The Morning Brief

By 2047, India aims to become a $30 trillion economy as it celebrates 100 years of independence. Despite recent GDP slowing to 5.4% and inflation concerns, the India Progress Report 2024, co-authored by The Economic Times and Crisil  projects stable growth, with the economy expected to hit $7 trillion by 2031. Driving this are infrastructure investments, manufacturing growth, and renewable en...

We are way past the time when women used to stash their savings in cash and gold. The new woman investor is wealthy, ambitious, savvy and not averse to taking calculated risks. Over the last few years their number has grown several multiples to now account for a fifth of the overall investor universe. Join ET’s markets editor Nishanth Vasudevan as he talks to two doyens of the industry: Amis...

The Parliament was abuzz earlier this week as MPs debated the introduction of a landmark constitutional amendment Bill proposing simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies—widely known as One Nation, One Election. Advocates claim it will streamline governance and save resources, while critics warn it could marginalise regional parties and centralise power. In this episode,...

In this episode we are tracing the journey of Vishal Retail, from surplus apparel exhibitions to a business that brought global fashion to the masses at unbeatable prices, this narrative explores the challenges of rapid expansion, the risks of short-term debt, and the disruptions that reshaped the market. Host Arijit Barman engages with Gunender Kapur of Vishal Mega Mart, Manas Tandon of Partners...

With stellar credentials and a remarkable career trajectory, the new RBI Governor, Sanjay Malhotra, takes charge amid a two-year low GDP growth rate, persistent inflation, and growing debates on the monetary policy framework. In this episode, host  Anirban Chowdhury explores Malhotra’s background and immediate challenges with insights from Deepshikha Sikarwar , National Editor (Economic...

In this special episode TMB remembers percussion legend Zakir Hussain. Tune in as we rewind to a rivetting conversation earlier this year between Arijit Barman and the maestro, fresh from his historic triple Grammy win. From his days as a young, wildly innovative table player in the US to his enduring musical relationships with maestros and rockstars across the world;  from the spiritual gene...

When Sundaraman Ramamurthy became the chief of Bombay Stock Exchange, he found an organisation that was almost on the brink of irrelevance. He found highly dwindled cash market share, no opening in equity derivatives and a heap of operational issues.  Could he “make the elephant dance?” is the question many asked. But from there, Ramamurthy led a remarkable turnaround of the bours...

The ET CEO Roundtable 2024 brings together India’s top business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts for a thought-provoking discussion on the year’s defining challenges and opportunities. From devastating global conflicts and economic downturns to the rapid rise of AI and shifting power dynamics, the conversation explores how India, despite its challenges, remains poised to har...

India is on the brink of a telecom disruption as the government plans to relax entry barriers for satellite communication (satcom) technology. This could pave the way for global heavyweights like Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Project Kuiper to enter the market. But the move has telecom majors—Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea—raising alarms over spectrum...

Yuval Noah Harari’s latest book Nexus talks, among other things, about information networks and how they are taking humanity away from the truth. The writer and historian has been one of the most prominent iconoclasts of recent times, turning time-honoured theories of human evolution, religion, governance and science on their heads. Harari has been one of the foremost warning voices on the dangers...

Investing has evolved over the last decade into something of an art: the canvas is complex and finding the right companies, knowing how much to invest, when to plunge in and pull back and maintaining a fine balance of risk and opportunities requires nothing less than an artist’s skill, precision and even creative thinking. In this episode of “ET Wealth and Beyond”, The Economic Times’ markets edit...

Is food inflation truly skewing the effectiveness of monetary policy? The government certainly seems to think so. A combination of volatile food prices, supply side inflation surge, and tame core inflation has led the government to think food inflation had best be excluded from the headline numbers. Now this can be massively consequential as its weightage in the consumer price index is 46%!. So do...

The Indian government’s recent access to data from Germany has unraveled a massive stash of undisclosed properties owned by wealthy Indians in Dubai—worth over ₹1,000 crore. In this episode,  Anirban Chowdhury dives into the depths of this financial thriller with ET’s Rashmi Rajput and Sugata Ghosh . They discuss the significance of this treasure trove, its implications for India's tax authorities...

