Morning Brief Podcast

Employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs, have played a key role in the Indian startup sector. But while some employees have been able to build wealth through ESOPs, others have seen little success with this tool. ESOPs can be a great way to attract and retain talent, and to incentivize employees to work hard for the company's success. However, ESOPs also come with risks. Risks that are associated with the valuation of the startup. In this episode of The Morning Brief, Mugdha Variyar and Prachi Verma talk to employees who have had different experiences with ESOPs. They get industry perspective from Kallan H, Vice President: Head - Talent Acquisition - Elevation Capital; Ashu Malhotra, Chief Human Resources Officer - RNM India, and Shankar Krishnamurthy, Associate Director, Product Management - Betterhalf. Listen in!

India's new parliament building was inaugurated with the passage of the long-awaited 27-year-old Women's Reservation Bill. Streamed live, the inaugural session buzzed with anticipation as the call for 'Naari shakti vandan adhiniyam' (Women's Reservation Act) echoed through the chambers. India's stark gender imbalance in the Lok Sabha, with just one in seven parliamentarians being a woman, in contrast to one in four parliamentarians being a woman globally, made this bill crucial. However, the contours of the bill and the nuances involved in its implementation raise questions about the bill's effectiveness. Should we celebrate or not? Host Kiran Somvanshi digs deeper with political analyst & psephologist Sanjay Kumar, Founder of Netri, Kanksshi Agarwal, and ET's Nidhi Sharma who is also the author of 'She, the Leader: Women in Indian Politics'. Catch this conversation in the latest episode of The Morning Brief podcast!Credits: Times of India, India Today, ANI News, NDTV, The Indian Express, Press Trust of India, IndiaTV, Sansad TV, Hindustan Times

There is no beating down Shah Rukh Khan! In the latest turning point to a career as dramatic as his films, the “King of Bollywood” is back at the top with two runaway hits-Pathan and Jawan. SRK has built a billion-dollar career out of romancing women on screen. But people close to him, know him as a sports, video game and action freak. Naturally, the 57-year-old actor is having copious amounts of fun in his new high-octane action-hero avatar. And so is the audience: the two films together have already crossed a business of Rs 1,500 crore. The twin successes come after a string of flops, a five-year hiatus and deep personal turmoil after the arrest of his son. For the Hindi film industry that has been in a “Kabhi Khushi, Kabhi Gham” phase itself, this level of excitement has come after years.In this episode, we try to decode why Brand SRK keeps enduring. Is he truly “the last of the stars?” Host Dia Rekhi explores with Anupama Chopra, Founder and Editor, of Film Companion, Komal Nahta, Film Trade Analyst, and Harish Bijoor, Business and Brand Strategy Specialist. Tune in to the latest episode of the Morning Brief podcast!

Household savings fall to a 50-year-low at a time when borrowing and spending are touching new records. The new mantra of lenders is to bank on Gen-Zers taking the lead on loans and spending. But with the demand, comes debt and default. Unsecured lending is booming at a record pace, with the market expected to top Rs 4.5 lakh crore by this financial year. Meanwhile, credit card default tops Rs 4000 crore and retail debt stress rises. Host Anupriya Nair explores if India's demographic dividend is turning into a demographic debt disaster with Ritesh Srivastava, Founder of retail debt resolution platform FREED and A M Karthik, VP & Head of Finance Sector Rating, ICRA in this episode of the Morning Brief podcast.

Over the next decade, 17 of the 20 fastest-growing cities in the world are expected to be from India. At the heart of it all are our local municipal bodies that have historically been plagued by a lack of governance and financial discipline. But that is gradually changing! Municipal Corporations looking to seek financial autonomy & instill financial discipline are rushing to the bond market to fund their big & discerning projects. 25 years after the first-ever Indian Municipal Bond and less than 6 months after the doors were opened to retail investors, the Municipal bond market is looking promising. So, what is the attraction to raising funds from bond markets? Also, why would someone bet on Municipal Bonds? What are the returns and challenges? Host Kiran Somvanshi gets the answers from Arnab Choudhury of SBI Capital Markets, Kripanand Shukla of Kanpur Municipal Corporation, Kunal Mandwale of Pune Municipal Corporation and Madan Sabnavis of Bank of Baroda. Tune in to the latest episode of The Morning Brief podcast! Note: This podcast episode is bilingual with parts of the interview in hindi between 26:15 till 29:03. Credits: Zee Uttar Pradesh UttaraKhand and ABP live.

What should the world’s most populous country, with more than a fifth of its people aged below 10 have? A huge toy market. But despite a large customer base and deals like Reliance’s purchase of toy giant Hamley’s, we are still a hundredth of the global toy market. Two reasons: unorganised players account for most of the market and the organised players’ have always sold mostly imported toys. The government is trying to change this by stifling imports, especially from world no. 2 China, and incentivising local toy makers. Schools are encouraging toys in their curriculum, parents are looking for more educational toys and startups are rushing to fill that demand. Host Shabori Das explores the current landscape and future prospects with Ashwini Kumar of Smartivity Labs, Disha Katharani of Imagimake, and Jeswant R of Funskool India in this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Listen in!

The Indian consumer market is seeing a dynamic shift, with the resurgence of local brands as formidable challengers to industry giants like Tata, Britannia, HUL and Nestle. Data from Kantar's Brand Footprint report showcases local brands like Sargam, Vidisha and Bhagwati making remarkable leaps in consumer brand rankings, shaking up the nearly $180 billion FMCG market. Karnataka-based brand Teju Masala, for example, has grown 65% in one year. But, what are these local brands doing differently? Should the biggies be threatened? Host Ratna Bhushan explores the ambitions of these challengers with K Ramakrishnan of Kantar, Sumit Aggarwal of Vitrak ExtendReach, and Girjesh Rungta of Rungta Tea in this episode of The Morning Brief. Listen in!

900 million voters, 545 Lok Sabha seats, 4123 State Assembly seats - Can India really synchronize this dance of democracy through One Nation, One Election? An old idea with a new decibel in debate. What is the economic, logistical, and political possibility of it becoming a reality? Host Kiran Somvanshi gets the pros and cons from Akshay Rout, Senior Fellow, NITI Aayog & Former Director General of Election Commission of India, Prof. Jagdeep S. Chhokar, Founding Member of the Association of Democratic Reforms along with ET's Anubhuti Vishnoi. Listen to the latest episode of The Morning Brief podcast! Credits: Firstpost, Think School, ANI Bharat, DD News, RepublicWorld, The Indian Express

India's massive diamond industry is grappling with a prolonged crisis. Western sanctions on big miner Russia, inflation in the US and a downturn in China have hit the industry which cuts and polishes nine of ten diamonds in the world. Exports from the world's top diamond exporter are down; companies are cutting output, salaries and staff. In Surat, that controls 90% of India's diamond trade, the fates of thousands of workers hang in balance. Several have died by suicide. Team TMB travels to the heart of the diamond business and talks to merchants, brokers, workers, and a union leader to understand the issues that now face this centuries-old industry. Listen to this episode of The Morning Brief with host Anirban Chowdhury!

Zepto - the quick climber in quick commerce! With a billion-dollar valuation, what is making this 2-year-old company zip in a race with others that are backed by big corporates? Get the scoop on how Zepto is capturing the Kirana corner in quick commerce from its investors. TMB Host Mugdha Variyar speaks to Vivek Subramanian of Goodwater Capital, a new investor in Zepto and a backer of several global quick commerce firms, as he answers what sets the company apart. Also ET Prime's Priyanka Sahay gives us the ground check on what is cooking next at the firm.

