The Morning Brief

Digital gold is booming - but is it safe? India’s love for gold has gone digital. From ₹1 micro-purchases to 24x7 vault-backed convenience, digital gold is fast becoming the new-age savings habit. But behind the glitter lies a grey zone - hidden markups, patchy audits and no regulatory oversight. Now, with SEBI stepping in to sound the alarm, the question is whether this booming fintech favourite can stay credible without a watchdog. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury unpacks the rise, risks and realities of digital gold with Abhinav Kaul, Senior Assistant Editor at ET Wealth and Harshad Chetanwala, Co-founder of MyWealthGrowth.com. Follow the host, Anirban Chowdhury, on Linkedin and X, and click here to explore more of his work. Check out other interesting episodes like - Are We Going Back to Gold Standards?Physics Wallah Founders on IPO, Growth and LossesCorner Office Conversation with Apollo’s Dr Preetha and Suneeta ReddyGroww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins Nobel Laureate James A Robinson On Power and Prosperity, AI and SocietyOML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next WaveRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. CREDITS: FirstpostSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edtech star Physics Wallah has taken a bold leap - from the virtual classroom to Dalal Street. What began in 2016 as Alakh Pandey’s YouTube channel for JEE and NEET aspirants has grown into a $2.8 billion unicorn—now testing investor sentiment with a ₹3,480 crore IPO. Yet, despite the hype, subscriptions remain sluggish and market buzz subdued. Is this the next phase of India’s edtech story or another early reality check for a celebrated startup? Ahead of the listing, ET’s Startups Editor Samidha Sharma and reporter Tanishka Dubey sat down with founders Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari to unpack the company’s rapid rise, its financial strain, and what comes next in its expansion playbook. Tune in. Check out other interesting episodes like - Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins Nobel Laureate James A Robinson On Power and Prosperity, AI and SocietyCorner Office Conversation with Apollo’s Dr Preetha and Suneeta ReddyOML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next WaveRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Software no longer needs to be written - it can now be imagined.In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Himanshi Lohchab sits down with Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, the $3 billion AI-native coding platform redefining how the world builds technology. Masad traces his journey from Amman to Silicon Valley, the creation of Replit, and how AI agents are ushering in a post-coding era - where productivity is measured not in lines of code but in creative intent. He explains why India’s 17 million developers stand at a once-in-a-generation inflection point - if the country can shift from cost arbitrage to innovation arbitrage. It’s a conversation on ambition, automation, and the audacity to reimagine work itself. You can follow Himanshi Lohchab on her social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like - Nobel Laureate James A Robinson On Power and Prosperity, AI and SocietyCorner Office Conversation with Apollo’s Dr Preetha and Suneeta ReddyGroww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next WaveRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do nations rise - and why do they fail? In this special edition of The Morning Brief, ET’s Executive Editor Sruthijith KK speaks to James A. Robinson, co-author of the seminal Why Nations Fail and co-winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize for Economics, on the shifting architecture of power, prosperity and politics. Robinson unpacks why economists no longer lean on the term “capitalism,” the perils of simplistic theories like “geography is destiny,” and how inclusive institutions - not authoritarian efficiency - determine a nation’s fate. From India’s deep democratic roots and Africa’s untapped potential to the United States’ “mad rush for productivity” that he calls “a train wreck waiting to happen,” Robinson offers a profound reflection on the forces remaking our world. You can follow Sruthijith K.K. on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like Yuval Noah Harari on Information, Invasion, IndiaAnother Big Betting Scam!!Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins Corner Office Conversation with Apollo’s Dr Preetha and Suneeta ReddyOML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next WaveRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apollo Hospitals’ 42-year journey is coterminous with the story of how India has been trying to modernise its healthcare. In this episode Host Vikas Dandekar talks to Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive vice chairperson of Apollo Hospitals and Suneeta Reddy, MD, Apollo hospitals as they take us inside the institution: history, challenges and mission. From the time a young poor patient who was unable to afford treatment triggered the idea of Apollo in founder, chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy’s mind to becoming a global medical institution attracting patients from 147 countries, the conversation tracks its evolution as well as the tectonic shifts in India’s health ecosystem. The Reddys break down the country’s structural gaps: the shortage of beds, doctors and nurses, the rise of NCDs, and why preventive health has become India’s biggest economic risk. They lay out Apollo’s playbook: technology-led scale, AI-driven diagnosis, telemedicine networks, genomic forecasting, and the push for affordability without compromising outcomes. You can follow Vikas Dandekar on his social media: X and Linkedin and read her Newspaper Articles.Catch more stories from your host Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma, Corner Office Conversation with Eli Lilly's Global CEO David Ricks, Corner Office Conversation With Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla, India vs TB: Where are we at? And much more.Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cricket, cash and the dark web of betting — the scandal has come full circle. The Enforcement Directorate has frozen over ₹11 crore in assets belonging to former Indian cricket stars Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, who are caught in the crosshairs of a money-laundering probe. At the heart of the investigation is 1xBet, a global betting platform banned in India yet flourishing through celebrity endorsements, offshore loopholes, and sophisticated digital marketing. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with ET’s financial crimes expert Rashmi Rajput to unravel how this underground economy thrives in plain sight. Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like Bhilai to Burj: The Rs. 5,000 Cr Bollywood Studded Mahadev Book ScamIs Women’s Cricket in India Finally Out of the Shadows? Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next WaveRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s largest retail broker is making its debut on Dalal Street - but can Groww sustain its blistering rise once the markets start asking harder questions? Founded in 2016 by four ex-Flipkart entrepreneurs, Groww has reimagined investing for young India - through clean design, relatable content, and a promise of simplicity in finance. Its ₹6,600-crore IPO now is a test of whether scale built on retail exuberance can evolve into long-term resilience. With 80% of its revenue still anchored in broking and regulators sharpening their scrutiny of speculative trades, Groww faces its toughest market yet - the public one. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Pratik Bhakta, ET’s in-house fintech expert, to decode Groww’s journey - its breakout playbook, its pressure points, and whether this listing signals India’s fintech maturity or just another market mirage. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host likeCorner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho CorporationRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the HorizonExplaining RBI’s Raft of Deregulations Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What began as a simple idea—to change how we hear and interact with voices—has turned into a global tech movement. In this brand-new limited podcast series of The Morning Brief- ET in the Valley, host Surabhi Agarwal speaks with ElevenLabs co-founder Mati Staniszewski about the company’s mission to revolutionize voice technology. From its Polish roots and multilingual vision to expanding across India with support for Hindi and Tamil, ElevenLabs is reimagining how language, AI, and creativity converge. The discussion dives into the company’s collaboration with Indian enterprises, Mati’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi, and the challenges of navigating a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. As voice models grow more sophisticated and creators monetize their own voices, the episode explores whether ElevenLabs’ blend of innovation, ethics, and global ambition could redefine how the world listens—and speaks—in the AI era.Tune inYou can follow Surabhi Agarwal on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. Check out other interesting episodes from the host likeCorner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho CorporationRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the HorizonBooking’s APAC Chief on Travel Trends, AI, and LoyaltyReliance’s AI PlaybookText-to-Theater? How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 1How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2 Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was indeed historic — India’s women’s cricket team finally lifted their first-ever ODI World Cup trophy on home soil, ending decades of near misses and heartbreak. But can one glorious win rewrite a long, uneven story? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Ace sports journalist K. Shriniwas Rao and is joined by Divyanshu Singh CEO of JSW Sports to trace India’s remarkable yet turbulent journey — from pandemic disruptions and coaching shake-ups to the rise of fearless young stars redefining the game. The conversation delves into deeper questions: Why does the sport still grapple with a shallow talent pool, inconsistent marketing, and a Women’s Premier League yet to reach its potential?As the dust of victory settles, the episode asks whether this World Cup win can be more than a moment of pride — could it spark a lasting transformation for women’s cricket in India?You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host likeCorner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho CorporationRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the HorizonExplaining RBI’s Raft of Deregulations Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From indie music festivals to global comedy tours, Only Much Louder (OML) has long been the backstage engine of India’s creator revolution. In this episode of The Morning Brief, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Aanya Thakur sit down with OML CEO Tusharr Kumar to decode the shifting dynamics of digital influence from short-form fame and creator-led brands to the fusion of online buzz with offline fandom. What began as a talent management outfit for comics and musicians has now transformed into a data-driven machine shaping how creators build careers, businesses, and even micro-cultures. As India’s creator economy races toward a projected $1 trillion by 2030, a potent mix of instinct, data, and storytelling is redefining what it means to be an artist-entrepreneur.Tune InYou can follow Aanya Thakur on her Linkedin profile and read her Newspaper Articles. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like: Corner Office Conversation with Gunjan Soni, Youtube India., Text-to-Theater? How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 1, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, and much more.Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once hailed as India’s coolest craft beer brand, Bira 91 is now facing a sobering reality, mounting losses, unpaid dues, investor mutiny and a probable drag down to bankruptcy court. What went wrong with the company that promised to make beer fun, youthful, and proudly Indian? In this episode host Anirban Chowdhury talks to ET’s Ratna Bhushan and Manu Toms also joined by Poonam Chandel, Managing Director of NeuWorld Spirits to trace Bira’s journey from startup stardom to financial freefall. Together, they unpack founder and CEO Ankur Jain’s bold vision, the early buzz that fooled investors, and the missteps: overexpansion, regulatory blunders, and reckless spending that led to its downfall.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Ratna Bhushan on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. You can follow Manu Toms on his Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read his Newspaper Articles. Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From selling contact lenses in 2010 to building a global eyewear brand across India, Japan, and the Middle East, Lenskart's journey mirrors the rise of India’s new-age consumer startups. ET’s national editor for startups Samidha Sharma and startups tracker Pranav Mukul talk to Peyush Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Lenskart, as he traces the company’s evolution from an online retailer to a company launching one of India’s most anticipated IPOs. Bansal opens up on global expansion plans, the leap into smart-glasses and AI-led eye tests, and the balancing act between valuation, investor expectations and vision. Tune inYou can follow Samidha Sharma on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. You can follow Pranav Mukul on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s real estate is at an inflection point. In this episode of Corner Office Conversation, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Kailash Babar talk to Knight Frank’s Global Chairman William Beardmore-Gray and India Chairman and MD Shishir Baijal to unpack what’s behind record-high office demand, rising cross-border capital flows, and India’s shift into the world’s promising office markets. They discuss the surge of GCCs, the luxury-housing boom, and why institutional investors are eyeing living sectors like senior and student housing. The conversation also explores how PropTech, AI, and ESG are transforming global property decisions—and what lessons India can draw from China’s slowdown.Tune in:You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Kailash Babar on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebel Foods disrupted India’s dining landscape by proving that you don’t need high streets to build high-value brands. From Faasos and Behrouz Biryani to Oven Story and Sweet Truth, it runs 20-plus brands across 10 countries — all powered by tech, not tables. In this episode of The Morning Brief, Co-founder and Group CEO Jaydeep Barman tells Anirban Chowdhury how the company transformed kitchens into a scalable platform for global restaurant brands.He opens up on the company’s origin story, its no-CV culture, cold-emailing Sequoia for funding, using data and automation in every kitchen, and why slow scaling beats fast burnout.Listen in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel is getting smarter, deeper, and more digital. Booking.com’s Asia-Pacific MD Laura Houldsworth joins Brand Equity’s Anirban Roy Choudhury to decode how global travel is changing and why India has become the industry’s biggest opportunity. She discusses the rise of digital-first travellers, the surge in spiritual and alternative stays, and how Booking is embedding AI to personalize journeys — from inspiration to experience. Tune inYou can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Lagaan to RRR, Indian cinema has gone truly global. But behind the glitz of overseas premieres and record-breaking box offices lies a fast-changing battlefield. In this explosive conversation, Host Rajesh Naidu talk to veteran overseas distributor Pranab Kapadia to unpacks the billion-rupee world of international film distribution: how Bollywood grew from 300 screens in 2003 to 60+ countries today, the diaspora’s unmatched influence, and why the U.S. alone powers up to 50% of overseas revenues. But a perfect storm is brewing. Trump’s 100% tariff on foreign films, the rise of streaming platforms, and shifting audience behaviour could redraw the cinematic map. Will the next Rocky Rani or RRR find its audience in theatres or on OTT? And can Indian cinema keep expanding into untapped markets from Africa to Eastern Europe? Tune in.You can follow Rajesh Naidu on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In India the so-called pharmacy of the world children are dying from the very medicines meant to heal them. The Morning Brief’s latest audio deep dive travels from rural Madhya Pradesh to Tamil Nadu’s factories to uncover how a cough syrup laced with industrial chemicals like diethylene glycol killed at least 25 children and how a system built on 80-year-old drug laws allowed it. Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to fathers who lost their children,  Dr Arvind Bagga, professor emeritus and former head of pediatrics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Pramod Verma, Inspector General at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh,  public health activist and author Dinesh S Thakur, lawyer and author Prashant Reddy T. Dinesh, JJ Hospital veteran Dr Ishwar Gilada  and ET's pharma editor Vikas Dandekar This story exposes a broken drug regulation system and the human cost of neglect. Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & TwitterListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a small Indian software firm quietly evolves into a global SaaS powerhouse without external funding or data monetization? In this episode of Corner Office Conversation, ET’s tech experts and hosts Surabhi Agarwal and Suraksha P sit down with Zoho founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu and his leadership team to trace the company’s extraordinary rise from its humble beginnings in the 1990s to becoming a billion-dollar global player. The discussion explores Zoho’s early bet on SaaS, its commitment to ethical growth, the bold decision to build talent from rural India rather than urban hubs and why India has to be self reliant in tech to avoid weaponisation by the giants. As the conversation unfolds, it probes a larger question: can a homegrown tech company balance global ambition with local empowerment while staying fiercely independent? Tune InYou can follow Surabhi Agarwal on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. You can follow Suraksha P on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more.Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India is YouTube’s fastest-growing market home to a young, ambitious generation that’s transforming from viewers into global creators. In this conversation, host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Gunjan Soni Country Managing Director of YouTube India to break down how the platform is powering this shift. She talks about the explosive rise of Shorts, the growing influence of connected TV, and how linguistic diversity and AI are opening new frontiers for creators. Soni also dives into YouTube’s evolving monetization ecosystem from ad revenue and fan funding to affiliate models and how Indian creators are turning content into thriving businesses. The discussion doesn’t shy away from the tough issues: burnout, platform dependence, algorithm myths, and the guardrails around AI-generated content. Tune in:You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stage is set for one of India’s most riveting political contests, the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. Nine-time Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faces perhaps his toughest test yet, battling fatigue and anti-incumbency. Tejashwi Yadav is going beyond RJD's traditional Muslim Yadav votebank, while political strategist turned challenger Prashant Kishor is out to disrupt the traditional equations. On the ground, caste remains the central axis of Bihar’s politics from the Yadav, Muslim bloc to Kurmis, Kushwahas, and the Extremely Backward Classes, every community holds the key to a few crucial seats. Adding to the churn is the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, which has seen millions struck off and added back to the voter rolls, sparking controversy and court hearings. In this episode, Host Nidhi Sharma talks to ET’s Kumar Anshuman and Anubhuti Vishnoi to decode the political map of Bihar with ground reports, data, and insights from shifting alliances and freebies to law-and-order issues and the two-phase polling strategy. This is the battle that could redefine Bihar’s political future.