India’s economy just recorded its slowest growth in almost 2 years, with the fastest growing major economy coming back to Earth.  Manufacturing stagnated, mining declined, and even government spending—a key growth driver—remains muted. While services posted a strong performance, weak private consumption continues to weigh on the overall picture. In this episode, we unpack the implications of these...

For the next six Saturdays (Nov 30-Jan 11), we will be dropping episodes from our special series ET Wealth and Beyond.   Stock tips have become a massive market investment catalyst. As wealth creation becomes a priority for more and more Indians, many are flocking to the bourses armed with nuggets of advice from market makers and financial influencers, aiming to make a quick buck. But this prolifi...

Terrorism casts a long, wide shadow—crippling economies, tearing societies, and leaving nations to grapple with enormous costs. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host  Dia Rekhi dives deep into the costs of terror. Joining her are Thomas Morgan , Chief Research Officer at the Institute for Economics & Peace, who unpacks insights from the Global Terrorism Index, and Dr. Abhinav Pandya , a c...

Gold has had an extraordinary year in 2024, marked 40 record-breaking price peaks and a recent volatility…all influenced by geopolitical events, Fed rate cuts, central bank purchases and Trump’s return to the White House. India’s consumer demand was a standout despite price hikes and helped by a duty cut. Gold-backed ETFs gained traction, growing by 14 tons this year. And let’s not forget the grow...

  As Bitcoin nears $100,000, Trump’s pro-crypto policies, including a proposed Crypto Czar and a U.S. “Bitcoin stockpile,” are reshaping global sentiment about this asset class. The EU and UK are advancing crypto regulations, while India’s capital markets regulator SEBI hints at a progressive framework despite RBI’s caution. Amid optimism, challenges like the WazirX hack highlight the need for str...

With automation and generative AI reshaping industries faster than ever, half of the global workforce may need reskilling by 2025. In this episode, we delve into the urgent need for learning and development (L&D) programs to help Indian professionals stay ahead in a rapidly changing world. Drawing from eye-opening reports by the World Economic Forum, LinkedIn, and McKinsey, we explore how AI i...

Delhi’s air has hit a new low—literally. With pollution levels crossing global safety thresholds, the city is gasping for solutions. Crop burning, rapid urbanisation, and political inaction have created a toxic cocktail choking much of India. In today’s episode of The Morning Brief, Anirban Chowdhury hosts Frank Hammes , Global CEO, IQAir, Dr. Arvind Kumar , Chairman, Institute of Chest Surgery, M...

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is escalating into a global health emergency, with dire consequences for humanity. As World AMR Awareness Week unfolds,  Anirban Chowdhury hosts an insightful conversation with Vikas Dandekar and Dr. Manica Balasegaram , Executive Director at the Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership. Together, they explore the global response, innovative solutions, and India’s poten...

  Indians are ingesting too many antibiotics. As a result, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming a serious public health crisis, as many commonly used antibiotics are losing their effectiveness. Currently, about 70% of antibiotic treatments fail to work against infections, making it increasingly difficult to treat conditions that once had straightforward solutions. Each year, more patients ex...

As COP 29 unfolds, the stakes are higher than ever. The focus this year is on new climate finance targets. The question is the same: Will developed countries pay up to help the poorer nations battle climate change? And where will the money come from? Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Urmi Goswami , Special Correspondent at Economic Times, and Dr. Jai Asundi , Executive Director at CSTEP, to explo...

Political instability and the constant flip-flopping of voters define the predicament of the Jharkhand State Legislative Assembly since the turn of the century when it came into being. Despite the last two governments completing their terms, no political party can claim with conviction that they have cracked the code in Jharkhand. Join host  Nidhi Sharma as she and ET’s own Kumar Anshuman navigate...

In part 2 of our two part deep-dive series on digital arrests, we look at the complex global operations of the scamsters, how these gangs recruit and coerce Indians into crimes, the cross border treaties they exploit, existing legal guardrails against the cyber crime and new rules that have to be implemented to tackle it effectively.  Host Dia Rekhi talks nuances and solutions with Kanishk Gaur an...