Ranveer Allahbadia - Palki Sharma

1) Palki Sharma, a celebrated journalist, talks about how people categorize and label individuals in today's world. She mentions that she is often categorized as belonging to the right when she shares her opinions on topics related to Hinduism and as belonging to the left when she discusses Islam or Christianity on her podcast. She also mentions how Twitter has a disproportionate influence on the opinion-making space in India and that she doesn't let the opinions of a handful of people affect her work. Palki also talks about how journalists have always taken a stand, and to say that unbiased journalism is the only credible journalism is not entirely accurate.

2)      Palki shares her opinion about journalism and media bias. She believes that the media should present facts clearly without hiding any leanings or biases. She also discusses the role of journalists in asking hard-hitting questions as it is a responsibility to society, even though relationships do play a part in securing interviews. Sharma shares an example of how she took a stance and refused to sit on a stool while interviewing a president who had a throne, emphasizing the importance of not being subject to powerful figures but representing society's interests.

3)      Palki shares her experience of interviewing former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, which was one of her most challenging interviews. She prepared thoroughly as she knew he was a tough subject, and wanted to be ready with counter arguments for any facts that hemight try to dispute. Despite her doubts, the interview was a successful one. Palki also talks about learning subliminal things about her interview subjects, and how some world leaders are stuck in their own bubble of opinions and priorities, while others surprise you with their humility and knowledge.

‍

‍

4)      Palki Sharma discusses her opinion on China's current political climate, the dangers of having a leader who believes they have a higher purpose, and her experience in Wuhan before the out break of COVID-19. She explains that if China doesn't get rid of President Xi Jinping, they are in trouble as he controls every important body in the country and is irrational, erratic, and unpredictable. The Chinese leadership believed that if they provide economic progress to its people, they wouldn't ask for political freedoms. However, Xi Jinping is consolidating power, and the country spends more on internal security than on the military outside their leaders are very scared about protests at home. Additionally, Sharma explains why she referred to COVID-19 as the Wuhan virus and what she saw in Wuhan first-hand when she visited the city during a summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi.

5)      Palki shares her opinion on China's expansionist agenda and the border situation with India. Despite the changing tactics and softer approach in their diplomacy, Palki does not see the Chinese political thinking significantly shifting, with the power grab and land grab attempts being prevalent. Meanwhile, on the topic of Pakistan, Palki labels it as a perpetual nuisance, with their traditional support base being the US. However,their funding source is drying up, and they are now relying on the Chinese. Yet China's money is tricky to get and poses a debt trap, and Pakistan's investment in the Taliban poses a security challenge.

6)      Palki discusses the current situation of Pakistan, which is going through a perfect storm with so much disturbance and unrest. The country's economy is on the brink of collapse and the source of money is drying up. Sharma also shares her geopolitical prediction for Pakistan, saying that she thinks the country is going deeper into the China club, which is a new challenge for the West. Sharma believes that the world is very late in realizing how much of a threat Pakistan poses, and there is no such thing as a good terrorist and a bad terrorist. She thinks the mindset that because you don't share a border with Pakistan it does not pose a threat to you is so flawed.

‍

‍

7)      Palki expressed her views on the future of climate change saying it will change more borders than geopolitics. She also talks about the current state of the USA and addresses the issue of abortion, stating that denying half the population a basic right on their own bodies is taking the country back to the Stone ages. She believes politics and the pro-lifestance are the source of this thought, and that medical science knows at what point abortion is okay. She criticizes the US for taking the moral high ground and lecturing the world, despite having no feet to stand on. They have immense power due to their hard power and military, but they also have a cute understanding of the world.

8)     Palki discusses what sets apart successful CEOs and leaders from those who simply do a basic day job. She argues that leaders who stand out are those who are able to process data, trends, and feedback, but also have intuition, gut feelings, conviction, and a risk-taking appetite. She emphasizes that taking risks and trying new things is essential to making something new and innovation. She also notes that this nuance is something that AI can never replace.