Daybreak

India's largest school board, CBSE, has announced that students as young as Class 3 will begin learning Artificial Intelligence.This isn't the first time. The board rolled out an AI elective for Class 9 in 2019, long before generative AI was a household name. Now, the goal is to make "AI thinking" as fundamental as grammar.We dive into this massive national experiment, exploring what "learning AI" means for a third grader—it's less about building chatbots and more about "computational thinking." And the real test ahead isn't the syllabus; it's whether India can train millions of teachers, many still unsure about using the tools they're now expected to teach.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

What does it take to perform at your best — not once, but over and over again? Olympian Nisha Millet has spent her life answering that question.In sport, as in business, success isn't about one big win — it's about showing up, even when it's hard. From the pressures of competing at the Olympics to building a career as a coach and entrepreneur, Nisha shares what the pool taught her about focus, resilience, and managing performance under pressure.In this episode, we explore how elite athletes think about consistency, how they recover from failure, and what leaders everywhere can learn from the mindset of those who compete for fractions of a second.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

SoftBank just sold about $5.8 billion worth of Nvidia shares earlier this week. The move frees up cash for new AI bets and comes as AI stocks power most of this year's market rally. Nvidia's rise has been spectacular but so have the warnings about overheating. Some analysts see a rotation coming: money could move from pricey tech giants to steadier markets. And that's where India enters the picture. It's grown slower, but on stronger fundamentals like broad demand, digital momentum, real earnings. The question now is simple: when the AI fever cools, can India keep its calm?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

When Ozempic began changing how the world lost weight, most slimming companies panicked. But VLCC didn't. Backed by Carlyle, it's opening more clinics than ever before. Because to Carlyle, Ozempic isn't a threat—it's just another doorway into India's beauty economy. In this episode, we look at how VLCC's new owners are turning an existential challenge into expansion, why its products are taking a back seat to real estate, and what the future of India's weight-loss industry looks like in the age of GLP-1 drugs.Tune in. Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

In 2025, the University of Southampton became the first British university to open a campus in India. It was more than a milestone. After a single policy change, foreign universities are rushing to claim their place in India's higher-education market. States are competing to host them, and universities are chasing new revenue abroad. Everyone seems to be winning. But beneath the glossy partnerships and big promises, what does this experiment really mean for students? And what happens when a “foreign degree” no longer means going abroad?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

Across India, lenders like HDFC and Kotak are repurposing the same algorithms that once judged credit risk to run hyper-personalised marketing campaigns. These systems now predict who's ready for a credit card, or insurance plan by studying every transaction, payment, and habit — turning customer data into personalised sales pitches.The RBI has drawn clear lines for how AI can be used in lending. But when it comes to marketing, the rules are still fuzzy. That leaves space for India's biggest banks to experiment—and for AI to quietly reshape how finance sells itself.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

India's quick-commerce poster child, Zepto, is racing to the public markets after a festive season high. The company clocked 20 lakh daily orders during Diwali — coming only second to Blinkit. But behind that surge lies a far more complicated story: leadership churn, regulatory heat, and a business model that's still chasing profitability.In this episode, we unpack Zepto's dual reality — a startup celebrating record growth while quietly firefighting internal challenges. From FDA raids on dark stores and government warnings on “dark patterns,” to its clean-up act and pre-IPO tightening, we explore how Zepto is trying to look investor-ready in a year that's tested its resilience.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Remember Blackberry? The phone that once ruled business meetings and earned the nickname “Crackberry”? It's making a comeback—but this time, not in your pocket.In this episode, we dive into Blackberry's surprising pivot from smartphones to car software. Its QNX system now runs the brains of over 250 million vehicles worldwide, powering everything from navigation to safety. And the nerve centre of this quiet comeback? India.With its Hyderabad hub, partnerships with Mahindra, Tata Motors, and Tata Elxsi, and a growing EV ecosystem, India is where Blackberry's next growth story is being coded. From BBM to EVs, this is the story of how a fallen tech icon found new life—on the road.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

