The Morning Brief

Almost all of us have been at the receiving end of incessant WhatsApp calls, texts and videos from anonymous international numbers in the last couple of months. They come from across the world-Indonesia to Vietnam, Malaysia to Kenya—with job offers, money-making opportunities, or lurid invites and compromising videos. Why have the calls increased so much? Who’s behind them? How are they using What...

Pakistan is on the brink of bankruptcy and a civil war. With less than a month of reserves to continue importing fuel and food, Pakistan is at dire risk, with the highest inflation and the second lowest economic growth among 46 Asian nations. With the IMF playing hardball, what is the endgame for its economy?  Host Kiran Somvanshi talks to S. Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director of the Institute of Bus...

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is being touted as the government’s next big digital initiative after UPI (Unified Payments Interface). The ambitious open-source network aims to connect all buyers and sellers in the e-com space and to more than treble the country’s e-commerce penetration to 25% of its 1.4 billion population. ONDC has recently been part of the internet chatter for the disc...

Nestle India has delivered its highest growth in a quarter in the last decade, but a lot more is brewing at the Maggi maker. Host Ratna Bhushan catches up with Suresh Narayanan, CMD, Nestle India, as they engage in  a healthy debate on nutrition and the upcoming competition. If you like this episode from Ratna Bhushan, check out her other episodes on Millet Mania , From Bite to Flight: Varun Berry...

Embark on a captivating exploration with The Morning Brief as we delve into the intriguing decision-making process behind Wadia's choice to navigate the treacherous skies of insolvency through the NCLT route. Uncover the motives and intricacies behind this daring flight path, where a seemingly perilous journey could ultimately lead to a flawless landing in the realm of insolvency. In this episode,...

Team TMB traveled 400 kilometers to a site that was unknown to many but soon became famous for its protest. The site was proposed for setting up Asia's largest oil refinery, but soon became the epicenter of protests. In this episode we hear from villagers about why they don't want this refinery in Ratnagiri. Do they think the refinery will bring development and job creation to the region? They dis...

India’s $20 billion dollar beauty market has many suitors for the crown and it may not be a pretty or a petty bout. With the latest contestant Tira, arriving from the Reliance camp, the rules of the BPC business look to be getting a makeover with e-commerce firms setting up shops and veteran retailers looking to grab a piece of online sales. But looking at Nykaa’s not-so-pretty performance at the...

Milk has become a boiling political issue in Karnataka ahead of the elections. Amul's potential entry is seen as a threat to the local brand Nandini. But what is the economics behind dairy politics? Host Mugdha Variyar travels through the milk belt of Karnataka in Mandya district to do a ground check on farmers' troubles, and to find out what the Amul-Nandini issue means for them. We speak to: Ani...

Reliance Capital was the last big bastion to fall in Anil Ambani’s business empire. Once competing with the likes of ICICI and HDFC, it has been, for the last year, languishing in India’s bankruptcy court. The complex resolution process is a two-horse race between Gujarati pharma giant Torrent Group and auto-hospitals-banking conglomerate Hinduja Group. The prize is RCap’s lucrative insurance busi...

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

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

A recent social media influencer video about the sugar content of Bournvita caused an uproar. Influencer Revant Himatsingka withdrew the video after receiving a legal notice from the firm that owned the health drink brand, which rejected claims that it had a high sugar content. Around 12 million people had watched the video, which several well-known people also shared on social media. This raised...

El Niño, the climate force that warms up the Pacific and disrupts weather across the world, is back. Scientists fear it will contribute to 2024 being the hottest year in recorded history. For India, which is reeling under massive heat waves, it’s particularly worrisome. 60% of the country’s droughts in 130 years have coincided with El Nino events. The jury is out on how severe the imminent bout wi...

