Daybreak

In November 2024, one of India's biggest FMCG companies, Hindustan Unilever, started getting a barrage of complaints from its consumers, who said they were seeing the same Dove and Surf Excel ads repeatedly on OTT platforms during a single watch session. Some of them were shown the same ads as many as 150 times within a week. Now, with the IPL around the corner, HUL—which spends nearly Rs 4,000 crore on ads annually—couldn’t afford to ignore these complaints. So what followed was a series of investigations. And what they discovered has opened a real can of worms for not just JioHotstar, the platform that will be streaming the IPL, but OTT platforms in general. The big issue is a serious mismatch between what was promised and what’s actually being delivered for ad campaigns, according to seven insiders from HUL, Disney, and other industry rivals who spoke to The Ken. So what happens when a big spender starts feeling like it's not getting what it signed up for during the biggest streaming event of the year? The Ken reporter Rounak Kumar Gunjan speaks to Daybreak hosts Snigdha and Rahel. Tune in. Listen to 'One Billion in 10 Minutes', our new mini series based on The Ken's inaugural case competition. The Ken app Apple Podcasts Spotify

Back in 2009, Tata launched an egg-shaped four seater hatchback that it was convinced would redefine mobility for the masses, Tata Nano. Initially priced at just Rs. 1 lakh, it was designed as the dream ride for the lower middle class. It was a bold and ambitious that unfortunately didn't quite take off. Auto experts say it was because of a combination of factors. But perhaps the biggest learning from the Nano fiasco was that car ownership in India isn’t just about wheels. It’s about status. Now, almost two decades later, Tata Motors has managed to dethrone India’s largest passenger carmaker, Maruti, to officially become the public’s favourite. And it’s all because of how it has positioned itself since the Nano. Take one of its most successful models, Tata Punch, for example. Last year, this compact SUV became the country’s best selling car. It managed to beat the iconic Maruti Wagonr and Swift which previously took the top spot for several years now. So how did Tata Motors get here? In this episode we dive into its journey from the Nano to the Punch. 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.

The global fashion industry is shifting dramatically. Brands like Zara that once ordered a minimum of 6,000 pieces per style, have dramatically reduced their orders to about 600 pieces. And it isn’t just a quantity thing, production timelines have shrunk from 150 days to less than half of that. The result? Well, fresh designs every two weeks. This shift in the industry was made possible because of middlemen like Groyyo, who get small factories to manufacture clothes in small batches in record time.The company’s strength lies in what other larger factories find challenging. When a brand places an order for 500 pieces to be readied in 60 days, large factories—those capable of producing batches of at least 2,000 garments—typically struggle to justify the operational adjustments required. This isn’t the first time the textile industry has seen such moves. Other B2b Fasionplatforms like Geniemode and Fashinza also went down the same path but ended up burning over 100 million dollars trying to digitise this unorganised space. But Groyyo managed to recognise exactly what they were missing – a focus on international markets. Tune in. Listen to 'One Billion in 10 Minutes', our new mini series based on The Ken's inaugural case competition. The Ken app Apple Podcasts Spotify

It has been a confusing year so far for the payment processor, Juspay. On the upside, it is one step closer to unicorn status thanks to a possible 150 million dollar funding round. But at the same time, it has also been getting the cold shoulder from several fintechs that once were a core part of its business. It all began just a few months ago, in December, when the Walmart-owned payment aggregator Phonepe said it would discontinue support from all third-party payment orchestration platforms. Soon after, Razorpay and Cashfree followed suit and severed ties with Juspay. So now merchants have to decide – do they stay the course with Juspay or jump ship? The stakes are at an all time high. Because their decision could reshape the very structure of the payments industry. Tune in. Listen to 'One Billion in 10 Minutes', our new mini series based on The Ken's inaugural case competition. The Ken app Apple Podcasts Spotify

