
Daybreak
777 episodes — Page 15 of 16
Ep 77WTFinancials is going on at Byju's?
Last week, edtech giant Byju's saw its valuation come crumbling down from $22 billion to $8 billion. And June 5, 2023 happened to be the last day for the company to pay off a $40 million instalment on its highest unrated loan.This is, of course, only a part of Byju's problems which range from bad press to a growth slump and a lot more. To say that Byju's is in a precarious position right now would be an understatement. The question to ask is: will it sink or swim?There is one tiny glimmer of hope.Tune in to find out.Recommended reading: Byju’s is looking like a hedge fund Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.
Ep 76Ikea and Walmart are leading the resurrection of jute in India
With the advent of plastic in the 1980s, the once-flourishing jute industry of India saw a slow demise. But lately, the tables seemed to have turned.Countries are implementing more stringent ESG rules forcing global retailers like Ikea, Walmart, Tesco, etc to look for alternatives to plastic bags. India being the largest producer of jute is suddenly in focus. More than $120 million worth of jute bags were exported in the last financial year alone.However, neighbouring Bangladesh, also one of the leading producers of jute is quickly catching up.Tune in to find out more.Recommended reading: Walmart and Ikea are why a British-era industry is back in vogueDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.
Ep 75What happens if we kill Swiggy, Zomato, Ola, and Uber?
When the govt launched Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), the idea was to build the world largest e-commerce platform to check the monopoly of giants like Amazon and Flipkart. You could think of ONDC as the UPI of e-commerce. From ride-sharing and food delivery, to groceries, the platform can be used to buy and sell anything. Lately, ONDC has been doing some interesting things with pricing. For example, someone ordered food on it for a price that was 45% lower than Swiggy. This, obviously, got thinking. Could ONDC kill the likes of Swiggy and Zomato and others?While there is no exact answer to that because of a bunch of factors, what made us more curious was this: Do we want ONDC to win? And if it does then what could be the consequences?Tune in to find out.Recommended reading: Why everyone wants a piece of India’s open e-commerce platform Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.
Ep 74Govt's $3 billion boost for India's EV makers is trapped in ambiguity
The government of India launched a $3 billion dollar production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for automobiles to boost manufacturing, especially EV manufacturing, within India in 2022.It was a win-win for both—EV makers had been eagerly waiting for beneficial subsidies and the government could use it to push domestic private investments and create jobs in the sector. But more than a year has passed and the funds remain untouched. Not a single company selected under the scheme has qualified for the incentives, let alone received them. Tune in to find out what's going on.Recommended reading: Rajiv Bajaj has the last sigh on EV subsidiesDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform.Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 73How Apple is building an army of 'faithfuls' in one of the world’s most price sensitive markets
For almost two decades, India was a stagnant market for one of the leading tech companies of the world. But in 2021, things changed and Apple's sales graph in India began to rise upwards.By 2022, Apple sole over 7 million iPhones in the country. And then in April, Apple CEO Tim Cook inaugurated India’s first Apple retail store in Mumbai. But compared to markets like the US and China, Apple's numbers in India are far from substantial. Yet, the company is looking to give Its Indian customers a premium experience, even if the sales don’t yet justify it. Tune in.Recommended reading: Indians’ love for the iPhone is stronger than ever. But Apple retailers are not happy Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform.Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 72Sony Liv is all set to disrupt OTT power dynamics post Zee merger
A year and a half ago, Sony’s India unit—Sony Pictures Networks—announced a merger with rival Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. Ever since, Sony Liv's subscriber base grew from 18 million to over 33 million. With good original stories and unique non-fiction shows, alongside a strong partnerships strategy, Sony has been able to close the gap on market leaders such as Hotstar. Zee meanwhile has a formidable arsenal of regional content.The combined strengths of the two platforms, Sony and Zee, now threaten to change the pecking order of the country's OTT sectorTune in.