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Anubhuti Vishnoi on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. You can follow Kumar Anshuman on his Linkedin profile and read his Newspaper Articles. Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. CREDITS: IndiaTV, NDTV, NDTV ShortsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if binge-watching your favorite show took less time than making a cup of coffee? Welcome to micro dramas: Bite-sized, 90-second stories turning our scrolling habits into a global entertainment phenomenon. Born in China as duanju, this $7-billion industry blends romance, revenge, and slick and yet inexpensive production to redefine how stories are told, sold, and streamed. Host Dia Rekhi speaks to Wenwen Han, founder of the Short Drama Alliance, who takes us inside China’s micro drama factory, where 100 new shows drop every day. ET’s Rajesh Naidu decodes India’s fast-rising market powered by homegrown apps like Cuckoo TV and Flick TV. Is this the future of storytelling or just another digital fad? Tune In.You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & Twitter Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. CREDITS: DramaBox - Stream Drama Shorts, Story TVSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In its boldest liberalization push in years, the RBI has announced 22 deregulatory measures in a single day, the highest in its modern history. Among other things, banks can now finance corporate takeovers, investors can pledge more equity for credit, and companies can borrow up to a billion dollars abroad without prior approval. The central bank isn’t cutting interest rates, it’s cutting red tape. But as the guardrails come off, critical questions arise. What’s driving this hyper-liberal shift under Governor Sanjay Malhotra? Is this a decisive step to deepen capital markets and attract dollars or does it sow the seeds of new financial risks? And how ready is the banking sector to take on these new risks? Host Anirban Chowdhury sits down with ET’s Associate Editor Sugata Ghosh to decode the strategy, the stakes, and the risks behind RBI’s most aggressive financial deregulation drive in years.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Sugata Ghosh on his Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of India’s most ambitious overseas port project hangs in the balance. With the US reinstating its sanctions for Iran’s Chabahar Port, India faces a strategic dilemma: risk Washington’s ire or abandon years of investment, regional influence, and its only land route to Afghanistan that bypasses Pakistan. In this episode, Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to ET’s P Manoj and Arun Gupta, former Managing Director of India Ports Global to break down how Chabahar went from a symbol of India’s westward ambitions to a geopolitical tightrope with ports dismantled, directors resigning, legal opinions sought, and China waiting in the wings. What does this mean for India’s trade corridors, its ties with Iran, and its standing in West Asia?You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vineet Nayar, the former HCL Technologies CEO who once flipped corporate hierarchies on their head is now reimagining classrooms at scale through Sampark Foundation. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury and ET’s tech reporter Beena Parmar talk to Nayar on the big questions: Is AI truly disrupting India’s $100-billion IT industry, or is it just cost-cutting in a new avatar? Why does India lead in public digital innovation yet falter at building breakthrough global products? And can the education system shift from producing knowledge workers to nurturing real problem solvers? Drawing on career-defining inflection points, Nayar reflects on the future of technology and education in India. From layoffs and AI hype to policy and innovation gaps, the conversation offers candid insights into how crises can be converted into opportunities and how both boardrooms and classrooms must evolve to keep pace. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin You can follow Beena Parmar on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tata Capital is about to drop 2025’s biggest IPO. In this episode of The Morning Brief, we bring you exclusive comments from Rajiv Sabharwal, MD & CEO of Tata Capital on the company’s plan around its ₹15,512 crore markets debut. Host Dia Rekhi also speaks to Tarun Singh, MD of Highbrow Securities and IPO expert, to unpack the company’s landmark listing set to be among India’s largest ever. The conversation explores the strategy behind expanding retail participation, the challenges from the merger with the vehicle financing arm, valuation pressures, and fundraising strategies.Tune in: You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & TwitterYou can follow Sangita Mehta on her social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Reid is one of Google’s most powerful women. She also has one of its most challenging jobs. At a time when AI is reshaping how people seek information, as standalone LLMs become their foremost information sources, friends and therapists, Reid, Head of Search, has to constantly grapple with the challenge that it’s no longer the only answer to all the world’s questions And yet, Google’s search clicks are up and more qualified, people are asking detailed questions and, as she insists, the story of the blue link is far from over. In this episode, she talks to host Anirban Chowdhury about why Google isn’t facing an innovators’ dilemma yet, although it is trying to constantly improve the search experience, how Google and its searchers now talk differently to each other, whether there is a gap in gauging their intent and setting context, if agentic AI is truly an innovation worth chasing. She also talks about why the tech behemoth’s latest innovations must come to India weeks after the US, compared to two years earlier and how, soon, some of them might come to India first. Tune in. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A quiet race is on to give India its own AI voice. From call-centre automation to defence and legal systems, Abhishek Upperwal of Soket Labs and journalist Swathi Radhakrishnan tell us why AI trained only on Western, English-heavy data cannot meet India’s needs. Translation isn’t enough; models must “think” in Hindi, Tamil or Marathi to capture nuance and reduce bias. The government’s IndiaAI mission, with nearly ₹10,000 crore in funding, is catalysing startups to build these Indic models. But their biggest bottleneck is data. Only a sliver of the world’s open datasets are in Indian languages, and even public archives like Doordarshan take time to unlock. Startups are scrambling crowdsourcing voices, licensing publishing-house content, generating synthetic text and negotiating with ministries to reach the 15–20 trillion high-quality tokens needed for a world-class foundation model. In this episode Host Anirban Chowdhury, ET’s Swathi Moorthy and Soket AI’s, founder, Abhishek Upperwal try to answer the following questions: What makes sovereign, Indic-first AI critical for India’s economy and security? How are innovators overcoming the huge shortage of quality language data? Can low-cost, DeepSeek-style methods help India build frugal yet powerful models? Where will the commercial payoffs voice AI, regional apps, enterprise tools arrive first? Tune in.