India could soon see its largest-ever pharma deal as the 10th biggest pharma company by revenues -- Torrent -- is trying to buy the fourth largest one -- Cipla. But, is the bullet too big to bite for Torrent? Is the funding feasible? Will the compatibility not of portfolio but of philosophy, and people, be a challenge? Will Torrent’s M&A ambition extend beyond pharma and power to possibly once again finance? Host Anupriya Nair solves this complex bond along with Economic Times’ Arijit Barman, Kiran Somvanshi & Sangita Mehta in this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Tune in! Credits: ET Now, trendlyne

In a tell-tale journey, TMB Host Dia Rekhi takes you into the world of live-stream apps and in-app gifts for creators, exploring how the murky underbelly of 'content creation' is multiplying as explicit content exploiting the lack of a regulator. In this episode of The Morning Brief podcast, we hear from Deepak Salvi, co-founder of a live streaming app Chingari which introduced the live-streaming model as an additional feature a few months ago and is now among the top 10 grossing apps in India. But, who is liable, the creator or platform? and what is obscene? Ashish of Capstone Legal and Nirali Bhatia, Cyber Psychologist answers all this. Tune in! Credit: Aditya Music India and YRFDisclaimer: This episode has references to and descriptions of partial nudity, pornography, sexual exploitation and verbal abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Cannabis culture is catching on and hemp businesses are sprouting everywhere. The global industry of cannabis is pegged at $57 billion but Indian startups are having a hard time exploiting it due to a lack of regulatory uniformity and clarity. What do you do if its fibres can be turned into fine clothes and sturdy ropes but its resin is a prohibited narcotic drug that can land you in jail? TMB Podcast host Apoorva Mittal explores this hazy subject in the latest episode of The Morning Brief with Sumit Shah of Bombay Hemp Company, Tarun Jami of GreenJams, Prasannan Namboodiri, Advocate and Former Narcotics Officer, and Stephen Murphy of Prohibition Partners. Tune in! Credits: Shark Tank India

Pilots are succumbing to fatigue. Long flying hours, night flights, apathy from employers, overdependence on AI and outdated regulations are leading to a health and safety hazard for aviators and flyers. Two Indian and a Chilean pilot died earlier this month. Five globally were incapacitated while flying. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks to an IndiGo pilot who chose to be anonymous as he reveals the dark side of the aviation industry. Also listen to Dr. Koutilya Choudary, DGCA Class 1 Medical Examiner and Amit Singh, Former Chief of Pilot Training at IndiGo, Head of Safety at AirAsia and Founder of Safety Matters Foundation (NGO) in this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Listen in!

The story of a diamond in the rough to dizzying valuations and a glittering exit - The Journey of CaratLane. In this podcast, ET's Samidha Sharma has a candid conversation with CaratLane founder Mithun Sacheti as he reveals the twists and turns in finding funding, almost missing Tiger Global, getting Tatas to the table, and the tough talk with guru Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. You don't want to miss it!

Aamchi Mumbai just got its first IIM, the much-needed B-school in the country's financial hub. The countless CAT exam aspirants are more excited, as it means more than 550 additional seats will be available for admissions. But why did a 60-year-old institute like NITIE have to seek the IIM tag? How will it leverage its new identity? And what's the significance of an IIM being in the country’s financial capital? Hosts Kiran Somvanshi and Kalpana Pathak take us through NITIE’s transformational journey of becoming IIM Mumbai in this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Listen to Dr Manoj Tiwari, Director of IIM Mumbai, Shashi Kiran Shetty, Chairman of the board of governors of IIM Mumbai, and Dr Shirish Sangle, Dean of Faculty Affairs at IIM Mumbai. Listen in!

As the final countdown for touchdown of Chandrayaan-3 begins, the whole world turns its eyes to the skies. With this, India's third moon mission looks to have learned from the past expeditions, as Vikram looks for a perfect landing spot even if everything fails. Amid a skyrocketing global space race, TMB host Anirban Chowdhury speaks to Dipankar Banerjee of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Barnik Maitra of Arthur D Little, and TOI’s Chethan Kumar to understand what is fuelling this ambition and if India is late to the party or can ISRO be a showstopper amongst space agencies. Listen in!

Step into the realm of Mohamed Alabbar, the orchestrator behind Emaar Properties and more. His canvas stretches far beyond bricks and mortar, reaching the heights of innovation. Amidst the awe-inspiring Burj Khalifa in Dubai, he crafts new chapters. But Alabbar isn't merely a virtuoso of architecture – he's redefining frontiers. A special edition of The Morning Brief catches him mid-flight from London to Riga as he delves into Emaar's Indian missteps, future real estate prospects, tech investments, and robust UAE-India relations. Listen to host Arijit Barman and ET's Kailash Babar as they set an appointment with Alabbar. Tune in! Credits: Mission Impossible Theme Music

Biogas is not a bygone. In fact it may soon be the game changer to disrupt LPG and natural gas usage. Even as startups are setting up biogas plants, conglomerates like Reliance Industries and Adani Group are betting thousands of crores on this segment. With the world's largest manufacturing facility for biogas plant set up in Pune by global social enterprise Sistema Bio, Host Kalpana Pathak explores how India's oldest answer to fuel problems is finally getting the push. In this episode of The Morning Brief podcast, we hear from Piyush Sohani of Sistema Bio India, Bharath Vetriivel of Avris Environment Technologies and Gaurav Kedia of Indian Biogas Association. Listen in!

Step back in time to June 1947, when Lord Mountbatten proposed a division of British-ruled India. The resulting partition birthed India and Pakistan, but it also ignited one of the most rapid and immense migrations in human history. Amidst the chaos emerged tales of resilience as individuals transformed adversity and made enterprises that are household names that still resonate today. Join Dia Rekhi on this Independence Day special episode of The Morning Brief as she revisits those stories and explores the entrepreneurial spirit with the actual voices of that time. We hear from Dr Guneeta Singh Bhalla, Founder of The 1947 Partition Archive, Ajay Kapoor, Managing Director at Hitkari Potteries, and Raman Mahadevan, Independent Researcher & Economic Historian. Tune in!Credits: Xplorer India, Sip Sak Mimarlik

From an expert committee in 2017 to a law in 2023, the Data Protection Bill has been around the block a few times. But does the final rulebook protect and serve or has the debate diluted its purpose? ET’s Surabhi Agarwal and Aashish Aryan get answers from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a candid conversation about the implementation and the critique of govt accountability and the scope of the new law.

A new licensing regime for laptop imports, which will be effective in November, has sent ripples through the tech landscape. Worried about soaring laptop prices? With over 70% of India's laptops imported, it's a valid concern. Are price hikes inevitable? Will the laptop sector face shortages? Will the government stick to its decision or do a Ctl+Z? And, could this move ignite domestic laptop production? Join Mugdha Variyar as she unravels the impact of this move on consumers, brands, and the industry at large as she talks to the experts of the tech world, Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), Navkendar Singh, Associate Vice President at IDC, and ET journalists Writankar Mukherjee, Kiran Rathee, and Subhrojit Mallick, in this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Tune in now!Credits: moneycontrol, News9 Live, Firstpost

The Tesla tease has been ongoing for India since 2019, but a renewed relationship following PM Modi’s US visit has the Elon Musk backed EV giant recharging its plans for the world’s 3rd largest auto market. With a new land lease in Pune, an Indian-origin CFO, and a rumored affordable price tag, Tesla seems to finally be gearing up for India. Host Anirban Chowdhury engages in a conversation with Hormazd Sorabjee of Autocar India, Sunjay Kapur of ACMA, Koushik Bhattacharyya of Avendus Capital, and ET’s Twesh Mishra as they separate the news from the noise to explore if India is indeed ready for Tesla. Tune in! Credits: Velocity, ABC News, Wall Street Journal, TD Ameritrade Network, Business Today, Firstpost, moneycontrol and ThePrint