Last year’s heatwave was great for the AC business—demand was over the roof and inventories were wiped out. Voltas, which sells the most room air conditioners in India, saw revenue jump 60% in the March quarter. Contract manufacturers like Blue Star, Amber Enterprises, and PGEL made 50–100% more money. This year too is going to be a long, hot summer. Air-conditioner makers know this. But they also know that, despite all their efforts to prepare this time, they might run out of air conditioners by mid-April.The same thing that happened last year will happen in 2025.You see, there are tiny but really important things that make an AC an AC like compressors, cross-flow motors. Suddenly, they were in short supply last year. Some manufacturers ended up airlifting emergency shipments—instead of regular shipping. You could think of this as the business equivalent of ordering from a quick-commerce platform at midnight: expensive, kind of desperate, but necessary. Overall the industry lost the sale of a million and a half units because of this.And this year could be worse because AC sales are projected to jump another 20%, crossing 12 million units.Tune in.

Desi dating apps are vying for parental approval. And their strategy seems to be working.A couple months ago, Agrima Srivastava, a 29-year-old media professional from Lucknow, had an awkward conversation with her mother. She wanted to know if Agrima had ever heard of Indian dating apps, Aisle and Better Half.That was the first time Agrima had an open conversation with her mother about her love life. She told her that she was on dating apps, but homegrown ones like Aisle and Better half, were "just too serious". Funnily enough, the very reason Agrima was hesitant to get on an Indian dating app is why her mom approved of it.And Agrima's mom isn't alone. Many Indian dating apps have positioned themselves as the perfect stop gap between casual dating and marriage. It allows people the autonomy to choose their own partner without their parents getting involved, while also connecting them with a pool of potential partners from similar communities and upbringings. It's like parent-approved dating.How do they work? And do Indian dating app users need them?Tune in to find out.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.

Last month, Netradyne, the logistics AI startup, became India’s first unicorn of 2025 after it raised 90 million dollars in series D funding. You see, it did not take it long to realise that its sweet spot is the long-distance trucking segment. It serves over 3,000 customers across eight countries, including the likes of Amazon, Shell, Indian Oil and Greenline Mobility. And it all began with one rather primitive prototype. Of course, now it has morphed into a compact device with a built-in GPU, up to four cameras, and a disembodied voice alerting drivers not to crash the vehicle.The Ken reporter Abhirami G recently found herself in the backseat of one of Netradyne’s test cars in Bengaluru's Whitefield neighbourhood. The driver of the car was a Netradyne employee. And as he weaved through the traffic, the company’s signature always-on surveillance cameras didn’t just watch his every move, but also apparently “understood” and “analysed”. As he drove, he was generating the precious training data that powers the company’s bread and butter. Apart from making roads safer, this whole system also doubles up as a driver’s best legal defence in times of trouble. The company’s executive Vice president of Engineering Teja Gudena said that on multiple occasions, it has saved drivers from liability by proving their innocence in accidents. Apart from its new-found unicorn status, it reportedly managed to clock Rs 1,000 crore in revenue in 2023. It also currently has a stronghold in the US and other major global markets. Reaching all of these milestones within nine years is pretty remarkable. But despite all that success, Netradyne is now grappling with an existential crisis. Because now, driverless vehicles are no longer science fiction, they are a logistical inevitability. And that leaves Netradyne in a rather tricky spot. Tune in

It’s 2025 and the idea of “masculinity” has undergone a complete overhaul. You see, after several product life cycles, the men’s grooming business has reached a stage where brands aren’t just formulating shampoos and body washes exclusively for men. They are also coming up with compacts and concealers, and a bunch of other makeup products targeted at men. In fact, in the last decade or so, India has actually become the biggest market in the Asia Pacific region for beauty products for men. And yet, nothing much has changed about how these brands pitch their products to men. 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, and analytical business stories.We are now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!