Ep 71How an Indian fintech is trying to find its mojo by not being a fintech
Not long ago, being a fintech company in India meant having a promising future. Because people would always needed to make payments which is why it was assumed that building better products around these needs would ensure good business.But it was not how things panned out. And the story of Instamojo, a promising fintech company is testament to that.After 11 years of being in the business, it has decided it does not want to be a payments company anymore.
Ep 70Jio and Airtel are fighting a new war to win 120M households
In 2016, Jio invested more than $50 billion to roll out a 4G network across India. The move disrupted the telco sector leaving Airtel down at the second place. The other rivals didn't make itThe telecom sector was left in the hands of a duopoly. Now, there is a new war between these two giants and it is over home broadband.In fact, the crown they’re fighting for is to be the go-to service provider for not just broadband but the whole works—a complete suite of entertainment, gaming, and home-surveillance services. What are they up against and how are they prepping to win?Tune in.Recommended reading: Jio, Airtel brace for another epic price war. And it’s not for mobile usersDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 69Who are the 'unhireables' of India's startup world?
From amazing salary hikes and other perks being served on a silver platter just a year or two ago to now, when companies are using salary benchmarks to figure out whether they have overvalued employees—the startup ecosystem in India is going through a churn.In fact, as many as a quarter of startup professionals might be what HR and hiring professionals are terming as 'unhireables' at this point.Former overvalued startups that had gone on hiring sprees are now doing all they can to correct their mistakes while employees are resisting, waiting for things to settle with fingers crossed.Tune in.Recommended reading: India’s startup workplaces confront the rise of the ‘unhireables’Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform.Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 68Dunzo fans made it a verb. Then it became just another delivery firm
What makes Dunzo unique is that one could never imagine a company its size to have the kind of influence it does.In 2022, a $200 million funding from Reliance Retail sent the quick-commerce startup flying high. It began expanding its dark stores and even ran advertisements in IPL.But the IPL led boom did not last long. The same year, the number and volume of orders began to decline.Dunzo was forced to recalibrate its focus and rethink its strategy. Tune in!Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 67Physics Wallah’s journey from master of one to jack of all trades could backfire
India's youngest detect unicorn is on a relentless expansion spree. So much so that its investors want it to slow down.From establishing itself as the leader of NEET-JEE test preparation, Physics Wallah (PW) wants to dip its toes in a bunch of other areas—from banking and defence to civil services now. Not to forget short-term skilling courses and even tie-ups with schools.Despite this hyper growth phase coming after PW became the only profitable edtech unicorn in the last financial year, cracks are appearing on its armour now.Tune in.Recommended reads:India’s youngest edtech unicorn Physics Wallah is making an audacious gamblePhysicswallah vs the popstarDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 66Namma Yatri is affordable and driver-focused, yet Ola and Uber remain unfazed
Last year in October, the Karnataka government banned Ola and Uber autorickshaws after they were caught overcharging. A month later a new app was launched and it was almost antithesis of Ola and Uber. It charged zero commission from drivers and no cancellation or surge charges from riders. Plus, the government supported it by saying it would be listed on its e-commerce behemoth, ONDC.Yet, eight months later, Namma Yatri is not growing as much as expected in terms of registered drivers and users. Tune in to find out more.Recommended reading: Your Namma Yatri auto driver may still be on Uber, OlaAlso, listen to: Gaurav Munjal of Unacademy on being confrontational, paranoid and transparentDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 65$1 billion or employee-first ? Freshworks confronts a choice
Freshworks, one of the most successful SaaS companies that was listed on Nasdaq in 2021, wanted to hit $1 billion in annualised revenue by 2023. What made it stand out was also its employee-first approach.That it took the company just 5 years to climb from $1 million in ARR in 2010 hit $100 million indicated that the target could've been achieved. but it's 2023, and Freshworks is only halfway towards the goal.How is the company planning to pursue its profit goals?Tune in to fine out.Recommended reading: How Freshworks is going from being a ‘people-first’ to a ‘profits-first’ companySubscribe to The Ken for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 64India's nursing brain drain: Why building more colleges won't stop the crisis
The pandemic worsened the nursing crisis in India. If 35 nurses were required for every 10,000 people, India only has 25. Exploitative work conditions and poor pay are making nurses migrate in huge numbers to other countries for better jobs. It is an exodus.The government on its part its trying to solve the crisis by building more nursing colleges. But this is akin to a doctor treating the symptom instead of the disease.Tune in to find out why.
