Zero Down

For years you could trade on the NSE, but you couldn't own a piece of it — until September 2026. In this episode, Kritika and Sanvi break down one of India's biggest public share sales: how existing stakeholders sold a 5% stake via an offer-for-sale, why NSE itself didn't receive a single rupee from the issue, and what a ₹4.42 lakh crore valuation really says about India's most dominant stock exch...

Why does India's ₹10 lakh crore ($130 billion) wedding industry never slow down—even when the economy does? Sanvi and Nitika break down how decades of pre-funded savings, gold hedges, societal pressure ("Log kya kahenge"), and vendor multiplier effects make Indian weddings virtually recession-proof. Tune in to find out why the stock market can crash, but nobody is canceling the baraat!

India’s biggest digital payment shake-up is here as new rules introduce merchant fees on UPI. In this episode, hosts Pihu and Vanisha unpack why the government is intervening after years of subsidised transactions, and whether shopkeepers will start pushing back toward cash. Together, we explore the hidden economics behind every QR scan and what sustainability actually means for our payment infras...

How do economists actually measure poverty, and what does it take to design effective social safety nets? In this episode, hosts Ayansh and Anika sit down with Nayantara Sarma, a Miranda House economics alumna and economist at the World Bank. She walks us through her journey from Miranda House to the World Bank, how poverty lines are actually measured, the UBI vs. targeted assistance debate, and h...

In the current international climate, does material domination really imply an accumulation of power? As the distribution of material power disperses in the international arena, the narrative around these power dynamics also must ideally shift. Join Anjali and Manya as they perform a deep dive into the current geoeconomic dynamic between the BRICS+ and G7 groups, and whether the “developing” part...

Why does the price of your seat spike right before you book it — and why does the passenger next to you always seem to have paid less? In this episode, Anusmita and Samaira break open the economics of airline pricing: from near-zero marginal costs and yield management to the psychological "fences" like anchoring, loss aversion, and drip pricing that shape every fare you see. They also unpack India...

Would you take ₹1,000 right now or ₹1,200 a month from now? Most people pick the cash today, and that's exactly why " Homo economicus ," the perfectly rational decision-maker of traditional economics, doesn't actually exist. In this episode, Ridhima and Rajnandini unpack bounded rationality, cognitive biases like loss aversion and present bias, and why "70% off, only 2 hours left" beats hours of c...

Why does opening Netflix with a thousand options often end with you watching nothing at all? In this episode, Susmita and Rajnandini unpack the paradox of choice, how too many options can leave us more exhausted, less satisfied, and stuck chasing the "perfect" pick instead of a good one. They bring in the jam experiment, opportunity cost, decision fatigue, and how social media multiplies the numbe...

What if every decision you made had to make you better off without making anyone else worse off? In this episode, Samaira and Riddhima put Pareto efficiency to the test, not as an abstract market model, but as a real seven-day personal operating system. From Delhi's daily commute chaos to household dinner disputes and workplace tea-break trade-offs, they trace how a framework built for static equi...

When platforms vanish overnight, how does a generation react? How did Gen Z turn online trends into protest, and what hidden rules might be guiding their moves? In this episode of Zero Down, join Muskan and Rama as they unpack Nepal’s social media ban, the Nepo Kids trend that exposed political privilege, and the hidden game theory behind youth action. From viral outrage to real world mobilization...

In today’s episode, Nandini, Anika and Anusmita dive into the significance of the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement, a landmark pact linking two of the world’s largest economic powers, India and the European Union. We’ll examine what this agreement means for global supply chains, investment flows, and strategic alliances in an era marked by protectionism and geopolitical uncertainty. From...

Join Himanshi and Hardik for a conversation that looks beyond the scoreboard. This episode reimagines India’s Women’s World Cup victory as an economic turning point, unpacking women’s cricket through the lenses of sports economics, labour markets and investment theory. From match scarcity and income volatility to market failure and untapped consumer demand, the discussion reveals why women’s crick...