Over the next three to five years, Zepto wants to be known as the startup that created the most multimillionaires. Which is why these days, the standard pitch that people applying for VP-level roles at the startup get is as follows: "Would you like to create generational wealth? Think 50-100 crores in just four years." That’s what Zepto HR has been promising these applicants. They’ve been making it seem like bagging a job at Zepto is like winning a lottery ticket. And it’s not just bravado. By “generational wealth”, the company means offering Employee Stock Ownership Plans or ESOPs to senior executives, based on their performance. But it comes at a price. Tune in. Listen to 'One Billion in 10 Minutes', our new mini series based on The Ken's inaugural case competition. The Ken app Apple Podcasts Spotify

Indian startups are making the most of the increasing demand for surveillance by securing high visibility government contracts. But while these can boost a startup's profile, government projects are unpredictable and often difficult for smaller startups to win. As a result, there is a shift underway — private clients are becoming increasingly crucial for profitability. This divide between public and private contracts is forcing these surveillance startups to do a fair bit of monkey balancing. How are they pulling it off?Tune in. **This episode was previously published in December, 2024Daybreak 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.

Nvidia’s dominance in the AI market is forcing Big Techs like Microsoft to produce chips of their own. So, the software giant is changing its tack in hiring from Indian colleges. The Ken reporter Abhirami G joins host Rahel Philipose in this episode. Tune in. Listen to 'One Billion in 10 Minutes', our new mini series based on The Ken's inaugural case competition. The Ken app Apple Podcasts Spotify

CIBIL or Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd is one of only four credit information providers in the country that is licensed by the RBI. It is considered the oldest and the most reliable. It essentially calculates your credit score, a three digit number between 300 and 900, and provides it to banks so they can judge your creditworthiness. Usually, anything over 700 is considered good. But this whole process is anything but straightforward. In fact, it is shrouded in mystery. Each of these bureaus typically have their own algorithm to compute your credit score. And they are all somewhat similar. But nobody–not the borrowers and not even the banks–fully understand how these credit information providers, like Cibil, actually rate finances. In this episode, we try to demystify these credit bureaus and their mystery calculations that decide our fate.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, and analytical business stories.We are now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!

*This episode was originally published on 17 September, 2024. Subway, the globally popular sandwich-eatery chain, is now grappling with sweeping changes in India—and not for the better. For one, the world’s largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand is moving away from the franchise model it has operated under for the past 25 years. In doing so, it’s also shedding the very thing that made it popular in the first place: choice.Tune in. Listen to 'One Billion in 10 Minutes', our new mini series based on The Ken's inaugural case competition. The Ken app - https://lnkd.in/gr5eGNZEApple Podcasts - https://lnkd.in/gqviPMAGSpotify - https://lnkd.in/gXWTrYSP

Back in 2016, the government launched a scheme called UDAN. It stands for Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, which roughly translates to every ordinary citizen will fly. This was a scheme that promised affordable, hassle free air travel to tier-2, 3 and 4 cities across the country. But eight years later, flying in and out of smaller towns and cities could not be more cumbersome. Direct flights are rare, and cancellations and delays are constant. So, that prompts the question – where did Udan go wrong? A report by the Comptroller Auditor General shows that more than half of the 770 odd approved flight routes under the scheme had not even commenced operations by March 2023. This largely had to do with two things – inadequate airport infrastructure and the lack of flights. But now the government is trying to fix it. 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, and analytical business stories.We are now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!

The luggage industry seems to have undergone quite a makeover in the last few years. Back in the day, VIP and Safari were synonymous with the plain black and grey suitcases. But now, luggage is as important as the clothes you wear--it's part of the whole airport look.Startups like Mokobara, Nasher Miles, Assembly, and Uppercase have turned luggage into an aspirational lifestyle product with smart social-media marketing and a vibrant aesthetic.Also, important to note is that travel changed after Covid pandemic. The duration of trips has shortened, but the frequency of general travel has increased from once every three months to once every 45 days.The suitcase now has to fit in with the instagram aesthetic so it has gone from being functional to a style statement. As of now, VC-backed, new-age luggage brands only have a tiny slice of the market.But that slice has been growing quickly, and that’s enough to get the old guard nervous.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, and analytical business stories.We are now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!