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Swathi Moorthy on her social media: Twitter and LinkedIn and also read Newspaper ArticleListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when gold, long seen as a timeless store of value, begins to redefine its place in global finance? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by ET’s banking editor Sangita Mehta and Ritesh Jain, founder of Pinetree Macro and a leading voice in global wealth and finance, to explore the forces behind gold’s resurgence from central banks shifting reserves away from the dollar to the rise of dual trade settlement systems splitting along geopolitical lines. With prices recently hitting a record high of $3,791 an ounce more than double since the Russia-Ukraine war and India now the sixth-largest holder of gold after China, the conversation probes what this surge really signals. As economic paradigms shift, the discussion raises a pressing question: is gold moving from commodity to cornerstone in the architecture of global trade and policy?Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Sangita Mehta on her social media: Twitter and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more.Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump’s sudden $100,000 H-1B visa fee has shaken the U.S. tech landscape and left Indian IT giants scrambling. With renewals, contracts, and billions of dollars in deals on the line, what does this mean for companies, employees, and the future of global talent flows? Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with ET’s tech reporter Beena Parmar, immigration law expert and founder of LawQuest Poorvi Chothani, and political scientist Ranabir Samaddar to place this move in the larger anti-immigration story developing in the west. How are new rules and hidden costs from visa integrity fees to tougher naturalization checks reshaping the lives of students, professionals, and families? And at a deeper level, is today’s anti-immigration wave about economics, or about identity, race, and who gets to belong? Tune in.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. Credits: New York Post, make.europe.great.again.ty, louisovaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Federal Reserve has delivered its first rate cut since December 2024, trimming the benchmark rate by 25 basis points and hinting at two more cuts this year. Markets had expected the move, but Jerome Powell’s cautious tone on sticky inflation, slowing growth and rising job market risks left investors with more questions than answers. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by ET’s Markets Editor Nishanth Vasudevan to decode the implications. What does Powell’s “risk management” cut really signal? How did global markets from US treasuries and the dollar to emerging markets react? And most importantly, what does this mean for India: can foreign flows revive? Will Sensex and Nifty hit record highs? Or should investors look to gold and bonds for safer returns?You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. Credit: USA TODAYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reliance is making its boldest leap yet into artificial intelligence. Backed by gigawatt-scale data centres, alliances with global giants like Nvidia, Google and Meta, and the unmatched power of data from 450 million Jio users, Mukesh Ambani wants to position India as an AI builder, not just a consumer. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by Neil Shah, co-founder of Counterpoint Research, and ET’s AI expert Himanshi Lohchab to decode what “Reliance Intelligence” really means. Can Ambani turn this vision into reality and build AI “for everyone, everywhere”? We dive into Reliance’s grand plans for cloud infrastructure, affordable AI services for small businesses, vernacular voice assistants, enterprise solutions, and even smart-city applications. Can India produce enough AI talent to power this ambition? Will execution challenges and global competition from AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud derail the vision? Or could this finally give India its own AI infrastructure and a credible homegrown alternative to U.S. tech giants?You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.Credits: moneycontrol, CNBC-TV 18See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s semiconductor dream is taking shape in Assam, where Tata Electronics is building a ₹27,000 crore chip assembly and testing facility. But this high-tech mission has run into a very unusual roadblock: wild elephants and snakes. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with ET’s Dia Rekhi joined by noted veterinarian popularly known as the 'Elephant Man of Asia' Dr. K.K. Sarma, to unpack the clash between cutting-edge technology and nature. From elephant herds that can cause damaging ground vibrations, to snakes that spooked construction workers, the story reveals how Tata is building elephant-proof walls and even employing snake rescuers to keep the project on track. The conversation also zooms out to a larger question: how do industries balance mega-investments in technology with the ecological realities of the land they’re built on? With anecdotes of animals disrupting industries worldwide from moths in computers to monkeys causing blackouts, this episode examines why India’s semiconductor mission must be not only technologically advanced but also ecologically future-proof.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Corner Office Conversation, we sit down with Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director of SAP Labs India and Chairperson of NASSCOM. From being the first woman to lead SAP Labs India to driving its AI-first transformation, Sindhu shares her journey, the bold decisions that shaped her career, and why India has become SAP’s biggest R&D hub outside Europe. Joined by Anirban Chowdhury and ET’s tech expert Beena Parmar, she discusses how the geopolitical turmoil is an opportunity for problem solving, how the AI boom is no bubble and why it’s now about whether India will build its own Anthropic…it’s how soon. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Beena Parmar on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.Listen to Corner Office Conversation: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Catch the latest episode of “Corner Office Conversation” on: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts,and wherever you get your podcasts from.