Ep 63Your health supplement could lead to your next health disaster
India’s nutraceutical market is estimated to be worth $4-5 billion and the government expects it to be worth almost five times more in the next two years. As important as it is to monitor the rapidly growing market, regulations have not really kept up.And in a post-Covid world where preventive healthcare has become all the rage, a dangerous situation is being created. Health supplement makers are flouting RDA guidelines and consumers have been paying little attention.Tune in to find out why you need to read the fine print before you buy your next dose of multivitamin gummies.Recommended reading: How healthy are health supplements? India’s food regulator wants to find outDaybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India's first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 62Byju’s played the good game. It still didn’t matter
Last week, a full search and seizure operation was carried out by the Enforcement Directorate on three offices of edtech giant Byju's. The $22 billion startup is being investigated under the Foreign Exchange Management Act.The move comes at a terrible time for Byju's since it is already struggling with a long list of troubles including a potential debt crisis. The company still hasn't filed its financials for FY 2022.In this episode, not only do we look back at Byju’s missteps, we also go over what it did right, and how it still did not matter.Tune in.Recommended reading: The seven things you need to know about Byju’s FY21 financialsSubscribe to The Ken for more exclusive, deeply-reported, analytical business stories.
Ep 61The world of short-video creators in India is going through a major shakeup
The launch of Chinese video content platform Tiktok in 2017 changed the social media landscape forever. The short video format became all the rage. Despite TikTok being banned in 2020, the format stayed and a range of Indian short-video apps came up.Content creators from small towns and cities joined such platforms and for many it became a dependable source of income. Some were making as much as Rs 1 lakh a month.But now, with advertisers slashing their budgets, platforms such as Moj and Josh are ending their exclusive deals with content-creators.What seemed like a viable career option for thousands across the country is no longer the same.Tune in.
Ep 60Was Mankind Pharma's IPO a good idea?
The initial public offering ((IPO) of Mankind Pharma Ltd opened for subscription on 25th April and closed just yesterday. The pharma major is reportedly eyeing a valuation of over $6.7 billion.But in recent years, the Indian stock market has not been very kind to pharmas that have been listed. Since 2010, 17 of them have had IPOs, but four have delisted. Of the remaining, half are trading below their listing price.Amidst this and the current economic state that is making many postpone their IPOs, Mankind still went ahead with its plan. Why?Tune in to find out.
Ep 59Is Vodafone Idea, India’s third largest telco, worth saving?
In February this year, Vodafone Idea gave away a 33% stake to the Indian government and the government converted a part of its dues into equity. Many analysts though think even this cannot save the sinking telco.Because the company still owes the government $23 billion and banks $1.5 billion. And it also needs $6 billion for an all-India network upgrade to roll out 5G.Vodafone Idea has too much to deal with—a towering mountain of debt, a ruthless giant of a rival, and the merger with Idea that turned out to be a bad decision. In today's episode, we look at the possible outcomes of how the saga of the struggling telco could end.Tune in.