'As the battle for winning 10-minute deliveries heats up, so do the stakes. Pick one of five quick commerce companies. Determine what winning looks like. Write your solution’That was the challenge we threw at some of India’s smartest, most ambitious and creative students from top business schools across the country. In our brand-new mini series 'One Billion in 10 Minutes', you will hear their ambitious and creative pitches – all rooted in the real world and centred around five quick commerce platforms that have completely changed the way we all shop.The six-episode mini series goes live on Monday, February 3. But before that, we thought we would give you a sneak peak here on Daybreak. Check out the first episode of the series, where two teams — Metamorphosis from IIM Ahmedabad and Voldemort from IIMK Kozhikode — go head to head with their billion dollar strategies for the OG quick commerce platform, Big Basket. 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, and analytical business stories.We are now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!

A new generation of designers is on the rise. These designers are expected to be a lot more than just “one trick ponies”. The new-age ‘Designer X’ is expected to bring a little bit of everything to the table. They understand the basics of sustainability, how their designs would impact things like climate change and culture. And they would also generally know a little bit of coding too. And that is because the whole perception of design has shifted. Just last month, IIT Delhi announced a new certificate course in design thinking. It quoted multiple reports explaining why aspirants should take it. One of them was a 2023 Deloitte report that said companies that integrated design thinking in their innovation process brought new products to market 50 per cent faster than others and saw 2.5 X more revenue growth.The latest batch of design generalists are the products of a new era of design education that has been sweeping through India’s universities. As of now, about a dozen have started their own design schools. Some of these universities are leaning into the industry’s demand for a well-rounded designer.But now that more universities have entered the picture and generalist designers are becoming a dime a dozen, landing good jobs is going to get tougher as the job market matures. Tune in.*This episode was previously published on November 4, 2024Daybreak 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.

Nothing can dampen a vacation like a chronic migraine. Sunayani Sarkar, a 22-year-old biotechnology student learnt this the heard way during a trip to the Andaman and Nicobar islands last year. A month of terrible migraines later, her doctor suggested she try out a wearable device called Nerivio, developed by Pharma major Dr Reddy's through a partnership with an Israeli bio tech firm called Theranica Bio Electronics. The device connects to an app via Bluetooth and controls the electronic pulses sent to the arm. It also stores the patient’s data to track migraine episodes over a period of time. It seemed simple enough and Sunayani’s migraines weren’t getting any better, so she decided to give it a go. She isn’t alone. Turns out in the last few years, the market for devices to treat and manage chronic and non communicable diseases has been blowing up. Despite its high costs, thousands of Indians are opting for digital therapeutics to manage their migraines better and monitor heart health. And company's like Dr Reddy's and Lupin are making the most of it. And why wouldn't they? After all, it opens the doors to bundled products, robust patient data and a chance to be pioneers in global healthcare. Tune in. Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

Welcome to the world of luxury-lifestyle management, where firms like RedBeryl, Indulge Global, and Quintessentially play the role of concierge for their ultra-wealthy clients, making the impossible possible.Now this sort of thing has become even easier for the rich. Because their wealth managers are also taking care of some of these requests. It isn’t a one -off thing. Companies like RedBeryl, Indulge GLobal, Quintessential – all of which play the role of concierge for their ultra wealthy clients – are increasingly partnering with wealth managers to edge out competition and increase their clientele. In today’s episode, we dive into how wealth managers are finding new ways to delight the ultra-rich. Tune in Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

