Colonel Ajai Shukla (retd) is a columnist, commentator, and journalist who covers regional security issues in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, military technology, and India's defence economy. He was also a prime-time news anchor and war correspondent with NDTV from 2001-2008. Before taking up journalism, he served in a combat arm of the Indian Army for over two decades before opting for voluntary retirement with the rank of Colonel.