Ep 58How e-pharmacies are living but still on the edge
Ever since they came up a little less than a decade ago, e-pharmacies have been fighting a constant battle. On one hand there is the severe pushback from traditional pharmacy lobbies and on the other, the lack of a regulatory mechanism.It was only in 2017 that the government officially acknowledged their existence. It was a small win, but a win nonetheless. But the draft e-pharmacy rules that the government came up with a year later were never notified.Despite this, e-pharmacies continued operating and their importance was only highlighted further during the pandemic.But in February this year, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) sent show-cause notices to 20 e-pharmacies. These included Tata 1mg, Amazon, Flipkart, Reliance Retail-owned NetMeds, MediBuddy, Practo and Apollo.However, e-pharmacies are here to stay.Tune in to find out more
Ep 57Google and Jio's cost-friendly phone ended up being a costly mistake
In 2020, Google invested $4.5 billion in Reliance's Jio Platforms for a 7.7% equity. The flagship product of this alliance was a budget friendly 4G smartphone priced at Rs 6500 called JioPhone Next. The idea was to make the internet more accessible to millions of more Indians.When it was launched, the telco was expected to sell at least 20 million devices in a year. But so far, it has sold only 2 million.A tech giant and a telco giant coming together to make a pocket-friendly smartphone--the plan sounded perfect. What could've gone wrong?Tune in to find out.
Ep 56Swiggy’s 1000 crore plan to save itself from the delivery partner crisis
The Blinkit delivery workers' strike that began last week has brought the spotlight back on the delivery personnel crisis in India. Just last year in July, Swiggy’s delivery partners in Bangalore too had gone on strike. Their issues range from wages to the lack of basic employee benefits.With an IPO scheduled for 2024 and its 1000 plus crore rupee investment in the bike-taxi company Rapido, the stakes were high for the food delivery platform. It had to find a solution and it had to be soon. So, it came up with a plan.It gave its delivery personnel the option to double as bike-taxis during non-peak hours. This was to incentivise them for doing more work in a day and also retain them during peak hours. But can a food delivery rider deliver meals and also ferry people? Tune in to find out.(Edit note: Earlier, we mistakenly said Swiggy's investment in Rapido was 100 crore rupees instead of 1000 crore rupees. The error is deeply regretted)
Ep 55Pandemic dealt a knockout punch to BookMyShow. Now it’s coming back with a new face
BookMyShow has its share of testing times since its birth back in 1998. The last one came as the pandemic and brought the platform down to its knees. Year-on-year revenues fell to one seventh in FY21 and it had to cut down its employee size from over 1500 to just a little over 500.To everyone's surprise, however, BookMyShow managed to not only survive but also recover quite swiftly.But now, the company wants to become more than just a movie ticket-selling platform. It want to win the live events game. Tune in!
Ep 54Nykaa gambled on fashion. Was it worth the risk?
After its listing, investors were almost bullish about Nykaa shares. And for good reason. The company has been a pioneer in normalising buying beauty and cosmetic products online. It showed profitability that the other listed tech companies were nowhere close to.So in 2018, it decided to venture into fashion.But things have been a bit shaky since last year. A week ago, Nykaa gave its investors a “revenue update” for the last quarter and it did not paint a very pretty picture. The company blamed the pullback in discretionary spending for the subdued growth in its fashion business.This, however, is not the first time fashion has been the source of concern for the beauty and personal care e-commerce giant.Was Nykaa's foray into fashion worth the risk?Tune in to find out.
Ep 53"Hello, I’m calling from Bajaj Finance. Do you want a loan?"
Phone calls from Bajaj Finance offering loans are almost inescapable and lately, the non-bank has been facing quite a backlash for it.But telecalling has been an enduring sales channel for the company which boasts of a loan book worth $28 billion. And despite the massive size of its loan book, it's been growing at 30% for years. Now this rate is seeing a dip through.Bajaj needs to maintain a 26-27% growth rate. Meanwhile, shifting its loan sourcing to its digital assets is going to take a while.So those pesky calls are unlikely to stop anytime soon.In this episode, we take a closer look at this Bajaj Finance's annoying but successful system of tele-calling.
Ep 52Regulating 'finfluencers' is a slippery slope
According to a survey by S&P, more than 75 per cent of Indian adults do not understand basic financial concepts. The gap is more when it comes to women. 80%. So the rise of financial influencers who simplify complex financial jargon and provide investment advice is not really surprising. But often, they underplay risks and overplay returns, and try to ride the market waves.In fact, SEBI, the market capital regulator, has been receiving many complaints and is working on creating a framework of strict guidelines to bring them under its control.But reining these 'finfluencers' in is a bit of a catch-22 situation.Tune in.