India's capital markets regulator, Sebi, has been the talk of the town under the dynamic leadership of Madhabi Puri Buch. As the first woman and non-IAS individual to head Sebi, her tenure has been marked with bold orders and regulations, leading to increased proactiveness of the Sebi. While efficiency has increased, not all market participants are pleased, but few dare to air their concerns openly. From Mutual Funds to FPIs, AIFs to listed companies, all stakeholders are experiencing Sebi's reach. We discuss Sebi's hyperactivity, its impact on market participants, and the balance between compliance and ease of doing business. Listen to corporate lawyer Krishnava Dutt, Managing Partner at Argus Partners and former Sebi executive director JN Gupta now Managing Director at Stakeholders Empowerment Services as they shed light on the impact of Sebi's regulations with host Kiran Somvanshi in this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Listen in

India is the biggest whisky guzzling nation in the world. But it’s also a market where people drink mostly in their homes and cheap bars fight for the remainder of the customers. Running a bar in India is a challenge. It’s a balanced manoeuvering of regulatory hurdles, costs, quality and presentation. And yet four Indian bars made it to Asia's 50 Best Bars this year. In this episode of The Morning Brief podcast, Shabori Das speaks to Aditi Dugar, Director, and Founder - Masque and Urban Gourmet India; Yash Bhanage, Founder & COO - Hunger Inc, and Balakrishnan Subramanyan, Senior Brand Manager, and Mixologist - Sakurafresh Beverage & Food, to know about what it takes to run a successful bar in India. Disclaimer: Our discussion respects personal choice and does not promote alcohol consumption.

There is a buzz again that Cipla is toying with the idea of selling out to private-equity firms Baring Asia and Blackstone, at least partially, if not seeking a full exit. In this episode of The Morning Brief, Vikas Dandekar, Editor - Pharma and Life Sciences at ET Prime, walks down memory lane with host Anupriya Nair. Also discussed in this episode is, why the speculated Cipla sale is not a mere M&A deal and what could be on the mind of founder Yusuf Hamied. But emotions aside, do the valuations add up to excite investors? ET's Arijit Barman gives us the buzz from the deal makers. Listen in!

From imposing an export duty in 2022 to taking rice off the export menu in 2023, the Indian govt has sent ripples across the global food chain. Even as the IMF urges India to reconsider the ban, the govt is steadfast in its policy decision. Host Ratna Bhushan explores if India is facing a rice shortfall or if is this a protectionist measure. And the impact of the global food crisis and impact of India’s position as a global export leader with noted agri-economist Dr Ashok Gulati & Vinod Kaul, ED at All India Rice Exporters Association.Credits: Sky News, ANI News, NBC News, CBC News: The National, CNA

The demerger of ITC’s Hotel business spoiled the party of the ITC stock rally which has taken the stock up 70% in the past one year. So, what was it about the demerger that irked the investors? Is it simply a buy on buzz and sell on rally or are shareholders feeling short-changed with the scheme? Why is ITC still holding 40% in the demerged entity? In this episode of The Morning Brief podcast, host Kiran Somvanshi delves into the ITC demerger seeking answers from Dipak Haksar the former CEO of ITC Hotels and Manu Rishi Guptha, CEO and Founder - MRG Capital - SEBI Registered PMS who has made headlines with his critique of the 'cigarette king'.

A toxic workplace is a silent intruder that's rotting organisations from within. Making headlines of late, viral videos exposed managers from HDFC Bank and Bajaj Finserv berating their employees, sparking a nationwide debate on workplace toxicity. Did you know an increase in toxicity is causing higher attrition rates? A common toxic trait seen at workplaces is superiors demanding 24*7 access to employees’ personal time. What are companies doing to detect and deter toxicity? Should the definition be expanded to include delivery expectations, work timings, and career progression? Apoorva Mittal talks to Aparna Mittal, Founder of Samāna Centre for Gender, Policy & Law, Hemindra Hazari, Independent Banking Analyst, and Tanmoy Goswami, Creator of Sanity.

As India leads the race in Disney's downfall with an exodus of over 4 million subscribers after it lost the IPL streaming rights to IPL to Mukesh Ambani-led Jio, the business is on a sticky wicket, and the market is abuzz with whispers of a split between Star and Disney. Comeback CEO Bob Iger seeks strategic options for its business, including a joint venture or a sale, as part of a broader cost-cutting and restructuring exercise at the company. As losses mount, is Disney set to change channels in India? Will Reliance - the biggest competitor of Disney - be the game-changing partner? Host Anirban Chowdhury gets market insights from Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities and Karan Taurani of Elara Capital and looks into the tough times with TV with Paritosh Joshi, Former Top Executive at Star, and ET’s Javed Farooqui. Tune in!Credits: NBC News and CNBC Television

Over 100 former bureaucrats have written to the government as they try to sound an alarm against the new Forest (Conservation) Bill. Some believe that this bill, if passed in its current form, may lead to massive deforestation. Will there be more commercialisation under the garb of eco-tourism? Will the bill’s provisions displace the tribals? Will it support India's net-zero ambitions? Host Kalpana Pathak raises these questions with Tushar Dash, Independent Researcher on Forest Rights Governance and Kanchi Kohli, an environmental law and policy researcher in this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Tune in!

A new share from Reliance sets foot on Dalal Street -- making a special debut, Jio Financial Services comes out of the shadows of the parent company RIL after a much-awaited demerger. But street signs aside, what is Jio Financial Services? What is the business plan? Will the Ambanis gun for booming consumer lending or disrupt the B2B space? Can the financial sector replicate the telecom playbook or is the pricing game no good here? Host Anupriya Nair talks to The Economic Times' Arijit Barman and Pratik Bhakta to get insights on the lending ambitions of India's most valued conglomerate.

Can diet colas, sugar-free cookies, breakfast cereals, cough drops and even chewable vitamins cause cancer? A research arm of the committee for the World Health Organization declared that the world's most widely used artificial sweetener, aspartame, which is found in these products had a possible link to liver cancer. WHO later said these are 'safe, but within limits'. Should you really be worried and immediately quit all these? Host Ratna Bhushan gets all the facts and bitter realities as she speaks to Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Max Healthcare, Padma Bhushan awardee and the first Indian to be chosen for the Laureate Award and Dr. Harinder Singh Oberoi, Advisor, Science & Standards and Codex, at the FSSAI in this episode of The Morning Brief. Tune in! Credits: News 1, News 2, News 3, News 4, News 5, News 6 and News 7

American bike-maker Harley Davidson recently launched X440 in partnership with Hero MotoCorp, a bike which is specifically made for the Indian market. Also launched recently was the Speed 400, a bike co-built by the British giant Triumph Motorcycles with Bajaj Auto. What makes it interesting is that these companies are tapping into a segment ruled by Royal Enfield in India. But why? Are companies expecting a rise in demand for the premium motorcycles in India? How will Harley straddle the premiumness and affordability in its brand identity and experience? Host Anirban Chowdhury gets all the answers from industry experts as he speaks with Rod Copes, Ex-President - Royal Enfield and Harley Davidson, Sirish Chandran of Project GTO Publishing, Nikunj Sanghi of J.S. Fourwheel Motors, Harsh Man Rai of Helmet Stories, and Devesh Agrawal, a motorcycle enthusiast and Harley bike owner in the latest episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Tune in! Credits: Fatboy sound, Street 750 sound, X440 sound, 1911 Harley sound, Harley Davidson Rally sound and Motorcycle Flyby sound

We look at the alarming rise in tomato prices, which are ruling above Rs 160 per kilo across marketplaces. Tomatoes are now more expensive than a litre of gasoline and their prices are now at the same level as fruits like apples and plums. Fast food major McDonald's have taken tomatoes off their menus in certain locations. This dramatic price rise, more than five times the cost of last year, comes just two months after a supply glut in Tomatoes prompted farmers in Nasik to throw away their produce for want of a price that covers their cost of production. Host Kiran Somvanshi engages in insightful discussion with industry experts including Sukhpal Singh, Professor of Centre for Management in Agriculture at IIM Ahmedabad, R. Narayanan, Vice President & Head of Procurement at Dabur, Maruti Chapke, Founder & CEO at go4fresh, and Kapil Dev, Chief Business Officer at NCDEX.