When your insurance card suddenly stops working, it is not just a glitch. It is the symptom of a deeper crisis in Indian healthcare. Hospitals say insurers have failed to update reimbursement rates despite medical inflation. Insurers say hospitals are inflating bills and resisting standardization. Millions of policyholders are caught between them, forced to pay out of pocket for care they thought was covered. How did India's healthcare system end up in this deadlock. And who really decides what your treatment is worth?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Groww, the platform that turned stock trading into an everyday habit, is gearing up for India's biggest-ever broking IPO. On paper, it's flying high — profits have tripled, revenues have surged past ₹4,000 crore, and competitors like Zerodha and Angel One are feeling the lagging behind.But look closer, and the shine dulls a little. A big chunk of Groww's recent gains comes from one-time accounting adjustments, while its active user base and broking income are already slowing. To keep the engine running, Groww is betting on a new frontier — lending — even as rivals crowd the same space.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Lenskart changed how India buys glasses. It made eyewear affordable, stylish, and available on every street corner. But behind that success is a story of shortcuts. Cheap acetate frames, thinner coatings, and rushed prescriptions have left many customers questioning the quality they once trusted. As the company prepares to close a massive IPO, its promise of clarity is facing some uncomfortable scrutiny.In this episode we look at how Lenskart built its empire on affordability and what that means for the people who actually wear its glasses.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Last week, ChatGPT launched its own AI browser — a tool that promises to surf the web for you. It can summarise articles, add chocolates to your cart, or even tell you which email to reply to first (though… not always correctly). OpenAI's vision is clear: make ChatGPT the centre of your digital life. But are users buying in? From buggy app integrations with Canva and Spotify to real concerns around privacy and data access, this episode explores why AI-powered tools aren't quite the game-changers they claim to be — yet. And why OpenAI keeps rolling them out anyway. Tune in. Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Ola's ride-hailing business is losing speed. Its market share has dropped from 45% in 2018 to around a quarter today and investors are running out of patience. Some even explored a merger with Rapido in late 2024 but the talks collapsed. Bhavish Aggarwal's focus on Ola Electric and his reluctance to sell have kept the cab business in limbo. Leadership churn, shrinking cash reserves, and a collapsing valuation have added to the strain. So why can't investors leave and why is Aggarwal refusing to let go?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

If you've ever used a Classmate notebook or a Doms pencil, you've already been an unwitting part of one of India's quietest rivalries in action.For years, ITC ruled the stationery aisle — backed by its giant paper mills and powerful brands. But Gujarat-based Doms is catching up fast.Since its 2023 IPO, Doms' sales have surged, its stock has tripled, and it's closing in on ITC's notebook empire. With everything made in-house and a perfectionist at the helm, Doms is turning pencils into profit, and giving one of India's biggest conglomerates a run for its money.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

LG Electronics India just pulled off a record-breaking IPO, drawing bids worth over 4 lakh crore rupees. Investors love its dominance in consumer electronics and its unrivaled retail network. For decades, LG has built trust through deep relationships with local retailers, flexible margins, and a people-first culture. But as the company shifts toward profit maximization and premium products, those same relationships could be tested. Can a business built on generosity stay efficient enough to compete with rivals like Samsung and Whirlpool? Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Accenture is reinventing itself. Literally. Its new “Reinvention Services” division, led by former Americas CEO Manish Sharma, is supposed to make Accenture the best version of itself for clients. But inside the company? "Reinvention" signals a deep internal culling after nearly 11,000 job cuts. The layoffs, however are also fuelling a new kind of hiring boom elsewhere.The Big Four—Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG—are seizing the moment. As they race to turn themselves into AI and tech transformation powerhouses, corporate restructuring at tech-services giants like Accenture and IBM just made hiring tech talent a whole lot easier for the Big Four. Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Trump hiked H-1B visa fees overnight. For Indian students and engineers, it was a shock. For GCC employees, it was a chance to step up.While global capability  centres handle tech, ops, and innovation, final decisions usually stay in the US. Senior employees started to wonder: could the visa disruption finally shift some power to India? In this episode, we explore why GCCs' leap from execution to strategy is still far from guaranteed.Tune in.⏳ How is AI changing your workday? Take our 5-minute survey: https://theken.typeform.com/to/yQTIGKihDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Meesho is preparing for one of India's most watched IPOs. The company built its success in small-town India, where trust matters more than speed. Over 75% of its orders are still paid in cash on delivery. That approach helped Meesho win millions of new shoppers and grow faster than bigger rivals. But it also ties up cash and squeezes margins, making investors uneasy. Now Meesho is working with Razorpay to encourage more prepaid payments and faster settlements. But can a company that grew by trusting cash-first customers convince them to go digital without losing their loyalty?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

