan promised a world-class fleet. A mix of conventional diesel-powered submarines and both nuclear-powered attack and ballistic submarines. But decades later, delays, policy paralysis, and shifting priorities have left the Indian Navy with far fewer submarines than it planned for. In this episode, Dev Goswami and Sandeep Unnithan dive deep into the Navy's Project 75, 75I, and beyond -- exploring what went wrong, where things stand, and why building a submarine is far harder than it seems.

From nuclear-powered ambitions to the delays in conventional fleets, this is the full story of India's undersea puzzle.

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami marks the anniversary of India's victory in the 1999 Kargil conflict by turning sights on the unsung hero of that war: artillery.

The episode dissects how the much-maligned but battle-proven Bofors guns turned the tables on the intruding Pakistani soldiers and rained fire to help India win the conflict.

The episode also takes a deep dive into India's march to self-reliance in the field of artillery with systems like the next-gen ATAGS.

What makes artillery such a game-changer in modern warfare? What role did artillery play in turning the tide during Kargil? And how does India's current artillery landscape look like?

Dev breaks this down and more with defence expert Sandeep Unnithan.

We also explore:

The Bofors "sniper mode" legend during Kargil war

India's current artillery inventory

The rise of ATAGS & Make-in-India success

Whether artillery is outdated or innovating

Ukraine war lessons for gunners

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mix by Rohan Bharti

India’s worst aviation disaster in recent years. Air India Flight 171 crashed within a minute after takeoff -- killing 260 people. In this episode of In Our Defence, journalist and aviation enthusiast Sandeep Unnithan joins host Dev Goswami to unpack the preliminary probe report that has sparked a polarised debate on the cause of the crash: How did the fuel switches end up in the off position?

The two break down:

Why air crash investigations aren’t about blame, but prevention

What the AI 171 preliminary report reveals (and what it doesn’t)

How the fuel switches were turned off -- accident, error, or something else?

The intense public reaction -- is it okay to even suggest “pilot error”?

Whether India’s aviation investigators can resist the pressure

Will this become another unsolved mystery like MH370?

While we await the final report into the tragedy, tune in for the first impressions on a preliminary report that raises more questions than it answers.

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mixed by Aman Pal

In a world of delayed defence projects and botched indigenous systems, India's BrahMos cruise missile stands out. Co-developed with Russia, BrahMos is one of the fastest and most accurate supersonic cruise missiles in the world -- and it's made in India.

In this episode, national security expert Sandeep Unnithan and host Dev Goswami deep dive into the BrahMos story:

What kind of missile is BrahMos? How is it different from ballistic missiles?

The origin story: India-Russia partnership and how it all began

Why BrahMos succeeded where so many Indian defence projects failed

How much of it is really Indian? And why didn't Russia ever buy it?

BrahMos II and the future of hypersonic missiles

Is BrahMos nuclear-capable?

How does the upcoming Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) fit into India's strategy?

Also: We talk about APJ Abdul Kalam's legacy and his lasting influence in India getting everthing right when it comes to missile development.

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

The Middle East is on fire. Again. What began as Israel's retaliation against Hamas after the October 7 attacks has now exploded into a multi-front conflict involving Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and now Iran. In this episode of In Our Defence, veteran journalist and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan joins host Dev Goswami to break down how the war escalated so dramatical, and what it means for the region and the world.

The two look at Iran's underestimated military, its dual-army structure, and the massive blow dealt to its leadership in just the first week of fighting. Why does Israel seem so unbending, even at the cost of global condemnation and regional chaos? And could any of this be happening without backing from the US?

Dev and Sandeep also explore the philosophical irony behind Western nations - especially the US - dictating nuclear rules to countries like Iran, even as they maintain massive arsenals themselves. Is this another chapter in global double standards?

And finally, the two unpack a surprising development: Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir's meeting with Donald Trump during his US visit. Could this signal a renewed American effort to position Pakistan as a behind-the-scenes player in the Israel-Iran war?

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

Inside India’s Fight Against Naxalism | Is This the End of Red Terror? | Ft. Sandeep Unnithan 

In this deep-dive episode of In Our Defence, veteran defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan joins host Dev Goswami to unpack India’s decades-long battle with Left Wing Extremism (LWE) — often called Naxalism or Red Terror — and the recent decisive push to eradicate it by March 2026.

Dev and Sandeep explore the evolution of the Naxal movement from its origins in Naxalbari in 1967 to its spread across India’s infamous “Red Corridor”, and the multi-pronged strategy that has brought the insurgency to its lowest levels in decades.

Key topics include:

The historic neutralisation of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basavaraju in Operation Black Forest

The spike in encounters and surrenders in 2024–25

Why counter-insurgency in jungles is as deadly — and complex — as high-tech border warfare.

Why the Indian Army was never deployed against Naxals — and what could have happened if they had.

The role of urban intellectual support in sustaining the movement — and why that’s now faded.

This episode is an eye-opening look at one of India’s longest-running internal conflicts, now seemingly entering its final phase. Tune in.

Produced by Garvit Srivastava

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

In this episode of In Our Defence, veteran defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan joins host Dev Goswami to break down Ukraine’s daring drone strike deep inside Russian territory — an operation that has stunned the world.

Using covertly disguised container trucks and remotely launched drones, Ukraine struck key Russian airbases housing Tu-95 bombers and A-50 AWACS, marking a significant escalation in the four-year-old war.

Produced by Prateek Lidhoo

Sound mix by Aman Pal

India’s next-gen stealth fighter, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), just got a massive push from the government with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh clearing an execution model for the jet’s design and development. 

On this episode of In Our Defence, veteran defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan breaks down what this means for the future of Indian airpower, how private players like Tata and L&T could shape the aircraft production ecosystem, and what role the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is likely to play. 

Sandeep also decodes the different generations of fighter aircraft, detailing what makes a fifth-generation jet stand out from the current crop of Indian Air Force jets such as the Rafales, Tejas, Sukhois and Mirages, among others.

The episode also features a discussion on India’s attempts to develop its own fighter jet engine and how that quest -- unsuccessful so far -- becomes all the more important for the AMCA. 

Produced by Prateek Lidhoo

Sound mix by Rohan Bharti

On today’s News at 7, Prateek Lidhoo brings you the top stories of Wednesday, 28th May: Dr. Ajay Taware, already jailed in the Pune Porsche crash case, is now linked to an illegal kidney transplant racket in a major organ trafficking scandal. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor defends his remarks on surgical strikes amid backlash from his own party. Actor Kamal Haasan faces political heat and a police complaint in Karnataka after claiming Kannada was born from Tamil. Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Saifullah Kasuri resurfaces at a political rally in Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. And Elon Musk steps down from his advisory role under Donald Trump after publicly criticising the administration’s flagship legislation. Stay tuned for your daily dose of sharp, credible news—only on News at 7, powered by India Today Podcasts.

Produced by Prateek Lidhoo

Sound mix by Aman Pal