Threads have been the talk of the social media town. Excitement is all around, but not just for the newest social media platform. It has also triggered a fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. So, who is winning a cage fight between the two tech billionaires? We stitch together everything you need to know about Threads and all that it brings. Also, why does this matter for India? Host Dia Rekhi talks to social media guru Matt Navarra, top tech business analyst Neil Shah, and a prominent legal voice on online civil liberties, Mishi Choudhary on this episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Tune in! Credits: Colors TV

Multiple reports show that the female workforce participation has been dropping in the country. Some companies say the return-to-office mandate has also led to higher attrition among women. In this episode, host Mugdha Variyar analyses the complexities behind the falling share of women in the workforce and what needs to change. We speak to: - Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder - TeamLease Services Limited - Shirin Sehgal, Deputy Chief People Officer - PwC India - And some women professionals on their experience

Too Big Too Fast - From funding FOMO to aggressive acquisitions to now vanishing valuations and a debt trap. The story of Byju's, which is far from over, has lessons for founders and funders. Where they just plain lucky to be at the right place at the right time? Is it a case of flawed processes and not fraudulent practices? Will debt be the death knell for educators' P&L? In this episode, hear out Salman SH, ET Prime, as he details what is going on with Byju's and why directors and auditors are fleeing. Host Anupriya Nair also speaks to Sriram Somayajula, Co-Founder & CEO of IndigoLearn who explains Why Startups (especially BYJUs) Do Not Deserve Debt.

The notorious 'bribe-for-jobs scam' has been an open secret, in the case of job recruitment in the competitive Indian job market. The recent scandal at a prestigious IT company, known for its ethical standards, and its global scale of recruitment, has sparked fresh concerns. Host Kiran Somvanshi explores why this malpractice continues despite increased scrutiny and accountability in Indian companies, the underlying factors facilitating it, the modus operandi, and the often-overlooked role of HR. She is in discussion with Dr Ganesh Shermon, K Sudarshan, MD, EMA Partners and a bunch of HR professionals from companies as well as consultancy firms as they shed light on this sort of corruption in India Inc and discuss the potential solutions.

This July, India will complete a year of single use plastic ban. But turns out the pervasiveness of single use plastic is difficult to beat. Despite a year after the government imposed the ban, prohibiting its manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution and sale, of plastic carry bags thinner than 120 microns, the material is still found to be in use. What is behind India’s persistent plastic problem? Lax enforcement of regulations? Absence of alternatives? Lack of incentives for waste processing? Host Kalpana Pathak and Team TMB talk to Akshay Gunteti, Head of Partnerships at Green Worms and Nandini Kumar, Senior Senior Consultant at CII and a host of plastic users and vendors.

American chip maker Micron’s announcement to set up an India plant gives the country a breakthrough it’s been seeking for four decades. Semiconductors power the modern world-automobiles to AI. Over the years, the tiny chips have become a strong geopolitical tool and a frontier for the deadly battle of superpowers US and China. Its thawing relations with the US and penchant for standing up to China can get India global support in its chip ambitions. But are its own capabilities enough? Host Anirban Chowdhury traces the semiconductor story across the years with Chris Miller, Author of the corporate bestseller Chip War, Pranab Dhal Samanta, Associate Executive Editor, ET and Shelley Singh, Senior Editor, ET Prime. Credits: CNBC-TV18, NBC News

The Zee-Sony merger in India has taken a dramatic turn. Neither the resignations of independent directors nor the demands raised by institutional investor Invesco prevented the merger agreement from being inked in 2021. However, an interim order from SEBI based on the past complaints raised by the independent directors has the potential to derail or delay the merger. While Zee has appealed against the order, its MD Puneet Goenka has shown a willingness to step down for the merger's success. The drama surrounding the Zee-Sony merger is intense, with high stakes involved. Host Kiran Somvanshi delves into the fate of the merger and the potential consequences of a failed deal and sheds light on the financial, legal, and governance aspects. We speak to - Hetal Dalal, President & Chief Operating Officer - Institutional Investor Advisory Services India Limited; Ashish Kumar Singh, Managing Partner, Capstone Legal; Karan Taurani, Senior Vice President - Research Analyst (Media, Consumer Discretionary & Internet) - Elara Capital and ET's Senior Assistant Editor - Maulik Vyas and Assistant Editor - Javed Farooqui. Credits: Zee TV

The apparel and footwear market of India is expected to grow rapidly. And this growth is expected to come from the rise of affordable fast fashion consumption. Clothes are cheaper than ever, and hence discarded more frequently than ever before. However, where are these clothes going? What is the impact on the environment because of the rising love of cheap fast fashion? Host Shabori Das speaks with Abhishek Malhotra, Partner at McKinsey & Company and Anuradha Balasubramanian, Director & Head - Poshmark.

In 2022 alone, India was prone to over 1300 data breaches and cyber-attacks becoming the second most cyber-vulnerable country in the world. The recent news of the alleged CoWin data breach underlines the importance of data security awareness and laws. But the dark web has its bright knights: ethical hackers who work with governments and companies to make them stronger and fight dark-hooded creatures with keyboards who will stop at nothing to know your most intimate details, physical-to-financial. Host Dia Rekhi talks to two such e-tectives: Saket Modi, Co-Founder and CEO at Safe Security and Vivek Ramachandran, Founder of SquareX to break down the layers of ethical hacking for you. Credits: James Bond 007, Mr Robot, The Recount.

As we all make smarter sustainable choices with what we consume, have you ever questioned if those choices are indeed green or if you’re a victim of greenwashing? In this episode host Ratna Bhushan explores the fine line between tokenism and genuine environmental effort as the selling point of sustainability surges. Are green claims backed by data? Like the ISI mark, is there a need for a stringent standards-compliance mark for green claims? How can regulation step in and help consumers differentiate between genuine shades of green versus those using sustainability as just a selling slogan? We hear from Shriti Malhotra, CEO, The Body Shop, Manisha Kapoor, CEO of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and brand strategy consultant Harish Bijoor.

Did you know, that if you were to invest 1 rupee in any an Indian tiger reserve, the return could be as high as 7,489 times? Tiger reserves in India—that house 3,167 or 75% of the world’s big cats—constitute a billion dollar economy. And almost nothing of it is accounted for in India’s GDP! Nevertheless, governments and corporates are fast becoming aware of the bounties of tiger habitats. More reserves are becoming carbon credit markets and interesting concepts like tiger bonds are being explored. But challenges-shrinking budget support, human-tiger conflict-remain. Host Anirban Chowdhury talks opportunities to Madhu Verma, Environmental Economist, Senior Economic Advisor, Iora Ecological Solutions; Gaurav Gupta, Senior Advisor, Conservation Finance - UNDP; and Richa Sharma - Assistant Editor, ESG - ET Prime.

The birthing business is booming in India, with over 2,500 infertility treatment clinics spread across the country. On average, one new clinic is being added every week. Host Kiran Somvanshi goes behind the scenes to trace what is making infertility such a hot bet for investment? In this episode we hear from Vinesh Gadhia, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Ferty9, Dr. Somesh Mittal, CEO ART Fertility clinics, Brian A. Levine, MD, MS, FACOG, Founding Partner and Practice Director at CCRM New York and Dr. Nitiz Murdia, co-founder of Indira IVF and expert member of the National ART and Surrogacy Board.

IIT dropout turned entrepreneur Rahul Yadav has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the last decade. Yadav, fired from his first startup, Housing.com, for brash behaviour, is now facing the wrath of Sanjeev Bikchandani's Info Edge, the majority shareholder of his new venture, Broker Network (4B Networks). Host Mugdha Variyar unfolds the drama with ET Prime's Priyanka Sahay, who recently interviewed Rahul Yadav on why investors are again experiencing a déjà vu of uncontrolled spending and a flameout after a dream start. In this episode, we also hear from Shriram Subramanian, Founder & Managing Director of InGovern, on the glaring rise of governance issues with many repeat offenders in the startup ecosystem. Credits: CNBC-TV18, Moneycontrol/CNBC-TV18, OneIndia, ET Now.