At 2 a.m. in Bangalore, a call-centre agent is resolving flight refunds with a new kind of colleague — one that never sleeps. AI copilots are now embedded across India's BPM sector, watching every click and keystroke to improve their own efficiency. For firms like Capgemini and Genpact, the real prize isn't labour anymore — it's workflow data. Because in the race toward “agentic AI,” whoever owns the data, wins. And India, for all its scaled up manpower, might be training the machines that will one day replace it.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Is the AI revolution already running out of steam? Despite years of hype about a world transformed by smart tools and endless innovation, the data tells a quieter story. The growth is flat, the excitement is fading, and there have been fewer breakthroughs than expected. Has AI already peaked or are we just looking in the wrong places? In today's episode, we dive into one of The Ken's most thought-provoking essays by Praveen Gopala Krishnan, 'What does an AI bubble burst look like?'Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

When Dreamfolks Services entered India's aviation scene, it quietly built the plumbing that made airport lounge access possible. It linked banks, card networks, and travellers to hundreds of lounges nationwide. For years, it stayed out of sight, powering a privilege most flyers never thought twice about.Now, it's being shown the door.Adani, India's biggest airport operator, is moving fast to take full control — not just of the runways, but everything that happens beyond security. Lounges, food courts, duty-free zones, and retail stores are all coming under its fold. Some are being rebranded, others replaced — and nearly all are being pulled into Adani's growing airport ecosystem.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

What if the smartest money move you ever make… is doing less?In this episode of Daybreak, host Snigdha Sharma sits down with Megha Jose, CEO of Fortune Wealth Management and founder of Thryve, an investment advisory firm, to explore the idea of “Lazy Girl Investing.” Can women really build wealth without the burnout? And does the real rebellion lie beyond hustle culture?From confronting financial shame to finding your “North Star” and rethinking how you see the stock market, Megha breaks down simple, low-effort systems that make your money work for you—quietly, confidently, and consistently.Because financial freedom isn't loud. It's quietly compounding in the background.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Silver is having a moment, and not in the way you might think.Once hoarded by billionaires, now sought after by AI and clean energy — the world is experiencing a historic silver crunch. Jewellers are refusing orders, mutual funds are freezing ETFs and Diwali shopping just got a lot more expensive.The thing is, silver supply has been trailing demand for years now. And now, the gap is finally showing. What's behind this sudden shift?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Across India, many heirs are stepping away from running their inherited businesses to run family offices instead. They see investing as more flexible, more global, and less tied to daily operations.Their parents built factories but they are more interested in managing portfolios.It's a practical shift but one that's changing how old wealth works and what it values.What's driving this change and does India's next generation of uber-rich business owners still want to build anything at all?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Launched last year with the promise of 10 million internships, the Prime Minister's Internship Scheme was meant to bridge the gap between young graduates and India's job market. A year on, the numbers tell a different story. Fewer than 9,000 interns have joined so far, even as top companies like TCS and Reliance came on board. Behind the slow start lie deeper problems — poor funding exacerbating a mismatch between corporate expectations and student realities.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

OpenAI's latest classroom experiment is starting in India. A deal with the Arise school network gives 10,000 free ChatGPT licenses to teachers but the fine print has schools on edge. But between NDAs, data collection, and new privacy laws, India's educators are asking what OpenAI really wants from their classrooms. Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Six months after launch, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro is already India's second-biggest pharma brand, ahead of antacid Pan and just behind antibiotic Augmentin. Days later, Eli Lilly announced a $1 billion investment and a new Hyderabad hub.The timing is no accident: India has one of the world's largest obese and diabetic populations, Ozempic's patent expires in 2026, and local pharma giants are gearing up with cheap GLP-1 generics.In this episode of Daybreak, we unpack how this landscape presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Eli Lilly.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

When Deloitte refunded part of the A$439,000 it was paid by the Australian government for a report riddled with AI-generated errors, it seemed like the perfect moment to slow down. Instead, the firm doubled down and announced a global rollout of Anthropic's Claude to nearly half a million employees. That decision captures the strange new logic shaping the Big 4 consulting companies. PwC, EY, KPMG, and Deloitte are no longer just using AI, they are performing it.Audit and tax work has slowed, regulation is tightening, and growth now depends on signalling technological boldness. In this new credibility economy, hesitation looks worse than failure. A mistake is no longer a crisis; it has become proof that you are early. But as every firm rushes to prove its AI edge, sameness is setting in, and the next real differentiator may not be accuracy at all.What could it be then?Tune in.