One of the largest deals to acquire a D2C brand took place last week. India’s largest manufacturer of consumer good, Hindustan Unilever acquired the skincare company Minimalist, a 90% shareholding for nearly 3000 crore rupees.Homegrown startup beauty brands have been on a roll in India. Scores and scores of new age skincare brands have cropped up since the pandemic and all of them harp on the science of it. And their whole appeal is transparency. Transparency about the ingredients that go into each of their products.Among all of them, Minimalist is the one that really stands out. It is an active ingredients based skincare company that sells things like niacinamide, retinol, Vit C, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid. It launched around the end of 2020, and within a span of eight months, it built a 1000 crore rupee business. What’s even more surprising that the brand has remained in the green, meaning profitable, from the very first month itself.For years, legacy brands like, HUL, Ponds, and Loreal have been selling products with similar ingredient--the only difference being they either didn't launch them in India or the kept the names hidden away in tiny fonts at the back of the bottles.It was Minimalist that came around and broke that mould.And now, seeing the success of brands like Minimalist, legacy brands are rethinking their strategy.Case in point: Hindustan UnileverThe company’s has been wanting to turn its beauty and well-being portfolio into a “high-growth" premium category for a while now and the acquisition of Minimalist is a big step in that direction.But how did Minimalist manage something that a giant like HUL couldn't?Tune in.Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

Property prices across Indian cities have gone through the roof, up by nearly 30% in the last two years. This along with ever increasing rent and general cost of living has made planning for the future quite challenging for those in their 20s and 30s. So has the idea of home ownership changed among the younger generations, like in many Western countries where more and more people are choosing to rent rather than buy? Or are we still attached to the idea of owning a home?And what's behind these record-breaking property prices anyway?Tune in to find out.Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

FROM THE ARCHIVES (This episode was first published July 1, 2024)The Economic Times reported yesterday that Zepto, the quick-commerce startup, is in talks to increase the size of its initial public offering to $800 million-$1 billion. Zepto earlier planned to raise $450 million through the issue. Even when it entered the quick commerce scene for the first time in 2021, Zepto was a disruptor. Now, it is the third largest company in the market after Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart. Last year, it secured its biggest funding ever at a US$3.6 billion valuation, mainly from its existing investors.Venture Intelligence, a data provider told The Ken that the US$660 million funding was the largest bet made by VCs in Indian startups in 2024. What did Zepto do to get all this attention from investors?Tune in.Also listen to:Daybreak: Why we date, marry, or breakup with Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto & BigBasket

A dialogue from Munnabhai has become the ultimate source of inspiration for Acko, a digital general insurer. "When someone’s dying, do they necessarily have to fill out forms?" The Ken spoke to multiple Acko executives who said that this line is frequently repeated in meetings of its 21-month-old retail health insurance business. The inspiration seems to be working. Despite being new to the retail health insurance game, the company was able to sell health insurance policies worth about Rs 51 crore in the segment. That’s 40 per cent more than Godigit, which is listed and had the advantage of being around longer. Most people who understand this space are thrown off by the route it has gone down. You see, conventionally, the industry has depended heavily on agents and point of sale personnel to sell policies. But Acko has no interest in this approach. Tune in. Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

A bunch of startups are not entering the booming Indian e-bus ecosystem and becoming overnight successes. Just take the case of EKA mobility. Before 2023, EKA was barely a company. It was more the R&D wing of Pinnacle Industries, which is a major manufacturer of seating and interiors for legacy automakers like Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. But when the government launched the PM E-Drive subsidy back in September, everything changed for Eka Mobility. The five-year-old startup turned into a full-fledged EV manufacturer. Eka Mobility is one among many beneficiaries of the EV wave here in India. But naturally, it does not come without its challenges. Which is why, despite India’s e-bus ambitions slowly gaining momentum thanks to government funding, the private sector has barely put its foot on the pedal. Tune in. Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

