The Morning Brief

Dubbing has come a long way since its introduction in Western cinema, but after many years, we witnessed India and cinema in particular generating a fortune from it, with movies like Bahubali and KGF making a fortune. However, this dramatic surge was highlighted in the pandemic, where everyone binged watched this type of entertainment. But what is driving this sector, how large is it in total, and...

A Do Not Disturb (DND) registry. Blockchain technology. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has made many attempts to curb the menace of pesky calls.  It is now looking to launch a caller ID similar to Truecaller, and is also deploying AI and ML to address the issue. Will it work?. Host Mugdha Variyar explores why spam calls still persist and where the gaps lie. In this episode, we sp...

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

In a world where dating has progressed to the next level, meeting your romantic partner through an app is considered normal. While dating apps are thriving in the country, matrimony apps have seen a decline, and dating fatigue is growing alongside this expanding market. The Morning Brief digs deep into how more and more people than ever are dating, meeting potential partners and the reasons why co...

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

German airline Lufthansa has been impacted by Covid before and more than most global carriers. It grounded planes, fired thousands of employees and lost billions. Last week, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said the airline “is back” as it swung from record losses in 2020 to a resounding profit in 2022. As it still grapples with challenges and pushes through its expansion plans-buying aircraft, revampi...

Post pandemic, there has been an unprecedented divergence in consumption patterns: the rich have been splurging on luxury cars, jets, gadgets and holidays. But sales of consumer goods in rural areas have slowed down; affordable and entry gadgets, appliances, two wheeler and cars have massively slumped as rising inflation has sapped the purchasing power of the urban poor and rural population. Host...

The Morning Brief interviews India’s first woman forensic scientist Dr. Rukmani Krishnamurthy. Dr. Krishnamurthy was a feminist before feminism was a thing. When she got three job options: a clerical position at RBI, a teacher and a forensic scientist, she took up the last one because of one question asked during the interview “What will a woman do in forensics?” From detecting hazardous material...

As Gautam Adani battled his worst crisis ever, one little known investor and his firm came to his rescue. Rajiv Jain’s GQG Partners last week laid a $1.87 billion bet on the conglomerate by buying stakes in four of its companies. This, at a time when the group had lost more than $120 billion in the markets thanks to a damning report from American shortseller Hindenburg accusing it of corporate fra...

A new tribe of entrepreneurs is fast sprouting across the startup landscape: board game creators.  India has a long history of board games. Their popularity resurged during the pandemic and has sustained beyond. Game nights are common, board game cafes are opening across cities, and OTT shows have made people aware of international strategy games beyond Monopoly and Cluedo. In India, new board gam...

India is facing a fresh health catastrophe, wrote ET’s pharma guru Vikas Dandekar in a recent article in ET Prime. 1 out of every 5 women in India is now suffering with polycystic ovary syndrome. It is fast closing on diabetes as the big health challenge and they are both intrinsically linked. Host Ratna Bhushan explores this epidemic with Vikas and pours over his findings. Also in the episode, ex...

The global war on inflation is now attacking portfolios as the 6-month return on the Nifty turns negative. With the latest inflation data in the US igniting bets for further rate hikes the market mood has made a U-Turn and this time India is outperforming in the underperformance. What are the macros indicating and what will it mean for the markets, Sajjid Chinnoy from JPMorgan and Rohit Srivastava...

Will the angel tax be the death knell for startup funding? Host Mugdha Variyar explores this setback for startups as worry of valuations take centre stage. Who is the best evaluator, what is the best method and why are FEMA and Income Tax norms in contradiction? The Morning Brief gets answers from across the ecosystem we speak to   - Siddarth Pai , Co-Chair of Regulatory Affairs Committee - IVCA a...

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

Will the biggest order of new passenger aircraft in history, put Air India on the runway for success? What does the mega buy mean for it as brand and network? Can fliers hope to finally get a world-class long haul Indian flight carrier or will the pending royal mess of disputes and losses cloud the path? Host Anirban Chowdhury evaluates if the Air India can finally be a truly global airline with i...

What happens when the largest beer brewer in the world decides to launch its first-ever hard spirit-an American blended whiskey in India?  AB InBev India, the leading beer and beverage company announced the launch of Budweiser Magnum Double Barrel whiskey in the Indian market. But the real question is - Is India, which has its taste for single malts or scotch whiskey then how will the dawn of bour...

What are CSOPs and are crowdfunding platforms like Tyke in regulatory grey areas? With zero investor rights, minimal buyback obligations on companies and accounting jugglery, do thousands of investors stand to lose money on this platforms? These are the questions host Anirban Chowdhury was determined to get answers to as he got intrigued by new fundraising platforms constantly cropping up in India...

Curious about the business of drones, TMB host Kiran Somvanshi visited the factory of IdeaForge , India’s largest drone makers. From being a futuristic idea to a surveillance tool to having multiple use cases in agriculture, infrastructure, pharma, sports, films, rescue operations and wars, the unmanned aerial vehicle has come a long way.  And with one company making a crackling stock market debut...

Millets, the ancient grain family of jowar, bajra and ragi, are making a comeback into India’s foodscape. They are in PM Narendra Modi's podcasts and FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech; FMCG giants and startups are selling them as cookies and cakes; and food influencers are dishing out constant content on them. Millets aren’t new to India’s culture or kitchens. They are full of nutrients and ea...

After pleasing, pleading, and then pausing, the Adani FPO frenzy has left investors confused and irate. Will this impact the growing diplomatic ties with UAE, in which Adani plays a central role? What will it take to change the perception of Adani overseas or will the narrative fade with time? Arijit Barman explored the perception and politics of the Adani drama with Alicia Gracia Herrero , Chief...

The Adani Empire has seen $120 billion wiped from its value, post-Hindenburg allegations and a scrapped FPO what is the road ahead for the port-to-power conglomerate? In this two-part episode series, Host Arijit Barman sits down with Gary Dugan , a seasoned investment professional with a 37-year track record as a Managing Director and CIO at some of the world’s leading banks and wealth managers. ...

Host Kiran Somvanshi of The Economic Times paid a visit to the ground zero of cancer care in India - the Tata Memorial Centre - seeking to know how patient care and treatment is changing, what the challenges are, and how the financial burden is impacting cures ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4. The episode brings to stage the behind the scenes of cancer care.  Dr. CS Pramesh , Director, Tata...

What happens if you get to know your city is sinking due to unplanned infrastructure? This happened in Joshimath, Uttarakhand in the first week of January when over 800 houses and several roads developed cracks as the land beneath the town continues to sink. As many as 200 families have been evacuated. It raises many questions - what is the ground reality? What are the ecological damages happening...

The Economic Times in partnership with Deloitte hosted a CEO Roundtable to discuss 'India's Decade: Can the Country Deliver on Its Promise? on January 24 in New Delhi. The event was attended by a host of entrepreneurs, policymakers, business leaders and industry experts. The discussion was moderated by Arijit Barman on a variety of crucial subjects, including the Budget 2023, investor perspectives...

The #BoycottBollywood movement; Tata-Air India peegate; Byju's Messi mess; Mamaearth's valuation conundrum: Brands big and small, old and new, have been caught in the social media storm. Fair or not, social media is judge, jury and executioner. The biggest brands are being held accountable, brought to book and often to their knees. The impact is quick, at times far reaching and often recurring. So...