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nepal’s GenZ has torched, overthrown and reformed its government. On September 9, tens of thousands of young Nepalis poured into the streets. What began as a protest against a social media ban spiraled into the country’s biggest uprising in decades. Parliament was stormed, buildings burned, and Prime Minister K.P. Oli was forced to resign. On Friday, the youth’s candidate of choice Sushila Karki took oath as the interim prime minister. At the heart of this revolution: a generation fed up with corruption, elite privilege, and years of political mismanagement. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury traces how Nepal got here and what comes next. With insights from Professor Jeevan Sharma of the University of Edinburgh and Ashish Pradhan of International Crisis Group to voices from Kathmandu’s Gen Z movement, we explore how TikTok memes, “nepo kids,” and deep frustration over inequality turned into a powerful street movement. We look at Nepal’s political instability, its fragile economy propped up by remittances, and the global parallels from Sri Lanka’s collapse to Bangladesh’s student protests and even France’s “Block Everything” movement. Tune in.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. Credits: wehatethecold, NDTV, ANI News, Sudan GurungSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s insurance sector is at a turning point with the government scrapping the 18% GST on health and life insurance premiums from September 22. Policies from term plans to ULIPs and health covers just got cheaper, but questions remain : Will insurers absorb the loss of input tax credit or pass on the full benefit to policyholders? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Shilpy Sinha speaks with Kamlesh Rao, MD & CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, Nilesh Sathe, former Member of IRDAI, and Dr. Bhabatosh Mishra, COO of Niva Bupa Health Insurance to unpack the reform’s impact on insurance. From cheaper premiums and better coverage for families to industry concerns over margins and grey areas like credit life policies, they explore how this change could reshape consumer behavior and support the government’s ambition of “Insurance for All by 2047.You can follow our host Shilpy Sinha on her social media: Twitter and Linkedin and her Newspaper article. Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three years after the Ukraine war began, India has become one of Russia’s largest oil customers. From negligible imports before 2022, Russian crude now accounts for nearly a third of India’s oil basket delivering big savings for refiners and keeping fuel prices steady at home. But these benefits come with rising diplomatic costs, including pressure from Washington, the threat of higher tariffs, and accusations that India is profiteering by exporting refined Russian crude back to Western markets. Host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by energy markets expert Vandana Hari and Nandan Unnikrishnan, Head of Euraisan Studies, Observer Research Foundation. Together, they examine how much Indian refiners truly gain from Russian discounts, whether those margins are sustainable as sanctions tighten, what risks loom over India’s US trade ambitions, and how long New Delhi can balance its need for cheap energy with its strategic partnerships in the West.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. CREDITS: Firstpost, BroaderlinesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s biggest GST shake-up since 2017 is here. The new structure with just two slabs 5% and 18% plus a steep 40% for sin and luxury goods, promises cheaper essentials and faster refunds. But will consumers and businesses really feel the difference? On this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by Bipin Sapra, Partner - Leader, Indirect Tax & Economic Policy at EY, to unpack NextGen GST 2.0. From challenges of compliances to resolving inverted taxation issues, to Centre–State revenue tussle, to export efficiencies, they explore how these reforms could change spending, business margins, and the economy at large.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.Credits: DD India, WIONSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the ET World Leaders Forum 2025, Archana Rai, Economic Times’, Editor, South speaks with Rajat Taneja, President Technology at Visa, about how India is shaping the future of payments. The discussion spans India’s trillion-dollar digital opportunity, the growing role of AI in fraud prevention, and Visa’s cutting-edge innovations from tokenized credentials and biometrics to agent-led e-commerce. Rajat noted that one-time passwords are no longer foolproof as they can be compromised, arguing that trusted platforms will shape the future of secure payments. Stressing AI’s transformative role, he also called for closer cooperation with regulators to build safer, faster digital transactions. He further highlights India’s pivotal role in Visa’s global R&D, while offering perspectives on regulation, financial inclusion, and the essentials of safe online shopping. Tune in.You can follow Archana Rai on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, US’ Tariff Blow: What can India Do?,Rare Earths to Rx: Explaining the India-China Reset, Ram Madhvani on Blending VR, AI and Bharat and much more Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when two of the world’s most populous nations attempt to reset ties amidst a multipolar order? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by ET’s Executive Editor, Politics, Pranab Dhal Samanta to unpack the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Xi Jinping. Against a backdrop of cordial but cautious exchanges, the conversation probes whether this rare chemistry signals a genuine shift or a pragmatic pause. From trade imbalances and supply chain vulnerabilities to the broader triangle of India, China, and Russia navigating U.S. dominance, the discussion examines how global realignments shape regional choices. With echoes of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan recalibrating their positions, the episode raises the subtle but pressing question: can India normalize ties with China while preserving balance in its wider strategic partnerships?Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Pranab Dhal Samanta on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more.Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