Last week, Ola Electric’s shares saw a three-day slump after the Central Consumer Protection Authority asked the company for more documents for its investigation against it post receiving thousands of consumer complaints. But shares going up and down is regular stuff right? Not for Ola Electric. The company went public in August 2024 at a debut price of Rs 76 becoming the only startup that went public at a lower price. In his newsletter The Nutgraf, my colleague Praveen said it was a bold decision which paid off for Ola Electric. You see, when startups go for an IPO, it becomes clear that most of the value has already been extracted when it was private, leaving little for public investors. If it were shown to you as a graph, you’d see a sharp fall in growth post going public. That is the usual trend.But Ola Electric dodged it thanks to its lower debut price. This is exactly what makes its falling share prices a matter of concern. And somewhere in the middle of all this is CEO Bhavish Aggarwal's public perception. Tune in. Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

A couple years ago, quick commerce platforms were the place to be for up and coming brands across the country. Just a little sliver of real estate on a rapid delivery app was enough to put them on the map. But now, many of these brands are very quickly realising that success on a Blinkit or a Zepto is a double edged sword. With it comes high commissions, marketing fees, and the constant pressure to never run out of inventory. Some brands have now had enough. How did it get here? The Ken reporter Nuha Bubere explains.Tune in. Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

Hurun India began curating rich lists a decade ago. Now, it has moved up ahead of ranking giants like Bloomberg and Forbes with 17 lists so far. It has a Global 500 list, similar to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index. In fact, at this point, it's safe to say that it has replaced Forbes as the most trusted choice for bankers and wealth managers. Hurun has managed to turn showing it off into a cultural trend despite the fact that wealth is often wrapped in secrecy in a country like India. So what’s really driving India’s obsession with ranking the richest? Hurun India has grown way beyond its original rich lists, creating rankings for just about everything you can think of—from self-made entrepreneurs to top art collectors. They even track billionaires by zodiac signs. Today we look at Hurun India beyond just these lists— a closer look at the behind the scenes relationship it has with wealth-management firms, and how it keeps the ultra-rich happy.*This episode was previously published on November 18, 2024Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!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.

For decades, the whole process of getting a loan approved was infamously painful and long winded. But now things have changed. Getting a loan is a whole lot faster than before. And that’s because of the disruptor to end all disruptors — artificial intelligence. A bunch of companies have entered the scene with specalised AI tools to speed up different aspects of the loan-approval process. In fact, Indian AI startups have managed to raise nearly 750 million USD in 2024 and the banking and financial sector was one of the top drivers of this growth. Now at first glance, it seems like a win-win for both the borrower and the bank. But there’s a catch. This surge has come with a lot of scrutiny from the RBI. Tune in. Tell us what you thought of this episode. You can text us your feedback on WhatsApp at +918971108379Daybreak 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.

On the 25th of November 2024, just five days before the placement drive began at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, a new role was suddenly added to the student’s placement portal. Tech giant Microsoft was looking for a bunch of promising silicon hardware engineers. This was the first time Microsoft was hiring for this particular role. And it wasn’t just looking at the top tier IITs like IIT Madras. Students at IIT-ISM Dhanbad in Jharkhand, saw the same exact thing happen. Why, you may ask? One word. Nvidia. Until now, companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Google have been the most direct beneficiaries of the AI revolution. But the Nvidia monopoly in the AI chip market is preventing these tech companies from making as much money as possible. Microsoft wants to change that. That’s exactly where a team of freshly minted hardware engineers comes in. The company is hiring graduates who know hardware programming to test and design its own chips. Tune in. Tell us what you thought of this episode. You can text us your feedback on WhatsApp at +918971108379Daybreak 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.