Founded by the Patel brothers, Vini Cosmetics built Fogg into the country's top deodorant brand with its no-gas formula, and high-margin pitch. In 2021, global giant KKR swooped in with a $600 million deal, valuing Vini at $1.2 billion—the biggest private equity play in Indian FMCG.But the partnership never clicked. The founders refused to fully step back, while KKR struggled with the quirks of a brand-led business in a market it didn't quite understand. Advertising budgets were slashed, rivals like Denver surged ahead, and new launches flopped.Today, Vini is still profitable, but its margins are shrinking, and Fogg's dominance is fading. And even as the founders return fully into the picture, it's future looks foggy at best.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Even as markets wobble and trading volumes shrink, one online broker has raced ahead. Dhan, a four-year-old broking startup, managed to grow rapidly, post profits, and raise $120 million at a $1.2 billion valuation—all in the middle of a market correction.In this episode, we look at Dhan's journey from a niche platform for power traders to one of India's newest unicorns.What's making investors so bullish on Dhan when the rest of the industry is slowing down?Tune in.Correction note: In this episode, the host mistakenly referred to Dhan's raise as $120 billion; the correct figure is $120 million, led by Hornbill Capital, valuing the company at around $1.2 billion.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Humantic AI is changing up IT services sales. Founded by serial AI entrepreneur Amarpreet Kalkat, the 24-person startup has built what it calls “buyer-first intelligence”—using AI to decode a client's personality, communication style, and preferences from public data. Humantic wants to give sellers an instant human edge in billion-dollar deals. But challenges loom. Enterprise buyers are wary of bloated sales stacks, and Humantic will have to prove it's more than just another disposable add-on in a sector already crowded with AI promises.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Phonepe is stepping into the public markets with a $15 billion IPO. For Walmart, which has pumped billions into the payments firm, this is both a chance to cash in and a test of its India strategy.Unlike Paytm's disastrous, hype-heavy listing in 2021, Phonepe is going in with steadier financials, fewer regulatory scrapes, and the scale to back its story. Yet, the timing isn't without risk: subsidies are shrinking, UPI share caps are on the horizon, and investor appetite has cooled since 2021.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

India's packaged-food bigwigs ignored spices for a long time. Not anymore.Since 2020, everyone from ITC to Tata Consumer Products, from Dabur to Wipro, has been scrambling to cement their place in this essential corner of the Indian kitchen. They've pounced on spice brands, sometimes paying top dollar for them, all while their investors cheered them on. In fact, the stocks of Tata Consumer and ITC have both outperformed the S&P BSE FMCG index over the last five years.Turns out, this was all the vindication that Norwegian conglomerate Orkla needed to go publicBut this isn't just another public listing. It's the opening salvo in what industry insiders are calling the “great spice wars”. And here's where it gets even spicier: though the category offers some of the highest margins in FMCG products—with pure spices commanding 30–35% gross margins and blended spices going up to 60%—they come with their own unique challenges.Tune in.*This episode was originally published on July 22nd 2025Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

It takes 150 crocus flowers to make just one gram of saffron. For comparison, a spice like cumin, gets you hundreds of kilos per acre whereas saffron yields barely two.Despite getting a prestigious GI tag from the Indian government and even a National Mission dedicated to its revival, Kashmir's saffron production has plummeted:from 8 tonnes in 2011 to just 2.7 tonnes in 2024.So what's going wrong? And can India learn something from Iran, which currently dominates 90% of the global saffron market?Reporters Mehroob Mushtaq and Numan Bhat, traveled deep into saffron country, met the farmers, walked the fields, and came back with a story that's rich in detail, visuals, and hard truths.Tune in.*This episode was originally published on July 21st 2025.Compete in India's first and only case-build competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

India's soda shelves have changed almost overnight. Coke and Pepsi now sell zero-sugar versions of their drinks at prices as low as 10 rupees. The move came after Reliance launched Campa Cola with its own budget zero-sugar option. Now, they are taking over in big cities and small towns alike.But what looks like a health trend is really a business strategy.   What is really inside those bottles? And what does it mean for consumers? Tune in.Compete in India's first and only case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Swiggy, once the dominant force in India's quick-commerce market, is now struggling to keep pace. Since its IPO, Instamart's share has slipped to about 25%, well behind Blinkit's commanding over 50%. To engineer a turnaround, CEO Sriharsha Majety is driving sweeping changes at the company—fuelled by a wave of ex-Flipkart hires, including Amitesh Jha as Instamart's new chief. The shake-up marks a cultural pivot from Swiggy's meticulous “doc culture” to a harder-edged “move fast, fail fast” ethos. But with Blinkit and Zepto racing ahead, whether this reset can restore Swiggy's edge or leave it further behind in the quick-commerce race remains to be seen.Compete in India's first and only case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