800 episodes strong! The Morning Brief isn’t just a podcast—it’s your morning essential for sharp insights, credible voices, and conversations that matter. Here's what some of its best guests had to say on the milestoneRavi Kumar S (CEO of Cognizant)Rajesh Jejurikar (Executive Director & CEO (Auto & Farm Sector) at Mahindra Group)Ashok Kantha (Indian diplomat & Former Ambassador to India & China)Vinay Dubey (Founder and CEO of Akasa Air)Srikanth Fractal (Co-Founder, Group Chief Executive & Executive Vice-Chairman)Sunil Singhania ((Founder - Abakkus Asset Manager Pvt Ltd)John Strickland (Director at JLS Consulting)Tune inSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Corner Office Conversations, host Ratna Bhushan sits down with Vipul Parekh, co-founder of BigBasket, to discuss how India’s leading online grocer is gearing up for the festive season amid the quick commerce boom. From IPO buzz and profitability challenges to category expansion beyond groceries, Parekh shares insights on competition with Swiggy, Zepto, JioMart, and Amazon, and BigBasket’s strategy around dark stores, assortment, and growth. With the Tata Group backing and a rapidly evolving e-commerce market, this conversation explores what it takes to stay ahead in a fiercely contested space.You can follow Ratna Bhushan on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. Listen to Corner Office Conversation: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more. Catch the latest episode of “Corner Office Conversation” on: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts,and wherever you get your podcasts from.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last five weeks, The Morning Brief explored the investment stories shaping southern India through exclusive conversations with senior ministers from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala. From manufacturing and infrastructure to IT, green energy, and start-ups each state is vying to stand out in India’s growth race. In this wrap-up episode of our special series South Capital, hosts Nidhi Sharma and Dia Rekhi break down the key takeaways, the sectors to watch, and how competitive southern states really are when it comes to attracting investments.​​You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & TwitterYou can follow our hosts Nidhi Sharma on their social media: Twitter & Linkedin Listen to our new show called Corner Office Conversation: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more.Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, US’ Tariff Blow: What can India Do?,Rare Earths to Rx: Explaining the India-China Reset, Ram Madhvani on Blending VR, AI and Bharat and much moreCatch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer just a buzzword in film editing rooms — it is beginning to script, generate, and even direct visual storytelling. In the second part of our special series on AI filmmaking, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Rajesh Naidu speak to acclaimed director Shakun Batra — the creative force behind Kapoor & Sons and Gehraiyaan, now experimenting with AI-powered cinema. From building entire car chases through prompts, to rethinking workflows where “post becomes the new prep”, Shakun shares how AI is democratising imagination by freeing filmmakers from the traditional constraints of cost and scale. He also addresses the tough questions: authorship, ethics, data ownership, and whether AI can ever capture the “soul” of storytelling. Tune in.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to our new show called Corner Office Conversation: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more.Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, US’ Tariff Blow: What can India Do?,Rare Earths to Rx: Explaining the India-China Reset, Ram Madhvani on Blending VR, AI and Bharat and much moreCatch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s Online Gaming law, 2025 has jolted the country’s fast-growing gaming industry. The law bans real-money games while promoting e-sports and casual play, a shift that could transform a sector valued at over ₹30,000 crore. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Vidushpat Singhania, managing partner at Krida legal and Rohit Agarwal, Founder - AlphaZegus Marketing to unpack the battles now unfolding, questions of state versus central authority, the unresolved debate of skill versus chance, and whether prohibition will truly safeguard users or simply drive betting underground. The fallout is already visible. Big-ticket sponsorships have been cancelled, major platforms have shut down operations, and creators who once thrived on gaming promotions are seeing sharp cuts in income. As courts weigh in and companies scramble to adapt, the future of gaming in India remains uncertain. What’s clear is that this legislation marks a turning point, not just for the industry, but for millions of players across the country.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to our new show called Corner Office Conversation: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more.Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, US’ Tariff Blow: What can India Do?,Rare Earths to Rx: Explaining the India-China Reset, Ram Madhvani on Blending VR, AI and Bharat and much moreCatch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.Credits: ET NOW, Business Today, WION, Sansad TV, NDTV ProfitSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of South Capital, the focus is on Tamil Nadu, India's manufacturing powerhouse and one of its most industrialized states. Known as the “Detroit of Asia” for its auto sector and the “Manchester of the South” for its textiles, Tamil Nadu plays a pivotal role in India’s GDP, exports, patents, and electronics manufacturing, including iPhone assembly. Host Dia Rekhi speaks with Tamil Nadu’s Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, who shares the state’s vision of becoming a $1 trillion economy, a goal built on decades of progress in education, manufacturing, IT, textiles, electronics, and renewable energy. He underscores the state’s strengths in women’s empowerment, robust infrastructure, and policy consistency, while highlighting new opportunities in semiconductors, technical textiles, shipbuilding, seafood processing, and offshore wind. Tamil Nadu also hosts India’s largest base of MSMEs, many of them women-led, which drive innovation and strengthen supply chains. Unlike states that compete domestically, Tamil Nadu positions itself against global economies, striving to stand out as a leader in industry, sustainability, and investment. With infrastructure upgrades, climate-resilient planning, and green energy targets set ahead of national goals, Tamil Nadu is firmly establishing itself as a global industrial hub.You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & TwitterListen to more of South Capital: South Capital: Andhra Pradesh’s Comeback, South Capital: Kerala Rising, South Capital: Karnataka Grows Beyond Bengaluru & South Capital: Telangana’s Push for Mini-HyderabadsCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For months, India has felt the squeeze of China’s export chokehold on rare earth magnets vital for EVs, fertilizers key to food security, and raw materials that keep pharma running. Automakers faced stalled assembly lines, farmers braced for higher costs, and drugmakers feared supply disruptions. Now, with Prime Minister Modi set to visit China for the SCO summit, a narrow trade package is on the table. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with ET’s Sharmistha Mukherjee, Shambhavi Anand, Vikas Dandekar, and economist Sachin Chaturvedi to unpack the freeze, the fragile easing, and the big questions: Can India trust Beijing as a trade partner? Could pharma rivals really collaborate? And can China balance out an increasingly protectionist U.S. in this tense economic triangle? You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow our host Sharmistha Mukherjee on his social media: Linkedin & Twitter and read his Newspaper Articles.You can follow our host Shambhavi Anand on his social media: Linkedin & Twitter and read his Newspaper Articles.You can follow our host Vikas Dandekar on his social media: Linkedin & Twitter and read his Newspaper Articles.Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. Credits: Bloomberg Television, DD India, ABC News (Australia), FirstpostSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another week, another rulebook for India’s digital economy this time, a competition code. The Digital Competition Bill (DCB) would flip enforcement from ex-post litigation to ex-ante guardrails for “systemically significant” platforms, banning self-preferencing, data misuse against business users, coercive tying, and stealth blocks on interoperability under the CCI, not a new super-regulator. It’s meant to supplement the Competition Act, not replace it. In this episode Kazim Rizvi, Founding Director of The Dialogue, a public policy think-tank, tells Anirban Chowdhury that India may not need a new statute now: first test the 2023 Competition Act amendments (settlements/commitments), build capacity, and let case outcomes prove speed and effectiveness citing the CCI’s recent 12-month Google Android TV matter as evidence that ex-post can work with resources.He also brings data from The Dialogue’s survey of MSMEs using digital platforms to show the rules may hobble Indian digital-first firms. Ex-ante code now or sharper ex-post tools first? Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more.Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Naveen Tewari thrives on pivots and preempting market demand before it becomes obvious to everyone else.In this deep-dive with the founder and CEO of InMobi and Glance, host Anirban Chowdhury traces India’s earliest unicorn from its 2007 pivot from mKhoj (SMS search) to mobile advertising, SoftBank’s $200 million backing, and a “born-global” scale-up: InMobi today derives 65%–70% of revenue from North America. We also unpack the second act: Glance, the AI-led lock-screen platform with 400 million users, and its newest bet—AI commerce: a business built on a foundation model trained for shopping, with monetization via transaction take-rates and brand enablement. Tewari argues that his businesses’ US concentration is a feature, not a bug. He outlines why post-cookie privacy guardrails have largely stabilized, and explains why advertising keeps the internet free. He also predicts 80% automation of software coding at InMobi and what that means for talent, velocity, and quality—plus where an eventual IPO fits when you’re already profitable and well-funded. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Listen to the first installment of Corner Office Conversation called Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACeCatch the latest episode of the new show “Corner Office Conversation” on: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts,and wherever you get your podcasts from.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Telangana, India’s youngest state, is charting an ambitious path to become a trillion-dollar economy by leveraging its strengths in technology, AI, and skilled talent. In a candid conversation host Dia Rekhi talks with Industries and IT Minister Sridhar Babu to analyse how Hyderabad, already a global hub for tech giants, pharma leaders, and GCCs is driving growth into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, expanding tourism, and adding value to agriculture through processing and market linkages. The state is making a bold push into AI with a planned 200-acre AI City, a dedicated AI university, and integration of AI across government services. Alongside, it is bolstering aerospace, defense, electronics manufacturing, and data centers, while ensuring sustainability through renewable energy and infrastructure planning. Competing fiercely yet strategically with its southern neighbors, Telangana is working to create multiple “mini-Hyderabads” and future-proof its workforce while speaking out against perceived biases in national project allocations.You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & TwitterListen to more of South Capital: South Capital: Andhra Pradesh’s Comeback, South Capital: Kerala Rising & South Capital: Karnataka Grows Beyond BengaluruCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI in films is no longer a fringe experiment. It moved from a backstage assistant to calling the shots. In three years, Gen AI models have evolved from conjuring massive battle scenes in Lord of the Rings to making full fledged feature films through prompts. Questions of course remain on credibility and credits, but film makers like Darren Aronofsky are helming AI film projects too. In this heady jamboree of tech, creativity and storytelling can India be far behind? In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury chronicles the rise of this technology and talks to Gurdeep Singh Pall, a former Microsoft veteran and co-founder of Intelliflicks, to unpack his journey in creating a full length hyper-real historical AI-generated feature film. They explore the creative breakthroughs and strange quirks of synthetic actors, the ethical minefields of authorship and consent, and why Pall is determined to push the limits of what’s possible on screen. It’s a front-row seat to the moment when technology becomes both the camera and the storyteller.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube. Credits: TheClord123See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we dive into why foreign investors have been quietly pulling billions out of India’s stock markets even as they talk up the country’s growth potential. We break down the main drivers: stock prices are high compared to history and other Asian markets, corporate earnings growth has slowed, the rupee has weakened, and economic activity has lost some steam. And then came the curveball hefty U.S. tariffs on Indian exports. This unexpected move has rattled investors already on the edge. While strong domestic inflows from Indian investors have helped steady the market, foreign money still matters, because it’s often seen as a measure of global confidence in the economy. Host Anirban Chowdhury with ETs markets editor Nishanth Vasudevan explore the different kinds of foreign investors from “hot money” chasing short-term opportunities to patient, value-focused funds waiting for the right moment. The question now is: will they return if the market takes a dip, earnings bounce back, or growth accelerates again? You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow our host Nishanth Vasudevan on his social media: Linkedin & Twitter and read his Newspaper Articles.Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.