2024 was the year of the 10-minute delivery. We think we didn't need it but the likes of Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Blinkit proved us wrong. While other companies were struggling to find funding, these quick-commerce companies were raising billions of dollars and reporting double-digit, sometimes even triple-digit annual growth rates.In December, Zomato’s quick-commerce subsidiary, Blinkit made a strategic move in the rapidly growing quick food delivery market space. It launched ‘Bistro’, a platform that will deliver food and beverages within 10 minutes. Interestingly, this was just a day after its competitor Zepto introduced the Zepto Cafe. Swiggy too already has a 10-minute food delivery service called Bolt, and unlike the others, it is inside their original app. Is this just another indulgence or has quick commerce reached a point where players are so paranoid that they’re trying to hold on to customers who think that a food delivery that takes 40 minutes is too slow? Tune in.Also, listen to: Why we date, marry, or breakup with Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto & BigBasketTell us what you thought of this episode. You can text us your feedback on WhatsApp at +918971108379Daybreak 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.

Welcome to the big fat sustainable Indian wedding! Over the last few years, sustainability has become a big buzz word in the wedding industry. Multiple wedding planners told Daybreak that couples are now increasingly asking for more ‘sustainable’ alternatives while planning their big day — from offsetting the carbon footprint of the event, to setting up compost pits in the middle of their wedding venues. This growing environmental consciousness makes sense. You see, as beautiful and fairytale-esque the typical Indian wedding is known to be, it is also infamously wasteful. But here's the thing — while some couples may be thinking about ‘sustainability’ more than before, the numbers tell a whole different story. Indian weddings aren’t getting any smaller. They are bigger and more expensive than ever before. About Rs 6 lakh crore was spent on weddings in 2024. That’s a 40 per cent increase from the previous year. And that’s not all – data shows that one in every 100 of those weddings had a budget of over Rs 1 crore. So how does sustainability co-exist with the grandeur of the Indian wedding? And can it? Daybreak host Rahel Philipose speaks to Ashwin Malwade, founder of Greenmyna, a sustainable event planning company, and Anirudh Gupta, the co-founder of Climes, a climate tech company. 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, and analytical business stories.

At the end of 2024, Indigo, India’s largest airline, was voted as the airline of the year by Centre for Aviation (CAPA) at the 2024 Global Aviation Awards for Excellence. And then just a couple of weeks later, the airline was in for a rude shock when a survey by a German consumer-rights group ranked it among the worst 10 airlines in the world. Indigo, of course, refuted the findings of the survey and cast doubts on the credibility of the agency that released it.Monthly data from aviation regulator DGCA had scored Indigo high on punctuality and low on customer-complaint ratios, and it was a big deal “for an airline of its size and scale of operations”.But you see, that is exactly where the problem lies—size and scale.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, and analytical business stories.Correction: In the episode, the host said SpiceJet is not listed. That is factually incorrect. The error is regretted.

The sexual wellness industry has long been shrouded in taboo. But now, thanks to quick commerce, getting a stamina supplement or a massage wand has become as effortless as ordering a packet of milk. In the process, the long standing dominance of the old guard – the likes of Durex, Manforce and Score – has also been challenged. That's because these quick commerce platforms shone a light on the many upstarts that have entered the market in the last few years. These brands are breaking the long held taboos associated with sexual wellness and entering the mainstream by doing what others never could. 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, and analytical business stories.

For an Indian university, a spot on the QS Rankings list could change everything. It would mean they belonged to the same elite club as the Cambridges and Oxfords of the world. But to nab that spot, universities are stopping at nothing — from admitting more foreign students, to paying top dollar to hire consultants and purchasing seats at conferences. But in the process some fear these universities are neglecting their bread and butter — academics. How did we get here? What's behind this growing obsession with climbing up the global ranking ladder? 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, and analytical business stories.

Last month though, things went crazy in Delhi NCR's real estate market. A DLF penthouse property in Gurgaon, a little over 16,000 square feet in size, sold for a mind-blogging Rs 190 crores. Just the stamp duty was Rs 13 crores, apparently. What really shocked the internet though was the per-square-foot price—Rs 180,000. When The Ken reporter Rounak Kumar Gunjan first came across it, he immediately forwarded the news article to some of his friends who are planning to buy flats to give them a sense of the madness out out there. But his frinds, he says, pulled off a UNO reverse.Because they told him something else about India’s real-estate space that was even more intriguing. An increasingly common sinister pattern in home loans that he has since confirmed with two bankers and two insurance industry executives. 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, and analytical business stories.