What happens when a woman writes the cheques in venture capital? In India fewer than 5% of VC partners are women and Archana Jahagirdar, founder of Rukam Capital, is part of that rare group. Since 2019, she has backed Sleepy Owl, Burger Singh, Pilgrim and Beco—bets that reveal how India's middle class eats, shops and aspires. In this episode Archana talks to host Snigdha Sharma about why copying Silicon Valley often fails here, how VCs shape culture, what she looks for in founders, and why consumer trust can be the ultimate advantage. Tune inDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

Blinkit now controls more than half of India's quick commerce market, a sector long thought too competitive, too crowded, and too expensive for anyone to dominate.From its ever-expanding network of dark stores that powers its 10-minute deliveries to the recent, bold pivot toward an inventory-led model, Blinkit's rise is built on a mix of speed, scale, and risk.But rapid expansion also brings higher costs and greater exposure. Has Blinkit created a sustainable advantage, or has it built a fragile empire that could be tested soon?Tune in. Compete in India's first and only case competition. Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

Vinfast, Vietnam's ambitious electric vehicle maker, is making its last-ditch global play in India after racking up billions in losses in the US and Europe. But its strategy is unlike anything the market has seen before. Instead of competing with giants like Tata and Mahindra in big metros with flashy showrooms, Vinfast is starting in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities like Coimbatore and Shimla—using car workshops as sales hubs.It's betting on a country that is invested in EV adoption, rising middle class families who value range over power, and robust charging grid. The question is whether this unconventional approach will help it carve a space in India's crowded EV market, or mark another costly failure.Tune in.Compete in India's first and only case competition. Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

For decades, every Amazon meeting began in silence with employees reading six-page memos that shaped the company's biggest innovations like Prime and Alexa. Jeff Bezos banned PowerPoint in 2004 to build a culture of truth-seeking through crisp writing and messy discussions. Now, that tradition faces disruption as internal AI tools like Amazon Q and Cedric draft, summarise and analyse documents in minutes. Some employees are embracing the speed while others fear a loss of originality and rigour. Is AI strengthening Amazon's culture or quietly dismantling the practice that once defined its success?Tune in.Click here to sign up for The Ken's case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

IRMA was never just another B-school. Born out of Verghese Kurien's (the father of Operation Flood movement) mind, it built a one-of-a-kind management program for rural India—training managers for cooperatives, NGOs, and grassroots institutions, far away from the IIM playbook.Now, Delhi has other plans. An Act of Parliament is folding IRMA into a vast new central university, the "Tribhuvan" Sahkari University, with hundreds of affiliates. On paper, it's about scaling cooperative education nationwide. But the shift is sparking anxiety over placements, faculty, and whether Kurien's vision will survive in a system built for size.Tune in.Compete in India's first and only case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

India's millionaire households have jumped 90% in just four years, and a gold rush for wealth managers has begun. Firms like Nuvama, Kotak, and 360 One are in a race for high-net-worth clients—deploying relationship managers, slashing rates, and dangling exotic products to stay ahead.But the old playbook of generous distribution fees is colliding with a new reality. Today's wealthy are savvier, fee-sensitive, and increasingly leaning on advisory-first models or even building in-house family offices. That's left pure-play firms in a difficult spot, even as VC-backed challengers chase growth at all costs.Tune in.P.S. Are you a manager, recruiter or founder who has been part of a hiring process in the last year? Rahel from 90,000 Hours  wants to hear from you. Take our survey.Compete in India's first and only case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

Gold has hit record highs: $3,702.95 an ounce globally and ₹110,666 per 10 grams in India, up over 40% this year. But inflation seems to be easing, and there's no immediate threat of war. What could be behind the surge? Experts point to central banks around the world buying gold, expectations of U.S. rate cuts weakening the dollar, and Indian households holding onto their gold, limiting supply. The rally matters for India because it pushes up imports and puts pressure on the rupee, which hit a record low of 88 against a dollar this year. What does gold's rise tell us about global money and India's economy.Tune in.P.S. Are you a manager, recruiter or founder who has been part of a hiring process in the last year? Rahel from 90,000 Hours  wants to hear from you. Take our survey.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