In an open and candid chat, Sam Altman CEO of OpenAI and the unofficial leader of the AI revolution -- deep-dives into the wider impact of the AI revolution in an exclusive conversation with Satyan Gajwani, Vice Chairman of Times Internet. Altman addresses questions from the audience as they delve into a wide array of themes -- from the investor frenzy around generative artificial intelligence (AI) to the fears of rampant unemployment that would accompany the adoption of the technology.

As the government pulls the plug on its Rs 10,000-crore FAME-II subsidy scheme, we got behind the scenes to understand what really happened and why? Host Kalpana Pathak takes us through the twists and turns of untraceable emails, a whistleblower, alleged misappropriation of subsidies and a startup industry under stress. In this episode hear from Sohinder Gill, CEO, Hero Electric; Ashim Sharma, Senior Partner, Nomura Research Institute and Sharmistha Mukherjee of The Economic Times.

SEBI’s crackdown on finfluencers has intensified. After PR Sundar, the markets regulator penalised Gunjan Verma for providing unregistered investment advice. But what is pushing SEBI to strike hard now and is there a grey area between education and advice? Which sort of content and conversation is acceptable and which is not? Is compliance too cumbersome? Does SEBI need to make compliance easier before ramping up regulation? Host Apoorva Mittal from The Economic Times gets all the questions answered with popular Youtuber Pranjal Kamra, legal clarity from Sandeep Parekh, Managing Partner - Finsec Law Advisors and what it means for monetising content with Swapnil Saurav, CEO & Co-Founder, Rigi Club.Credits: P R Sundar, Warikoo, INAVJOTBRAR, Devansh Rai, Akshat Shrivastava

When TV and digital rights were split and sold for $6 billion dollars for IPL for five 2023-2027 editions to two large media corporations --- Disney Star India and Viacom 18 – a consortium led by Reliance Industries, Paramount, and Bodhi Tree Systems – the jostling had begun even before the first match was bowled in the tournament. It intensified ever since the tournament began with Jio claiming it had the viewers, the moolah, and the buzz all going for it. But was that really the case till the end? Disney claims the highest-rated playoffs match ever with over 6 crores, while Jio Cinema says 3.2 crore concurrent viewers watched the IPL finals between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans on May 29. But at the end of the day, it's always about the moolah. So host Arijit Barman sat down with Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports Disney STAR Network for a candid one-on-one on viewership growth to revenue targets and life beyond T20 and if sports on linear TV is still going strong, how long will it remain an outlier?

In an exclusive chat with Economic Times's Romita Majumdar and Surabhi Agarwal, Adam Selipsky, who overlooks the $80 billion cloud computing arm of online retail giant Amazon, talks of the role of cloud during unprecedented global uncertainty. In this episode, the AWS CEO highlights the rising prevalence of local storage of digital data and points to AWS’s plans to take on Microsoft’s ChatGPT as well as Google’s Bard with its own generative AI platform. Tune in now!

On May 19th, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), announced the removal of 2000 currency notes from circulation. Don't be worried if this reminded you of the previous demonetisation. Unlike this time, the government has given enough time to deposit the notes with the bank, but what's noteworthy is how politics is complicating matters. We spoke to R. Gandhi, Former Deputy Governor of RBI; Saravanan Annadurai, Official Spokesperson - DMK; Ajay Bansal, President - All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA); ET's M.C. Govardhana Rangan and Sugata Ghosh. Credits: Moneycontrol, NDTV, NDTV 2 and CNN-News18

Over the last year, NFT has been praised as a tool for revolutionizing the entertainment, music, and gaming industries. Indians have participated in this technology to see if it is an insane attempt to become a crucial component of the digital age for the future, or is it just a passing fad? Host Apoorva Mittal, in her debut episode, explores whether NFT is losing its steam in India. How are NFT collectors and artists keeping this space alive? Is there any taxation or legal system around it? We speak to Cyber Shakti, NFT Artist and Entrepreneur; Ramesh Gopal, Blockchain Developer and NFT Collector; Kameshwaran Elangovan, COO & Co-Founder of Guardianlink and Ankit Wadhwa, Co-founder and CEO of RARIO. Credits: Jensen Tung, CoinDesk, NDTV and Oneindia Hindi.

Almost all of us have been at the receiving end of incessant WhatsApp calls, texts and videos from anonymous international numbers in the last couple of months. They come from across the world-Indonesia to Vietnam, Malaysia to Kenya—with job offers, money-making opportunities, or lurid invites and compromising videos. Why have the calls increased so much? Who’s behind them? How are they using WhatsApp business accounts so easily? How big and dangerous is the con? What legal recourse do you and I have? And can WhatsApp afford this menace in its biggest market with a user base of 488 million? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Dia Rekhi unravels the scam by talking to Sachin Taparia, Chairman and Founder at LocalCircles, Kanishk Gaur, Cyber Security Expert and a host of people who have engaged with and fallen prey to the scamsters. Credits: WhatsApp

Pakistan is on the brink of bankruptcy and a civil war. With less than a month of reserves to continue importing fuel and food, Pakistan is at dire risk, with the highest inflation and the second lowest economic growth among 46 Asian nations. With the IMF playing hardball, what is the endgame for its economy? Host Kiran Somvanshi talks to S. Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director of the Institute of Business Administration, Shahbaz Rana, Economic Correspondent, The Express Tribune. Anchorperson at Express News. and Pranabdhal Samantha, Associate Executive Editor, The Economic Times.

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is being touted as the government’s next big digital initiative after UPI (Unified Payments Interface). The ambitious open source network aims to connect all buyers and sellers in the ecomm space and to more than treble the country’s ecommerce penetration to 25% of its 1.4 billion population. ONDC has recently been part of the internet chatter for the discounts on online food delivery that is massively undercutting Swiggy and Zomato. Are the discounts sustainable? Who’s funding them? Will more people take to this vast cluttered network? Is ONDC here to stay? Mugdha Variyar and Anirban Chowdhury talk to T Koshy, CEO, ONDC and Anshoo Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO of magicpin, one of the biggest selling apps on the network. Credits: NDTV, Aaj Tak, India Today, Money Control

Nestle India has delivered its highest growth in a quarter in the last decade, but a lot more is brewing at the Maggi maker. Host Ratna Bhushan catches up with Suresh Narayanan, CMD, Nestle India as they engage in a healthy debate on nutrition and upcoming competition.

The Morning Brief delves into the intriguing decision-making process behind Wadia's choice to navigate the treacherous skies of insolvency through the NCLT route. Uncover the motives and intricacies behind this daring flight path, where a seemingly perilous journey could ultimately lead to a flawless landing in the realm of insolvency. In this episode, we hear from Rajesh Sharma, Former Member Technical - National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) who presided over the Jet insolvency and ET's in-house experts - Anirban Chowdhury, Sangita Mehta and Mohit Bhalla. Credits: Spanner Films, First Post, WION and Republic TV

This past week team TMB travelled 400 kms to a site that was unknown to many but soon became famous for its protest. The site was proposed for setting up Asia's largest oil refinery. But soon became the epicentre of protests. Team TMB spoke to some villagers about why they don’t want this refinery in Ratnagiri? Do they think the refinery will bring development and job creation to the region? The adverse effect that the refinery may have on the green environment and much more. Host Kalpana Pathak talks to the villagers on their demands and expectations.