Ep 51How Disney+Hotstar is trying to fill the IPL-sized void
With the digital streaming rights to IPL gone and the recent losses it posted, India's undisputed OTT leader is trying to figure out a new strategy to stay on top of the game.As other OTT platforms around the world are consciously choosing to spend less on original programming, Disney+Hotstar is doing the opposite in India.But is it enough to make up for the 30 million viewers it would get on average every day when the IPL was on?Tune in to find out.
Ep 50India’s TB patients can finally celebrate the end of Johnson & Johnson’s monopoly disguised as charity
India’s patent office decided to reject pharma giant Johnson &Johnson’s appeal to extend the patent for a life-saving TB medicine called bedaquiline which is used to treat those with drug resistant infections. But for a long time before this, Johnson & Johnson was enjoying a monopoly in India. Generic manufacturers could not make this life-saving medicine. The Indian government too, at the time, had decided to protect the pharma giant.Not just that, Johnson & Johnson was also conveniently projecting itself as a charitable organisation through its health programmes.What does the Indian govt’s decision mean for TB patients in India now?
Ep 49NPCI's latest directive could prove to be a game-changer for Paytm
If you had to compare all the online payment methods available to us, digital wallets like Paytm have gone through the roughest of waters. From being the life-saver during demonetisation to being left behind by UPI, digital wallets haven't had it easy. But last week, UPI parent NPCI released a circular about the use of digital wallets that brought a ray of hope albeit after a bit of confusion. It had to do with certain charges being levied on transactions over Rs 2,000.How could it work as a shot in the arm digital wallets and who is actually going to pay these new charges?Diclaimer:*Paytm’s founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an investor in The Ken.*The Ken has been part of multiple programmes initiated by GPay parent Google for news organisations globally, including, most recently, its 2022 APAC Innovation Challenge.
Ep 48Reliance is going after DTH and cable TV subscribers
With the IPL set to begin today, a few days ago Jio announced a move that many say could be the next big disruption. The Reliance Group, which has the digital rights of the event, is streaming the games for free on its OTT platform, JioCinema.The main goal is to get people to switch the traditional way of viewing cricket, especially IPL, from TV to digital streaming.So on 27 March, Jio launched its most affordable fixed broadband plan yet. The plan offers unlimited data at 10 Mbps for Rs 198 per month. Before this, Jio was giving fixed broadband customers 30 Mbps bandwidth for Rs 399 a month. Will the new broadband plan get enough viewers to switch to digital streaming? Tune in.
Ep 47Foreign phone makers are capitalising on "Make in India" but Indian firms are lagging behind
The Indian government has set an ambitious goal with the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program for mobile-phone manufacturing. By 2026, it aims to push the country's annual exports to a whopping $300 billion.The idea is to boost large-scale manufacturing and to support domestic phone makers to become globally competitive. But of the six companies that made the cut to claim the scheme's incentives, only two are Indian.Why is “Make in India” attracting more foreign phone makers than Indian ones?Tune in to find out.
Ep 46Bringing millets back to our plates will take more than declaring 2023 the year of millets
2023 has been declared the International Year of Millets after India, the largest producer of millets in the world, moved a resolution in the UN General Assembly.The Prime Minister himself has been promoting the use of millets as a staple through various channels like Mann Ki Baat and the Global Millets Conference that was recently held in the national capital.But making what were once called 'coarse grains' as the next big food trend is riddled with challenges and will take more than declaring 2023 the year of millets.Tune in.
Ep 45JioCinema's big IPL bet has advertisers in a fix
After buying the digital rights for IPL for an eye-popping amount last year, Mukesh Ambani’s JioCinema wants to change the way Indians watch cricket. It wants to replace TV viewing with online streaming.In order to pull it off, it came up with an almost disruptive move. It decided to make IPL streaming freeWhile viewership is expected to hit half a billion and ad impressions to quadruple after this, advertisers are skeptical about a host of unknown factors.What are they?Tune in to find out.