Private equity is reshaping India's schools. A relaxed New Education Policy and rising demand for international curricula have opened the doors for global operators to buy up chains across the country.The promise is scale, better infrastructure, and tighter governance. But the reality looks a little different—lean budgets, shrinking salary hikes, and a growing focus on cost-cutting. And the fallout? Increasing staff attrition, decreasing academic quality, and schools trading their founder-led ethos for a standardised model.Tune in.*Disclosure: The writer comes from a family that previously owned a school acquired partially by International Schools Partnership (ISP)Compete in India's first and only case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

India's largest stockbroker, Groww, is chasing an ambitious IPO. But behind the headlines, its core broking business is under stress. Its clients are leaving, regulations are squeezing revenues, and profits are wobbling. To keep its $7–8 billion valuation intact, Groww is making big moves. It's acquiring loss-making wealth-tech startup Fisdom for $150 million and launching “W,” a new unit for the rich. Wealth management is the trend everyone wants in on, but can Groww really pull it off? Or is this just optics ahead of the IPO? Tune in.Compete in India's first and only case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

Most SaaS companies have accepted the “cloud and AI tax” , the cost they pay to Amazon, Google, and Microsoft for storage and processing data. But Zoho is refusing to play along. Famous for its frugality, Zoho is now building its own AI models and data centers to keep costs down for the small and medium enterprises that make up most of its clientele.While rivals lean heavily on third-party clouds, Zoho has bet on a homegrown LLM—Zia—to power its products and stay affordable. But the strategy comes with risks, because building AI from scratch demands huge capital and relentless innovation.Tune in.Compete in India's first and only case competition.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

Urban Company's IPO is off to a roaring start. Retail investors snapped up shares within an hour of the issue opening. By the second day, demand was more than five times the supply, and in the grey market, the stock was already trading nearly Rs.40 above its official price band. The company has reported its first-ever annual profit, rolled out new services like Insta Help and Revamp, and is raising nearly Rs.1900 crore to fuel its next phase of growth.On paper, it's a remarkable turnaround story. But there's another side you won't find in most headlines. Urban Company has built its business on the backs of gig workers. A majority of them are women who have been asking for things as basic as employment benefits, fair policies, and a share in the company's success.In this special episode, we revisit host Snigdha Sharma's earlier conversation with two such workers whose voices cut through the numbers.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories. If you are a student who wants to participate in The Ken's case build competition, or if you simply want to read the case, you can do that here: https://the-ken.com/case-competition-2025/ 

Physics Wallah has filed for a ₹3,820 crore IPO earlier this week making it India's first  edtech unicorn to go public. Founded by Alakh Pandey, the YouTube tutor turned entrepreneur, PW disrupted test prep with free videos and low-cost courses. It scaled into a unicorn with offline centres, AI tools, and millions of loyal students. But as it steps into the public markets, Pandey's cult-like persona, the company's biggest strength, may also be its biggest risk. Can a business built around one man survive investor scrutiny?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

With ties to the US and China on shaky ground, India is leaning on a new partner—the UAE. The economic relationship has surged past $100 billion in FY25, and this surge has resulted in Indian companies from Tata to Omega Seiki Mobility setting up shop in the Emirates' tax-free zones.Attractive incentives like access to capital, world-class infrastructure, and geographical centrality are attracting Indian manufacturers abroad. But this raises a big question: is the UAE a launchpad for India's global ambitions—or a risk to it's own manufacturing dreams?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

The Online Gaming Bill 2025 has wiped out India's real-money gaming industry overnight. But the ripple effects extend far beyond fantasy cricket and poker tables.For years, payment aggregators like Razorpay, PhonePe, Cashfree, and PayU quietly powered the industry's explosive growth. They processed deposits, payouts, and billions of rupees in prize transfers every month. Real-money gaming wasn't just another client vertical. It was their golden goose that delivered high margins in a hyper-competitive market.Now, with the ban in place, these fintechs face a sudden revenue void. For some, gaming accounted for as much as 30% of net revenues. The loss comes just as many are prepping for IPOs, making the timing even more brutal.So, what does the gaming ban really mean for India's payments industry?Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

Giva is shaking up India's jewellery market, long dominated by gold, with an unexpected bet on silver. Founded in 2019, the company has already grown into a $2 billion brand by targeting the massive but largely unorganized silver jewellery segment.Unlike competitors such as Caratlane and Bluestone that built their businesses around gold and diamonds, Giva has leaned on an “affordable luxury” play—high-margin silver products, agile design cycles, and impulse-friendly purchases. But challenges loom. Rising silver prices could cut into margins, and its aggressive offline push will test whether silver can truly rival gold in a market steeped in tradition.Tune in.Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.