India’s $20 billion dollar beauty market has many suitors for the crown and it may not be a pretty or a petty bout. With the latest contestant Tira, arriving from the Reliance camp, the rules of the BPC business look to be getting a makeover with e-commerce firms setting up shops and veteran retailers looking to grab a piece of online sales. But looking at Nykaa’s not-so-pretty performance at the stock market one questions the business behind the buzz. Listen to shop experts, Biju Kassim, President (Beauty) at Shoppers Stop, Dharmarajan K, Chief Business Officer (Beauty) at Tata CLiQ along with Arjun Anand, Managing Director & Head of Asia at Verlinvest, an investor betting big on beauty and Arvind Singhal, Chairman at Technopak Advisors with the lay of the ‘beauty land’ as Host Shabori Das deep dives into India’s newfound love for beauty!Credits: Glamrs By Purple, Khushmag, Preity Prerna, Vogue INDIA

Milk has become a boiling political issue in Karnataka ahead of the elections. Amul's potential entry is seen as a threat to the local brand Nandini. But what is the economics behind dairy politics? Host Mugdha Variyar travels through the milk belt of Karnataka in Mandya district to do a ground check on farmers' troubles, and to find out what the Amul-Nandini issue means for them. Mugdha speaks to Anitha Ramlingegowda, director of the women's dairy cooperative in Sunnadadoddi in Mandya district, HK Putamma, women’s president of the Mandya District Bharatiya Kisan Sangha, H Sudhakar, general manager of Mandya Milk Union, and Madhu Chandan, founder of Organic Mandya, who is the Mandya candidate for the Sarvodaya Karnataka Party. Credits: NDTV, Narendra Modi Youtube Channel, NewsFirst Kannada 1 and NewsFirst Kannada 2

Reliance Capital was the last big bastion to fall in Anil Ambani’s business empire. Once competing with the likes of ICICI and HDFC, it has been, for the last year, languishing in India’s bankruptcy court. The complex resolution process is a two-horse race between Gujarati pharma giant Torrent Group and auto-hospitals-banking conglomerate Hinduja Group. The prize is RCap’s lucrative insurance business with assets worth Rs 56,000 crore. Host Anirban Chowdhury traces the rise with, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Group Chairman of Inditrade Capital and Former MD of Reliance Money, the fall and challenges with ET’s Senior Editor, Sangita Mehta and the opportunities with G Chokkalingam, Founder of Equinomics Research & Advisory and ET’s Associate Editor, Sugata Ghosh.Credits: CNBC-TV18 1, CNBC-TV18 2, Business Standard, CNBC-TV18 3, CNBC-TV18 4, CNBC-TV18 5, CNBC-TV18 6, Reliance Capital

A revival in private sector capex is key to driving economic growth, creating jobs, and strengthening competitiveness. While most companies said they have the appetite to invest, some others are still in a wait-and-watch mode. At the ET Awards for Corporate Excellence India's top leaders discussed ways of increasing capital investment.

Candid Conversation with Fareed Zakaria & Hemant Taneja, CEO and managing director of global VC firm General Catalyst on how changing geopolitics are changing the game for VCs as well. In a new world order of lowered liquidity and a tsunami of tech transcending borders host Anupriya Nair & Apoorva Mittal question where Indian startups stand in the new global funding landscape? Do founders need to face new reality of valuations? And how are VCs balancing patience and profitability in an era of tech disruption?

A recent video about the sugar content of Bournvita caused an uproar. Its maker Revant Himatsingka withdrew it after receiving a legal notice from the firm that owned the health drink brand, which rejected claims that it had a high sugar content. The taking down of the video created a greater uproar - raising issues of health and, more crucially, what food companies are doing to maintain consumer faith in their brands and what is the food regulator doing about the ultra processed packaged foods that are high on sugar, salt and fats? In order to probe this, host Kiran Somvanshi speaks to Dr. Arun Gupta, Paediatrician and Conveyor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public interest (NAPI), Revant Himatsingka, Health Coach and Content Creator 'FoodPharmer' along with TMB co-host and ET’s Senior Editor, Ratna Bhushan.

El Niño, the climate forcing that warms up the Pacific and disrupts weather across the world, is back. Scientists fear it will contribute to 2024 being the hottest year in recorded history. For India, which is reeling under massive heat waves, it’s particularly worrisome. 60% of the country’s droughts in 130 years have coincided with El Nino events. The jury is out on how severe the imminent bout will be. But El Nino can disrupt rains; which has knock-on effects on food prices, consumption, markets, and public health. How worried should you be? And as the world heats up and climate shocks become more frequent, how long before India becomes truly climate-proof? Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks extensively with Dr. Kim Cobb, American climate scientist and Professor at Brown University, Kamiar Mohaddes, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Cambridge, Saransh Bajpai, Associate Director - Climate Program at WRI India, Saugata Bhattacharya - Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at Axis Bank, and Pankaj Pandey, Head of Research at ICICI Securities. Credits: CNBC, MoneyControl, WION, Julien Miquel, Emma Saying, National Geographic, BQ Prime, Fox 11, Seeker, NDTV, NDTV 2, WION 2 and The El Nino Song.

India becomes first-tier market for Apple as Tim Cook launches 2 flagship stores in Mumbai & Delhi. What does this mean for consumers, resellers and manufacturers as the Cupertino giant sets down roots in the subcontinent ? Host Anupriya Nair speaks to Navkendar Singh, Associate Vice President, Device Research for IDC Asia Pacific, Prabhu Ram, Head Industry Intelligence Group, CyberMedia Research, Writankar Mukherjee, Journalist at ET, and Subhrojit Mallick, Principal Correspondent, ET Telecom.

On Earth Day, Team TMB brings together startup warriors who are developing sustainable solutions. What makes their solutions unique? Is it making any difference to our worlds? What are the hurdles these entrepreneurs face? How prepared is India for long-term solutions? Kiran Somvanshi and Kalpana Pathak discuss with Ajinkya Dhariya, Founder and CEO at PadCare Labs, Anubhav Mittal, CEO & Co-Founder - Ibanss and Satyajit Mittal, Co-Founder & CEO - Aretto Shoes.

Torn Between Taxes And Takedowns Host Arijit Barman Explores If It’s Time For India To Regulate And Bet On Betting? Jay Sayta points to loopholes in the current system and Sarah Ramanauskas Partner, Gaming Integrity details the UK case study on how regulating gambling can be a gamechanger for the gamers and the government.

The furious rivalry between the two American titans, Pepsi and Coca-Cola who have ruled the cola sector in India since early 1990: with broad liberalization measures, has now acquired a new zing, and this time it appears fiercer than ever. RIL has brought back the Indian old-school brand Campa Cola and Sosyo to the Indian market. Reliance's arrival has created quite a stir in the soft-drink industry. Can Reliance do a Jio-like disruption in India's cola war? Why have distributors raised the alarm about ongoing price wars? Will Campa be able to compete in the modern cola war? What lies beyond Reliance's FMCG move in 2023? Host Ratna Bhushan talks to Arnab Roy, Vice President, Marketing - Coca‑Cola India and South West Asia, Rohit Ohri - Chairman & CEO - FCB India and Dhairyashil Patil, National President - The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation. Credits: Campa Cola old ad, Campa Cola new ad, Pepsi Shahrukh and Sachin ad, Thumbs up Akshay ad, Aamir Coca Cola ad, Aamir Pepsi ad and Pepsi Nothing Official about it ad.

