Episode Details

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Prateek Mahtha is a combat veteran with 15+ years across Special Operations, Special Weapons & Tactics, and sniper work — including service in the French Foreign Legion and deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. He now runs Ultima Ratio Defence, an Indian weapons company built out of everything he learned in the field. Blunt, unglamorous, and completely uninterested in the myth-making around war.

In this episode, Vinamre and Prateek discuss:

• Sniper work — hitting moving targets, confirmed kills, and why there's no Geneva Convention protecting snipers

• Fighting ISIS and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Iraq and Afghanistan, and why the Indian Army is unmatched in high-altitude warfare

China's CCP playbook in Africa, what he saw in Mali, and what India should actually be doing

Building a weapons company in India — doctrine, red tape, and why Google is a weapons company too

• The French Foreign Legion — what actually binds men together, and learning French to survive it

Post-army life, spirituality, his guruji, the Bhagavad Gita, and what soldiers lose without an inner life

• Religious terrorism, who the Yazidis are, and mandatory military service for India

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Coming Up

00:00:55 - His Guru, His Ganpati

00:02:56 - Sniper Kills & Moving Targets

00:09:56 - Replace Your Coffee With This

00:11:07 - Camouflage, Snipers vs Special Forces

00:24:01 - Iraq, Afghanistan & Lashkar-e-Taiba

00:25:33 - His Hardest Operation

00:28:37 - Africa, China & Mali

00:49:23 - Building a Weapons Company

01:00:06 - Inside the French Foreign Legion

01:04:17 - What Civilians Are Missing

01:15:27 - Mandatory Military Service

01:34:26 - Faith in Modern Soldiers

01:43:25 - Religious Terrorism & The Yazidis

01:53:27 - The Bhagavad Gita

01:59:03 - Conclusion

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Vinamre Kasanaa is a writer at heart, podcaster and entrepreneur by craft.

He spends a significant part of his time reading and researching.

With over 500 podcasts under his belt, he’s interviewed everyone—from HNIs and industry leaders to everyday superheroes.

Follow Vinamre:

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