Ep 44Why AC bills during summers are difficult to control
The Indian Met Dept has predicted that 2023, especially between March to May, is going to be unusually hot for most parts of India. Air conditioners and electric fans account for nearly one fifth of the total electricity used in buildings around the world today.Naturally, electricity bills have skyrocketed and it's only going to get worse.Meanwhile, a fascinating technology has emerged that can save 30 to 40% in energy consumption but it's not being adopted as fast as it should be. Energy transitions are proving to be much more difficult than a smartphone upgrade.Tune in
Ep 43Shark Tank India is inspiring retail investors to pour in crores on risky investments
Last week, Season 2 of one of the country’s most popular reality TV shows, Shark Tank India, came to an end. The show has given rise to a significant demand for startup investing.Investors are able to put in as little as Rs 5000 via online fundraising platforms like Tyke Invest and Infubiz. They offer investments in startups through Community Subscription Offer Plans. But these fundraising campaigns are not subject to securities laws and investors in these instruments do not have any shareholder rights under the Companies Act, 2013.This is creating a high-risk environment for small-time retail investors.Tune in.
Ep 42The FAME subsidy is working just fine for India's EV sector
A few months ago, a whistleblower alleged that some of the top EV makers in India were misusing the FAME subsidy. The government began an investigation and withheld the subsidy for multiple EV manufacturers.Ever since, news stories have been reporting how the sale of EVs in India has declining and the FAME subsidy is under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.But the government is only trying to correct a past mistake. The impact of the subsidy on the rising penetration of EVs in the country can't be ignored. In fact, the criticism of FAME could actually end up hurting the EV sector in the long run.Tune in.
Ep 41Credit-card issuers can't count on their favourite users anymore
For credit card issuers, 'revolvers' are the most profitable customers. They are users who carry over a balance from one month to another instead of paying the entire due amount.These users pay as much as 40% interest per annum by revolving and help the credit card issuer make obscene amounts of profits.But lately, dues from ‘revolvers’ have been falling. There is a shift in their behaviour pattern.Tune in to find out why
Ep 40India's electricity distribution companies are getting disintermediated
With summer around the corner this year, the Indian government is scrambling to make sure the country does not face power outages.But as this demand for power rises, the country is also working on increasing its green energy capacity. In fact, India is turning out to be one of the fastest to increase its renewable energy capacity. The transition to green energy is not just about how electricity is produced, it is also about how it is consumed. India emerged as the biggest market for corporate power-purchase agreements (PPAs) in Asia-Pacific for the second year in a row.This trend has the state-run discoms or power distribution companies seriously worried.
Ep 39ITC's sin good is now fuelling the reversal in its fortunes
ITC's stock had been lagging for years. Many institutional investors stayed away from ITC because the company's shares are considered sin stocks. The company, meanwhile, has avoided acknowledging the importance of cigarettes, its mainstay business, in its communications.But over the last year, the ITC stock has made a dramatic comeback. Suddenly, investors can't get enough of the company.What changed?Tune in to find out.
Ep 38India's data privacy bill may infringe on your freedom of choice
The fourth draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill is all set to be presented in the Parliament during the ongoing Budget session. While it makes a strong case for creating laws to prevent the personal information of citizens from being harvested and exploited, the Bill is playing blind to two Important factors. This in turn could end up creating a crony-capitalist economy where an individual's freedom of choice is put at risk.Tune in.
Ep 37Why Big Pharma stayed away from developing male contraceptives
The introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s was one of the most significant events in the history of human society. But it still left the burden of birth control largely on women.Now, however, things are changing. The demand for male contraceptives is on the rise. But why have large pharmaceutical companies not paid enough attention to the research on male contraceptives for all these years?Tune in.P.S We apologise for the delay in the release of today's episode. We were faced with technical difficulties.