Dive into the world of digital payments with this episode on UPI, as Yana and Sneha explore its transformative journey in India. From its humble beginnings to becoming more than a payment method, UPI is reshaping the way India transacts! Let's unpack Metcalfe’s law behind its rapid growth, the two-sided market dynamics, zero-MDR advantage, and innovations like UPI on feature phones, wearables, and...

Ever wondered why you hesitate before texting first, overthink double texts, or feel stuck planning outings that never happen? Turns out, you’ve been using game theory all along. In this episode of the Zero Down Podcast by Arthashastra, Miranda House, Poorti and Mahak explore how economic concepts like the Prisoner’s Dilemma, Nash Equilibrium, Tit-for-Tat, free-riding, and signalling show up in ev...

Swipe into the chaos of modern romance with Devanshi and Tanvi as they unpack the Economics of Online Dating. From right-swipes to ghosting seasons, they explore how attention became a currency, why some profiles explode in demand while others get buried, and how apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge ended up running an oligopoly on our love lives. They dive into supply-demand curves on attraction,...

Labubu isn’t just a collectable — it’s a billion dollar hype machine. In this episode we break down how Labubus made their way into the market, why blind boxes are so addictive and how Pop mart made a brilliant use of the hype.

Concerts aren’t just about the music anymore! they’re an entire economy of their own. In this episode, Nandinii and Vanshika explore the fascinating economics behind the rise of concert culture, especially in India. From the multiplier effect that fuels local businesses every time a major gig comes to town, to the booming resell culture and parallel ticket economy that fans either hate or can’t es...

Join Bhadra and Kashish as they turn a shopping trip to Delhi’s iconic Sarojini Nagar into a crash course in game theory. From bargaining tricks and price wars to the Nash Equilibrium and the Prisoner’s Dilemma, this episode uncovers the hidden strategies behind every deal. Witty, sharp, and full of real-world insights, it’s the economic playbook you didn’t know you needed for your next Sarojini h...

Have you freshly turned into a voter? Are you wondering whom to vote for?  Before you decide, dive into this podcast and walk with Gargi and Anusmita around the world of politics looked at through the lens of Game Theory. Discover the various kinds of games played by political parties and unveil what goes on in the minds of every voter simultaneously that impacts on the election results. Yes, this...

In this episode, Nandinii and Manya use game theory to unpack India and Pakistan's nuclear strategies. Through the classic Prisoner's Dilemma experiment, they explore how strategic decisions, mutual distrust, and historical tensions direct the prospect of peace and conflict in one of the most volatile nuclear flashpoints - and what it would take to break the cycle

Is China helping countries grow or trapping them in debt? In this episode of Zero Down, Priyadarshini and Manya explore the geopolitical motives and economic impacts behind unsustainable debt practices. From ports in Sri Lanka to railways in Africa, we look who's gaining, who's slipping, and what it means for global power dynamics.

In this episode of the Zero Down Podcast, join the heads, Tanya and Prapti for a discussion on international trade, reciprocal tariffs and the impact on the current economic and geopolitical scenario.

In this episode of Zero Down Podcast's non member series, ZDP Shots, Devika, Bhadra, and Diya spill the tea (from the Stanley Cup) about why we feel the urge to buy things that we do not necessarily need. From engineered scarcity, sunk cost fallacy, to herd mentality and other concepts, join them as they explore different behavioural economics theories manipulating consumer demand - and why it wor...

Women have been locked out of the literary arena - not because they weren't writing, but because they weren't being published, read, or remembered, Joanna Russ said. Through Virginia Woolf, Betty Friedan, Emily Dickinson, the Bronte sisters and others, this episode delves into the works and lives of women who almost got lost in time. Join Gargi and Manya as they explore the economics behind this p...

In this episode of the Zero Down Podcast, Tanya, Usheer, and Vanshika explore "The Great Indian Brain Drain." While the news of someone of Indian origin becoming the CEO of a major global company often fills us with pride, it also raises an important question: does this reflect a significant loss of talent for India? Tune in for a deep dive into the causes behind this phenomenon and examine variou...