Foxconn has mega plans for India. The world’s largest electronics maker is pouring in millions of dollars into setting up iPhone and semiconductor factories in the subcontinent as it looks to expand outside of China. It is aided by Apple’s China plus plans in which India plans a big role, and India’s own overall ambitions of being tech atmanirbhar. But should India be concerned about Foxconn’s horror stories of alleged labour expoitation in China? Is the Taiwanese giant really the best candidate to realise India’s ambitions of becoming a global electronics hub? Dia Rekhi talks to Dr Jenny Chan, Associate Professor of Sociology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co author of Dying for an iPhone, Dr. Satya Gupta, Founder & CEO, EPIC Foundation; President VLSI Society of India and Arjun Malhotra, Co-Chair- EPIC Foundation, Founder - HCL

Gold prices have hit record high soaring past Rs 60,000 mark but the high prices have not deterred the greed for gold. And we are getting it by hook or by crook as smuggling also soars. Host Kiran Somvanshi speaks to a veteran of the customs department as he reveals shocking tales and tactics of new age smuggling. The big question -: Are high import duties the very cause of the booming illicit gold trade? Is the solution the problem? We hear from Dr. Rajesh Kumar Verma, Additional Director General, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Somasundaram PR, India MD and CEO - World Gold Council, Nawal Agrawal, Convener, Jewellery Panel Committee, Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council and Pradeep Thakur, Editor - Governance at the Times of India. Credits: Don - Shemaroo Entertainment, Zanjeer - Prakash Mehra, Aakhri Sanghursh - G. M. Patel, Adalat - A. K. Nadiadwala, Zee Business News and Business Today News.

As India gears to import dairy products for the first time in 10 years Team TMB travels through the dairy ecosystem to understand who 'moo'ved the dairy prices. Is it just a covid backlash? Is it the soaring cost of fodder or Is the downplayed Lumpy skin disease which is playing havoc? Host Anupriya Nair speaks to Milan Sharma, CEO of Revnar Foods, Prabu Guthi, Founder of Talégaon Farms and R S Sodhi, President - Indian Dairy Association to give a 360 degrees view of the 'Milky Way' inflation. Credits: MICA Ad

The tech world is divided on the progress of AI. Many have called for a pause on powerful AI systems, while others say such warnings are too alarmist. Max Tegmark, President of the Future of Life Institute, Surya Mattu, lead of the Digital Witness Lab at Princeton University, speak with host Mugdha Variyar about the rise of general AI, and what role the government and the community have in putting down guardrails.

As India begins its pilot of retailing E20 blended petrol - that is, 20% ethanol and 80% petrol what are the changes and challenges that vehicle owners and producers face? Host Kalpana Pathak explains the new ‘E-20’ regime and how ‘green' is the new face of fuel and how efficient is it on your wallet. On this episode we hear from Hemal Thakkar, Crisil's transport and Mobility head and Kishan Karunakarn, Chief Executive Officer at Buyofuel, a startup in biofuel space and Shally Seth Mohile of The Economic Times.

The Zee Music-Spotify squabble is the latest in a two-decade-long feud between powerful music producers and their broadcasters/streamers over issues such as how much music is worth, how and where it should be used, and how far it should reach. Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to - Vanditta Malhotra Hegde, Entertainment Lawyer, Founder & Managing Partner, VMH & Associates, Mandar Thakur, COO of Times Music and Prashant Panday, Former ENIL MD & CEO - Radio Mirchi. The big question, is operating a music platform in India unviable? Credits: Zee Music Company Songs: Apna Bana Le, Kala Chashma, Zaalima, Kalank and Apna Time Aayega; Streaming platform Ads: Gaana, JioSaavn and Wynk

A dose of success for patient rights in India as the Indian Patent Office rejected J&J’s application to extend its monopoly over selling miracle anti-Tuberculosis drug Bedaquiline after a plea filed by two TB survivors. But is this a one off or will this push MNCs to rethink their drug monopoly strategy? Does the government need to rethink their role in protecting the patients right to ensure MNCs give the same due to Indian users as US based patients ? Host Kiran Somvanshi of The Economic Times debates the issue of evergreening of patents and the abuse of patient rights in this episode of the Morning Brief.

Anil Agarwal's resource empire is facing yet another dilemma as Vedanta faces a payment calendar that may require some juggling. Dividend draining and refinancing; the playbook is the same for Vedanta but the global landscape is very different. Will the billion-dollar repayment throw up a billion other issues plaguing Vedanta? Cash crunch to corporate governance, shareholder pushback to promoter debt...Why does Vedanta hurtle from one crisis to another? Host Arijit Barman digs deep into the metal & mining empire. Credits: CNBC-TV18 News 1, CNBC-TV18 News 2 and CNBC-TV18 News 3

Dubbing has come a long way since its introduction in Western cinema, but after many years, we witnessed India and cinema in particular generating a fortune from it, with movies like Bahubali and KGF making a fortune. However, this dramatic surge was highlighted in the pandemic, where everyone binged watched this type of entertainment. But what is driving this sector, how large is it in total, and why is it now travelling across India? In this episode, Host Dia Rekhi speak to: Riya Mukherjee, Founder & Partner at Riya Mukherjee Word Pictures; Sanket, Voice over artist; Mona Shetty, Managing Director of Sound & Vision (dubbing studio); Anil Thadani, founder of AA Films

A Do Not Disturb (DND) registry. Blockchain technology. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has made many attempts to curb the menace of pesky calls. It is now looking to launch a caller ID similar to Truecaller, and is also deploying AI and ML to address the issue. Will it work? Host Mugdha Variyar explores why spam calls still persist and where the gaps lie. Credits: Jamtara - Netflix India, MidnightSB, JAMMU TODAY, Scambaiter and Labour Law Advisor

From being family business of edible oils in 1971 to becoming a household brand name, Marico has scaled heights without compromising on governance. Host Kiran Somvanshi sits down with Harsh Mariwala in a candid conversation as he narrates the the story of grit, gumption and growth, and of the core values of trust, transparency and innovation which have built Marico. Listen in.Credits: Saffola Life, Candid Creations, SetWetStyling, Livon, Chrome Pictures

In a world where dating has progressed to the next level, meeting your romantic partner through an app is considered normal. While dating apps are thriving in the country, matrimony apps have seen a decline, and dating fatigue is growing alongside this expanding market. The Morning Brief digs deep into how more and more people than ever are dating, meeting potential partners and the reasons why consumers keep coming back to the apps, despite not finding 'the one'. Shabori Das, the show's host, speaks with Ravi Mittal, Founder and CEO at QuackQuack and Meghana Srinivas, Founder TrustIn.

A regional bank in the United States sends ripples across global financial markets. Silicon Valley Bank the banking hub for startups not just in Palo Alto but had footprints in India, Canada EU and even China. Did SVB get too hot too soon or was it a case of poor risk mismanagement with bad investment decisions? Will this spell big trouble for little banks or will it bring in good news by way of a pausing Fed? Host Anupriya Nair, explores answers to these questions with voices across the ecosystem.

German airline Lufthansa has been impacted by Covid before and more than most global carriers. It grounded planes, fired thousands of employees and lost billions. Last week, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said the airline “is back” as it swung from record losses in 2020 to a resounding profit in 2022. As it still grapples with challenges and pushes through its expansion plans-buying aircraft, revamping product and hiring staff- Asia and India assume massive importance for the European carrier. In an exclusive chat, Spohr talks to host Anirban Chowdhury about the airline’s current problems and opportunities; why the airline will be leaner than before; the importance of China; why he loves India and his plans for the market. He also talks about why the world and Lufthansa want a new Air India. Credits: Channels Television, WION, DW News, euronews and CNBC International TV.

Post pandemic, there has been an unprecedented divergence in consumption patterns: the rich have been splurging on luxury cars, jets, gadgets and holidays. But sales of consumer goods in rural areas have slowed down; affordable and entry gadgets, appliances, two wheeler and cars have massively slumped as rising inflation has sapped the purchasing power of the urban poor and rural population. Host Anirban Chowdhury tracks the widening divide between the rich and poor through five sectors: FMCG, smart phones, automobiles, hotels and restaurants. With Manoj Menon, Head of Research and Consumer Analyst, ICICI Securities, Navkendar Singh, associate vice president at IDC India, Nikunj Sanghi, former president, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, Rajesh Magow, Group CEO at Makemytrip and Chef Manu Chandra, Founder, Single Thread and Lupa

India’s first woman forensic scientist is Rukmani Krishnamurthy. Krishnamurthy was a feminist before feminism was a thing. When she got three job options: a clerical position at RBI, a teacher and a forensic scientist, she took up the last one because of one question asked during the interview “What will a woman do in forensics?” From detecting hazardous material as the root of a train accident to finding out critical details in the 26/11 terror attacks, Krishnamurthy’s story is many bestselling thrillers bound into one. About six years ago, Krishnamurthy set up Helik Advisory, one of India’s first private-sector forensic firms. Helik now deals with cases from various crime departments across the country, also from corporate watchdogs such as the Enforcement Directorate and Sebi. From getting into complex bank data servers in accounting fraud cases to analyzing handwriting anomalies to catch blackmailers in big corporate houses is all in a day’s work. Kiran Somvanshi dives deep into this supersleuth’s world ranging from lie detectors and DNA tests to forged signatures and data theft.