Ep 36Chinese surveillance companies are prospering in India despite global sanctions
CP Plus, a CCTV camera brand, procures 80% of its supplies for its parent company Aditya Infotech Ltd (AIL) from the Chinese security-equipment manufacturer Dahua Technology. Dahua and Hikvision, another Chinese surveillance-tech firm, are facing sanctions in the UK, US, Australia, and other countries, for their connection to the Chinese government.But in India’s growing CCTV market, which is said to be worth Rs.5000 crores, both these companies are flourishing. Bringing them under control is turning out to be a huge policy challenge for the government.Tune in.
Ep 35Why India hasn't met its solar energy goal yet
In 2015, the current government set an ambitious target. It said we would have 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022 and 40% of it would come from rooftop solars or RTS. Back then, the country’s solar capacity was just 3.7 GW. But as of October 2022, this capacity rose to only a little over 60 GW. The main reason for this is the slow adoption of RTS. High transaction costs and lack of data about the long-term performance of RTS make it difficult to access loans for small-scale solar installations.Tune in to find out more.
Ep 34The battle between telcos and content companies over 'fair share'
Years ago, a tug of war began between tech companies including OTT platforms and telecom companies.Telecom and internet service providers believe that content and tech companies should pay them for disproportionate traffic. But tech and content companies argue that this would violate the principles of net neutrality.The debate has now reached India and telecom regulator TRAI is expected releasing a consultation paper on the matter soon.Will content companies like Google, Netflix have to compensate telcos in India?Tune in.
Ep 33Why it's time for Disney+Hotstar to level up in India
Hotstar has remained the undisputed OTT leader in India boasting of half of India's 90 million paid OTT subscribers. A part of this success has come via the IPL streaming rights and from bundling with telecom and DTH service providers like Jio and Airtel. But last year, Jio's Viacom 18 won the digital streaming rights of IPL, the largest cricket tournament in the world. Not just that Reliance's Jio also dropped Disney+Hotstar from most of its streaming bundles.Why did Reliance choose to end this partnership and what does it mean for Disney+Hotstar?Tune in to find out.
Ep 32Why Indian Pharma struggles with quality control
From February 26, the Union Health Ministry will organise a two-day 'Chintan Shivir' to explore ways to build trust on Indian drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.Despite being called 'the pharmacy of the world,' time and again, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has received criticism for substandard quality. The most recent such incident was when the deaths of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan were allegedly linked to cough syrups manufactured in India.Why does Indian Pharma still struggle with quality control?Tune in to find out.
Ep 31Is UPI ready to go international?
With its phenomenal success, UPI has changed the way Indians interact with money. Now, the NPCI along with other fintech platforms are making efforts to launch UPI for international use.But the government needs to ensure UPI remains secure and reliable as it expands beyond the country's borders.Note: In the previous version of this episode, the host mistakenly referred to NPCI as NCPI. The error is regretted and has been corrected.
Ep 30The ray of hope in Zomato's grim quarterly numbers
A few days ago, Zomato announced that it was withdrawing its services from 225 cities in India on account of "not so encouraging" performance.Last week, the food tech giant also reported its financial results for the last quarter of 2022. It saw its losses soar 5X to nearly 350 crore rupees.The volume of orders also declined during this period. But in these numbers there also lies hidden a glimmer of hope for the company.Tune in.
Ep 29Why Dabur is reinventing itself
With increased competition within the country, the over-hundred years old Ayurvedic brand, Dabur, is looking to acquire and expand. It wants to change its story.Just last year in October, it acquired a 51% stake in Badshah Masala, one of the country's leading spices companies.But why does the world leader of Ayurveda brands need to reinvent itself?Tune in.
Ep 28India's new guidelines to stop fake reviews online are missing an important detail
Whether it is to decide where to eat or what to buy, online reviews play important role. But fake reviews are turning out to be quite a menace.To bring them under control, the Indian government released a set of guidelines for e-commerce platforms.But they forgot to mention an important point.Tune in to find out.