Indian Diplomat Explains: India vs US vs China & Trump Syed Akbaruddin FO492 Raj Shamani

This episode is brought to you by Urban Platter, to know more checkout: ⁠ Guest Suggestion Form: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Disclaimer: This video is intended solely for educational purposes and opinions shared by the guest are his personal views. We do not intent to defame or harm any person/ brand/ product/ country/ profession mentioned in the video. Our goal is to provide information to help audience make informed choices. The media used in this video are solely for informational purposes and belongs to their respective owners. (00:00) - Intro (02:43) - What does a diplomat do? (13:54) - Why do other countries care about who we vote for? (15:14) - What is a diplomat's final job? (16:38) - Why does the world knowing about Indian festivals matter? (19:18) - How do diplomats handle crisis management? (27:45) - Why would any country trust diplomats knowing they lie? (32:51) - Serving in Pakistan as a diplomat (48:40) - The ICJ win story (55:54) - Unsavoury tools used by diplomats (1:00:15) - Masood Azhar case (1:07:02) - Why hasn't India been able to prove Pakistan is a terrorist state? (1:16:16) - What happens when the US designates someone a national threat? (1:17:55) - India's friendship with everyone: is it the right strategy? (1:26:25) - Why didn't India condemn the Iran-Israel-US conflict? (1:29:07) - What price is India paying for not taking a stance? (1:39:51) - New India, new expectations & greater exposure (1:47:41) - Every growing country is somewhat dependent (1:52:54) - How is India a rising influence if no one listens to it? (2:00:47) - The US is not our friend, it's our boss (2:02:23) - Different countries handle issues differently (2:15:14) - Is India scared of China? (2:19:02) - India & its neighbouring countries (2:29:33) - Should the media and diplomats work together for a better India? (2:40:37) - Are international bodies completely useless today? (2:57:23) - India's best & worst decisions of the last decade (3:03:17) - One criticism of Indian policy that is completely wrong (3:09:47) - Will India grow at the pace the world expects? (3:13:06) - BTS (3:13:23) - Outro In today’s episode, we sit down with Syed Akbaruddin, Former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and Dean of Kautilya School of Public Policy, Hyderabad, to understand diplomacy, power, and global strategy.We discuss what diplomats really do, how their role has changed since the 1980s, and how they handle crises and conflicts. He shares insights from his time in Pakistan, the reality behind ceasefires, and how diplomacy works during war.The conversation also covers India’s position in the world, its relationship with the US, and why global institutions are losing influence. We talk about China’s moves around Taiwan, why it remains India’s biggest strategic challenge, and what India needs to improve going forward.

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Indian Diplomat Explains: India vs US vs China & Trump Syed Akbaruddin FO492 Raj Shamani is an episode from Figuring Out with Raj Shamani by Raj Shamani.

This episode is 03:14:13 long.

This episode was published on Apr 2, 2026.

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