As Gautam Adani battled his worst crisis ever, one little known investor and his firm came to his rescue. Rajiv Jain’s GQG Partners last week laid a $1.87 billion bet on the conglomerate by buying stakes in four of its companies. This, at a time when the group had lost more than $120 billion in the markets thanks to a damning report from American short seller Hindenburg accusing it of corporate fraud. Who is Rajiv Jain and why has he placed the most daring bet of his life on the embattled ports-to-power business empire? Host Arijit Barman talks to the man himself.

A new tribe of entrepreneurs is fast sprouting across the startup landscape: board game creators. India has a long history of board games. Their popularity resurged during the pandemic and has sustained beyond. Game nights are common, board game cafes are opening across cities, and OTT shows have made people aware of international strategy games beyond Monopoly and Cluedo. In India, new board games are being constantly created: themed on local history, politics and popular culture. From Shasn, Mahabharat, Indus, Bharata 600 BC and Karigar-e-Taj to The Poll there’s scores of indigenous games raring to take on the German OG of board games renaissance: Catan. Dia Rekhi delves into this fascinating new ecosystem—biggest names, ideation, production, margins, investment, taxes and competition—with Phalgun Polepalli, creator of Mozaic Games, and the creator and director of The Civic Games Lab, as well as Prashant Maheshwari, Co-founder - MeepleCon, and Abeer Kapoor, Founder, Civic Games Lab.

India is facing a fresh health catastrophe as one out of every five women is suffering with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It is fast closing on diabetes as the big health challenge and they are both intrinsically linked. Host Ratna Bhushan explores this epidemic with Vikas Dandekar and pours over his findings along with experiences from women dealing with PCOS and the toll it has taken on not just physical but mental health. Reputed gynaecologist Dr. Sonia Naik also speaks on how it’s impacting urban and affluent girls. With no approved drugs or treatment plan how do you battle this epidemic?

The global war on inflation is now attacking portfolios as the 6-month return on the Nifty turns negative. With the latest inflation data in the US igniting bets for further rate hikes the market mood has made a U-turn and this time India is outperforming in the underperformance. What are the macros indicating and what will it mean for the markets, Sajjid Chinnoy from JPMorgan and Rohit Srivastava from indiacharts.com, join host Anupriya in decoding these confusing street signals. Credits: 11Alive

Will the angel tax be the death knell for startup funding? Host Mugdha Variyar explores this setback for startups as worry of valuations take centre stage. Who is the best evaluator, what is the best method and why are FEMA and Income Tax norms in contradiction? The Morning Brief gets answers from across the ecosystem we speak to - Siddarth Pai, Co-Chair of Regulatory Affairs Committee - IVCA and Founding Partner - 3one4 Capital - Akhilesh Ranjan, Former member, CBDT, Advisor Tax Policy, PwC- Nikunj Bubna, Founder and CEO - TheWowBox India Pvt. Ltd,- Meyyappan Naggappan, Partner Tax Practice, TrilegalCredits: Narendra Modi Youtube Channel, India Today Conclave, ANI News, CNN-News18.

As the world goes greener, the love for lithium is growing at an unprecedented pace. What is this rare earth metal all about and why is it the new oil for the global economy? China is the current king of the lithium kingdom but can India's latest find in J&K break the supply chain almost monopoly? Kalpana Pathak speaks to Pankaj Sharma, Director and Co-Founder, Log9 Materials; Dr. VN Vasudev, CEO-Mineral/Metals Exploration, MPXG Exploration Pvt Ltd. India and Swati Dsouza, Program Head, India ZEV Centre at UC Davis.

What does the mega buy mean for it as brand and network? Can fliers hope to finally get a world-class long haul Indian flight carrier or will the pending royal mess of disputes and losses cloud the path? Host Anirban Chowdhury evaluates if the Air India can finally be a truly global airline with insights from John Strickland, Owner of JLS Consulting London, Amit Thakran, Associate Practice Lead - CAPA India. Also a 'Behind-The-Scenes' scoop with Arindam Majumder of Economic Times on the biggest order of new passenger aircraft in history. Credits: CNBC Television, CNBC-TV18 and ANI News

What happens when the largest beer brewer in the world decides to launch its first-ever hard spirit-an American blended whiskey in India? AB InBev India, the leading beer and beverage company announced the launch of Budweiser Magnum Double Barrel whiskey in the Indian market. But the real question is - Is India, which has its taste for single malts or scotch whiskey then how will the dawn of bourbons look? our debutant host Shabori Das deep dives with Vineet Sharma, Vice President - Marketing & Trade Marketing at AB InBev India; Keshav Prakash, Founder - Vault Fine Spirits and Arijit Bose, Vertical head - Countertop division at Third Eye Distillery. Disclaimer - This episode does not advise or promote any consumption of Alcohol. The intention is purely informational.

What are CSOPs and are crowdfunding platforms like Tyke in regulatory grey areas? With zero investor rights, minimal buyback obligations on companies and accounting jugglery, do thousands of investors stand to lose money on these platforms? These are the questions host Anirban Chowdhury was determined to get answers to as he got intrigued by new fundraising platforms constantly cropping up in India’s very dynamic startup landscape. In this episode of TMB we speak to 1) Tushaar Talwar, a corporate lawyer who first pointed out the 'grey area' in such investment platforms 2) the Founder of startups who have used 'crowdfunding' or CSOPs: Muthukumaran Ramanathan, Founder Vanghee.com, Rohan Sinha, founder of Kohbee, 3) Sandeep Parekh, Managing Partner, Finsec Law Advisors and former executive director at Sebi as we question the legal loopholes, 4) Hitesh Gajaria, former senior partner of KPMG pours over the questionable accounting of these instruments on the books of these startups, 5) Anurakt Jain, Co-founder and CEO at Klub, a debt funding platform.

Curious about the business of drones, TMB host Kiran Somvanshi visited the factory of IdeaForge, India’s largest drone makers. From being a futuristic idea to a surveillance tool to having multiple use cases in agriculture, infrastructure, pharma, sports, films, rescue operations and wars, the unmanned aerial vehicle has come a long way. And with one company making a crackling stock market debut and another in the wings, there’s money finally chasing this business. Besides IdeaForge's CEO Ankit Mehta she also talks to Smit Shah, President, Drone Federation of India and Prateek Srivastava, founder and MD of DroneAcharya Aerial Innovations

"Millets, the ancient grain family of jowar, bajra and ragi, are making a comeback into India’s foodscape. They are in PM Narendra Modi's podcasts and FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech; FMCG giants and startups are selling them as cookies and cakes; and food influencers are dishing out constant content on them. Millets aren’t new to India’s culture or kitchens. They are full of nutrients and easy to produce. But in a country obsessed with rice, wheat and pulses, they aren’t widely produced or consumed. Will that now change?What will it take to get millets to thousands of Indian dining tables? Host Ratna Bhushan talks to Meghna Narayan, co-founder at Slurrp Farm, Dr C.V. Ratnavathi, director of the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) and Prashant Parameswaran, Managing Director at Tata Consumer Soulfull Private Ltd. Credits: Narendra Modi, HealthifyMe, HealthifyMe, Business Today"