The Morning Brief

Recent protests against big companies like Wistron and Toyota in Karnataka depict a trend of increasing trade unionism and labour dissatisfaction. As India Inc ramps up production, labour issues might intensify unless dealt with empathy, feel Dr Narendar Pani, Prof. at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Captain Gopinath founder of Air Deccan and ET's Archana Rai. See omnystudio.com/listen...

Four entities are interested in buying Air India, attracted by the assets of the national carrier. However, high debt and legacy issues mean that reviving the airline is no easy task. Sanjiv Kapoor, Former Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer at Vistara, and ET’s Mihir Mishra discuss what’s next for the Maharaja See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Centre's move to allow Ayurveda students to perform surgeries has sparked protests by allopathic doctors. Dr. Rajan Sharma, National President of the Indian Medical Association, and ET's Teena Thacker explain what this could mean for patients. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some states have pulled the plug on the fast-growing online gaming industry and more are likely to join the banned-wagon. Nikhil Narendran, Partner at Trilegal, Salone Sehgal, Co-Founder of Lumikai, and ET’s Megha Mandavia discuss the pros and cons of these restrictions and how they might affect investments. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petrol and diesel prices are inching towards all-time highs in India where consumers pay some of the highest fuel taxes in the world. K Ravichandran, Executive VP at ICRA, Debasish Mishra, leader for energy resources at Deloitte, and ET’s Deepshikha Sikarwar discuss what triggered the price hike and whether consumers can expect any relief soon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of India’s leading honey makers are facing charges of adulteration, denting their image. Sunita Narain, director of Centre for Science and Environment and ET's Ratna Bhushan discuss the concerning report, and what's next for the Rs. 1,800 crore sector. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Declining property prices, record-low home loan rates, government incentives and offers galore from builders – is now the right time to buy your dream home? That's what we asked author and personal finance coach PV Subramanyam and ET’s Kailash Babar, who closely tracks the real estate market. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines propose that states cap surge pricing and increase the commission for drivers to 80%. Rameesh Kailasam, CEO of IndiaTech. Org, and ET’s special correspondent Alnoor Peermohamed tell us the impact of these norms on cab-aggregator startups, drivers and customers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Friday, farmers unhappy with three recently passed farm bills, have laid siege to the capital. We ask Ajay Jakhar, a farmer and chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj, as well as Himangshu Watts, editor at ET, if the changes will improve efficiencies, farm incomes and boost investments in an otherwise anti-competitive sector or if bigger monopolies will create new cartels. See omnystudio.com/liste...

As another wave of the coronavirus scares vacationers, hoteliers are arming themselves with safety measures and special offers to attract guests. Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director of Sarovar Hotels, and ET’s Anumeha Chaturvedi tell us how hotel owners are also finding opportunities in the midst of the crisis such as hosting film crews and catering to wedding parties. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Cyberattacks in India are getting more sophisticated. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) says that healthcare has become an attractive target for hackers. Supreme Court lawyer NS Nappinai and ET’s senior correspondent Anandi Chandrashekhar tell us what, apart from a strong cybersecurity law, is needed to deter hacking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bharat Biotech failed to halt clinical trials after one person developed serious side-effects during the testing of Covaxin, its indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine candidate. Dr. Srinath Reddy, President of Public Health Foundation of India, and ET’s Teena Thacker take us through the protocols and challenges of developing a vaccine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time, the Reserve Bank of India roped in a foreign bank – DBS of Singapore – to take over the assets of an Indian lender, 94-year-old Lakshmi Vilas Bank. ET’s journalists Sugata Ghosh and Atmadip Ray tell us how and why this happened and what it means for banking in the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s restaurants are trying everything to get customers back. Despite all the safety norms in place, consumers are still being careful about dining out. Sameer Seth, Founder of Hunger Inc., Zorawar Kalra, MD of Massive Restaurants, and ET’s Senior Editor Ratna Bhushan explain how the Rs 4.25 lakh crore industry is adapting to the new normal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s latest stimulus package to revive the economy includes reforms and incentives for local manufacturing and job creation, but experts are unsure if enough has been done to revive demand. ET’s Resident Editor, North, Vinay Pandey and Consulting Editor TK Arun dissect the Rs 2.65 lakh crore Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's move to bring over-the-top (OTT) services such as streaming platforms and digital news channels under the I&B ministry is seen by some as a precursor to content censorship. MediaNama's founder Nikhil Pahwa and ET's senior assistant editor Vasudha Venugopal explain the government's rationale, the impact on the industry and what it could mean for consumers. See omnystudio.com/listen...

The NDA is back in power in Bihar, but this win didn’t come easily. Nitish Kumar will be the chief minister, leading his party as a junior partner of the BJP. Neerja Chowdhury, columnist and political commentator, and ET’s senior assistant editor Kumar Anshuman analyse India’s first election since the Covid-19 outbreak and assess what’s next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WhatsApp Pay finally got the nod to launch last week but with riders. Simultaneously, an unprecedented cap of 30% of monthly UPI transaction volume was announced for all players. We look at the ramifications of these two big developments on a rapidly growing digital payments network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next US president’s key task will be to return America to global leadership in a world wracked by Covid-19, China’s ambitions and climate change. India will seek more investments and easier visa norms from the US. While Biden has always been supportive of India, Trump has clicked with Modi and a second term could mean business as usual. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flipkart has recently made a number of cherry-picked deals and partnerships. It's also seen bumper sales during its flagship festive sale. We delve into the company’s strategic focus on wholesale, fashion and grocery and what this means for its plans for an IPO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting off as a payment unit of Alibaba, Ant is today a fintech giant straddling payments, lending, investments, and insurance and is likely to raise over $34 billion in its upcoming listing, making it the world's biggest IPO. How did it get there, and can India have an Ant equivalent? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winter brings with it the familiar troubles of increased air pollution - this time, the government has proposed a new law to address the crisis in the capital. We discuss how effective that's likely to be, what the other solutions are and the situation that awaits India's most polluted cities this smog season. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The saga of a scam and a flamboyant stockbroker who turned Public Enemy No. 1 in 1992 has hit a chord among viewers. But why is Harshad Mehta still relevant after all these years and why does a man long dead and gone continue to fascinate many, not just the old-timers? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Politicians are promising voters free Covid-19 vaccines. But a vaccine is far from ready. We assess why India may have to wait longer than other countries for the vaccine and what it will take in terms of logistics and costs to protect its over 1.3 billion people from the novel coronavirus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 led to the worst job crisis in India in decades. As the economy recovers, what will the job market look like in the next few quarters, and which skills will be most in-demand? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.