Vaad

Vishal Bhargava is a Mumbai-based real-estate journalist and commentator best known for his sharp take on India’s property markets. A former analyst with Bank of America and CLSA who later reported for The Economic Times and business channel ET NOW, Bhargava blends on-ground reportage with an insider’s understanding of finance to decode everything from redevelopment politics to price bubbles.Bhargava today straddles journalism, speaking and advisory work, positioning himself as a watchdog for home-buyers and a critical voice that India’s booming—sometimes overheated—real-estate sector can’t ignore.

Prof. (Dr.) Tirath Das Dogra, MD, FAMS, FICPath is India’s best-known forensic pathologist and a former Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. Awarded the country’s first MD in Forensic Medicine (AIIMS, 1976) and later head of the department (1987-2012), he set up AIIMS’s pioneering Medical Toxicology Laboratory (1987) and the institute’s first hospital-based DNA profiling facility (1991), which solved Delhi’s inaugural DNA-evidence criminal case in 1992.Prof. Dogra led the post-mortem of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, deposed in her assassination trial, and has provided expert evidence or crime-scene reconstruction in many of modern India’s most watched investigations—Nithari serial killings, Tandoor murder, Aarushi-Hemraj double homicide, Bilkis Bano case, Gujarat “fake” encounters, Batla House shoot-out and more.A prolific scholar, he has authored/edited 200+ papers and the Indian edition of Lyon’s Medical Jurisprudence, guided over fifty MD/PhD theses, evolved the field technique now known as “Dogra’s Test” for detecting old bullet marks, and introduced 3-D forensic animation to Indian courts.Post-retirement he became founding Vice-Chancellor of SGT University, Haryana, and continues to lecture worldwide on forensic science, medico-legal ethics and criminal psychology.

Dr Abhinav Pandya, a Cornell University graduate in public affairs and a bachelor's from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, is a founder and CEO of Usanas Foundation, an India-based foreign policy and security think tank. He has authored books named 'Radicalization in India: An Exploration (2019)' and 'Terror Financing in Kashmir (2023)'.He had previously advised the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir on security issues during the critical times when Kashmir's special status, Article 370, was revoked.He has written extensively for several national and international newspapers, and worked with the International Labour Organization, the United Nations.His latest book is "Inside the terrifying world of Jaish-e-Mohammad'. Order your copy here: https://www.amazon.in/Inside-Terrifying-World-Jaish-Mohammed/dp/9365694809

K. Giriprakash is a seasoned business journalist based in Bengaluru, with over three decades of experience covering key sectors of the Indian economy. Currently serving as the Business Editor at The Federal, he previously held prominent roles at The Hindu BusinessLine—including Chief of Bureau and Associate Editor—and contributed to Business Standard, Reuters, and The Pioneer.

He is the author of The Vijay Mallya Story, published by Penguin Random House in 2014—a meticulously reported biography that charts Mallya’s rise across liquor, aviation, and sports, and his subsequent fall from grace.

In addition to his editorial work and authorship, Giriprakash shares his expertise as a faculty member teaching business journalism at the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media (IIJNM) in Bengaluru.

He holds an active presence on social media (e.g., X/platform-wide bylines) and maintains a robust portfolio with more than 300 articles spanning alcohol, IT, aviation, and economic policy.

Puneet Sahani is an Indian author, independent researcher, and commentator known for his work on Sikh history, identity, and the intersection of religion and politics in South Asia. He is particularly recognized for his critical perspectives on the evolution of Sikh identity and the Khalistan movement.

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College.

Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.

As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn’t, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh.

His most recent publications are Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.

Group Captain Ajay Kumar Ahlawat (Retd.) is a distinguished former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF), with a service career spanning over two decades.During his tenure, Group Captain Ahlawat held several key positions, including serving as the Commanding Officer of the Operational Conversion Unit at Air Force Station Kalaikunda from July 2014 to March 2016. He also completed a staff course at the Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Alabama, in December 2011.Following his retirement, he transitioned into the technology sector and is currently the Chief Operating Officer at NuChain, a blockchain infrastructure company. In this role, he focuses on integrating Web3 technologies into enterprise and government applications.

Pralav Dhyani is a maritime professional, entrepreneur, and survivor of one of the longest modern-day pirate hostage crises. At just 21, while serving as a deck cadet aboard the MV RAK Afrikana, he was taken hostage by Somali pirates off the coast of Africa. He and his multinational crew endured 331 harrowing days in captivity — facing mock executions, psychological trauma, and constant fear. His firsthand account of survival and resilience is captured in his gripping book Hijacked: A True Story of Survival in Somalia.After his release, Pralav rebuilt his life and went on to establish ARC Continental FZE, a ship brokerage and consulting firm based in the UAE.

Jay Vardhan Singh is currently doing his PhD in Ancient Indian History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. His area of interest includes the Ancient and early medieval history of the Indian subcontinent.

Bharat Karnad is Emeritus Professor for National Security Studies, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and Distinguished Fellow at the United Service Institution of India. His most recent book, Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India’s Global Ambition was published by Penguin in September 2018. Previous books include Why India is Not a Great Power (Yet) (Oxford University Press, October 2015), Strategic Sellout: India-US Nuclear Deal (2009), India’s Nuclear Policy (Praeger, 2008), Nuclear Weapons and Indian Security: The Realist Foundations of Strategy, now in its second edition (Macmillan, 2005, 2002), and Future Imperilled: India’s Security in the 1990s and Beyond (Viking-Penguin, 1994).He was Member of the (First) National Security Advisory Board, Member of the Nuclear Doctrine-drafting Group, National Security Council, Government of India, and, formerly, Advisor on Defence Expenditure to the Finance Commission, India.Educated at the University of California (B.A., Santa Barbara; M.A., Los Angeles), he has been a Visiting Scholar at Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne, and Foreign Fellow at the Shanghai Institutes of International Studies and the Henry L. Stimson Centre, Washington, DC. He lectures at the top military training and discussion forums, including CORE (Combined Operational Review and Evaluation), DRDO Annual Directors’ Conference, National Defence College, Higher Command Courses at the Army War College, College of Air Warfare, College of Naval Warfare, College of Defence Management, College of Military Engineering, and at Army Command and Corps level fora and equivalent in the other two Armed Services, and Defence Services Staff College, and also at the Indian Administrative Service Academy, Foreign Service Institute, and the National Police Academy.He was commissioned by the Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff, Ministry of Defence, to conceptualize, conduct for several years, and lecture at the annual Strategic Nuclear Orientation Course for Brigadier-rank officers and equivalent from the three Armed Services, and conceived and conducted the first ever high-level inter-agency war game on the nuclear tripwire in the subcontinent (at the Army War College, 2003).