India becomes a first-tier market for Apple as Tim Cook launches 2 flagship stores in Mumbai & Delhi. What does this mean for consumers, resellers and manufacturers as the Cupertino giant sets down roots in the subcontinent ? Host Anupriya Nair speaks to  Navkendar Singh , Associate Vice President, Device Research at  IDC Asia Pacific what does a big flashy store bring to the table? Prabhu Ram...

On Earth Day, Team TMB brings together startup warriors who are developing sustainable solutions. What makes their solutions unique? Is it making any difference to our worlds? What are the hurdles these entrepreneurs face? Kiran Somvanshi and Kalpana Pathak discuss with: - Ajinkya Dhariya , Founder and CEO at PadCare Labs that recycles used sanitary napkins.  - Anubhav Mittal , CEO & Co-Founde...

Torn Between Taxes And Takedowns Host Arijit Barman Explores If It’s Time For India To Regulate And Bet On Betting? Jay Sayta points to loopholes in the current system and Sarah Ramanauskas Partner, Gaming Integrity details the UK case study on how regulating gambling can be a gamechanger for the gamers and the government. Credit: Dream11, Rummy Circle, MPL, Gamezy, CNBC-TV18 If you liked this epi...

The furious rivalry between the two American titans, Pepsi and Coca-Cola who have ruled the cola sector in India since early 1990: with broad liberalization measures, has now acquired a new zing, and this time it appears fiercer than ever. RIL has brought back the Indian old-school brand Campa Cola and Sosyo to the Indian market. Reliance's arrival has created quite a stir in the soft-drink indust...

Foxconn has mega plans for India. The world’s largest electronics maker is pouring in millions of dollars into setting up iPhone and semiconductor factories in the subcontinent as it looks to expand outside of China. It is aided by Apple’s China Plus plans, in which India plans a big role, and India’s own overall ambitions of being tech atmanirbhar.  But should India be concerned about Foxconn’s h...

Gold prices have hit record high soaring past Rs 60,000 mark but the high prices have not deterred the greed for gold. And we are getting it by hook or by crook as smuggling also soars. Host Kiran Somvanshi speaks to a veteran of the customs department as he reveals shocking tales and tactics of new age smuggling. The big question -: Are high import duties the very cause of the booming illicit gol...

As India gears to import dairy products for the first time in 10 years Team TMB travels through the dairy ecosystem to understand who 'moo'ved the dairy prices. Is it just a covid backlash? Is it the soaring cost of fodder or Is the downplayed Lumpy skin disease which is playing havoc? Host Anupriya Nair speaks to Milan Sharma , CEO of Revnar Foods, Prabu Guthi , Founder of Talégaon Farms and R S...

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

As India begins its pilot of retailing E20 blended petrol - that is, 20% ethanol and 80% petrol  What are the changes and challenges that vehicle owners and producers face?  Host Kalpana Pathak explains the new ‘E-20’ regime, how ‘green' is the new face of fuel, and how efficient it is on your wallet.  On this episode, we hear from: 1) Hemal Thakkar , Crisil 's transport and mobility head 2) Kisha...

The Zee Music-Spotify squabble is the latest in a two-decade-long feud between powerful music producers and their broadcasters/streamers over issues such as how much music is worth, how and where it should be used, and how far it should reach. Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to - Vanditta Malhotra Hegde , Entertainment Lawyer, Founder & Managing Partner, VMH & Associates, Mandar Thakur , COO...

A dose of success for patient rights in India as the Indian Patent Office rejected J&J’s application to extend its monopoly over selling miracle anti-Tuberculosis drug Bedaquiline after a plea filed by two TB survivors. But is this a one off or will this push MNCs to rethink their drug monopoly strategy? Does the government need to rethink their role in protecting the patients right to ensure...

Anil Agarwal's resource empire is facing yet another dilemma as Vedanta faces a payment calendar that may require some juggling. Dividend draining and refinancing; the playbook is the same for Vedanta but the global landscape is very different. Will the billion-dollar repayment throw up a billion other issues plaguing Vedanta? Cash crunch to corporate governance, shareholder pushback to promoter d...