Today’s episode dives into a fascinating book called Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence, by Shrayana Bhattacharya, an economist with the World Bank’s Social Protection and Labour unit for South Asia. In this groundbreaking work, Shrayana unpacks the economic and social realities of Indian women through the stories of ten individuals from vastly different backgrounds—an upper-caste engineer, a flight attendant, a Muslim garment worker, and a tribal domestic worker, among others. But, you may wonder, where does Shah Rukh Khan fit into all this? And why would an economist care about a Bollywood superstar? For Shrayana, Shah Rukh Khan isn’t just a fan obsession, he’s a research method. And through it, she discovered that the one unifying thread among these women was their love for the actor. So he became the lens through which she explored their dreams, struggles, and aspirations. For one woman, he symbolises professionalism and for another, he embodies the hope of breaking free from social barriers.The book offers a unique, raw glimpse into the everyday battles Indian women fight for independence, economic liberty, and basic dignity. Shrayana also reveals how the actor represents the spirit of economic liberalisation in India—a figure who carries the promise of opportunity and upward mobility.In this episode, host Snigdha Sharma chats with Shrayana about the phenomenon of Shah Rukh Khan, the shifting role of women in India’s economy, the concept of “dal sabzi feminism,” the economics of “chik-chik,” and so much more.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, and analytical business stories.

2024 was a defining year for Saregama, one of India’s oldest music labels. This is a company that has been around for well over a century. For a long time now, it has been associated with the kind of music your parents and grandparents grew up listening to – the classics, evergreen Bollywood numbers, Ghazals, Carnatic music…you get the drift. But this year, something changed. Saregama made it clear that it was done banking on old melodies alone. It has been on a mission to make fresh hits. And that mission has largely been successful thanks to Youtube. But there is a flip side to this strategy. In the Youtube-Saregama relationship, the former holds all the power. 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, and analytical business stories.

*This episode was originally published on September 24, 2024Half of the world’s electric cars are on China’s roads, thanks to a wave of smart incentives for both consumers and manufacturers, such as tax breaks and purchase subsidies. The payoff is tangible: the smog that once shrouded some major cities has lifted, and road noise has dropped significantly.But it brought unexpected costs and challenges that nobody saw coming. Tune inDaybreak 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.

Remember that time in 2022 when India’s top digital payments companies Phonepe, Paytm*, and Bharatpe were in a no-holds-barred turf war? Looking back, it seemed like there was news almost every other day about some tiff between the three market leaders. In fact, former managing director of Bharatpe, Ashneer Grover, has spoken on record about “street fights” between companies’ employees over QR codes. A little more than two years later, there’s only calm. QR code scuffles are over. No one is beating each other up. Both the peer-to-merchant and peer-to-peer payments space have settled down into a tripartite peace. Phonepe, Google Pay, and Paytm—in order of market share—are the clear leaders. This raises some interesting questions: How many UPI apps do you have on your phone? And do you have a favourite one? We may have multiple, but only one of them is ever really used. No amount of cashbacks or fancy user experiences make people want to switch to something else. Is it brand loyalty that is preventing users from churning out of old platforms and into new ones? A former Paytm executive told The Ken recently, “There is zero brand loyalty for UPI payments apps…” Well then, what is happening?*Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an investor in The KenDaybreak 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.

As 2024 draws to a close, Daybreak hosts Snigdha and Rahel look back at some of their biggest hits and misses this year. Check out the episodes that made it to their round up. Hits —Rahel's choice: Successful Women are Freezing Their Eggs and That's on menSnigdha's choice: Why India's Biggest Employer of Female Gig Workers Refuses to listen to its own workforce Audience choice: What do women really want? A F*** off fund Misses —Rahel's choice: Are run clubs like rehab for the chronically online?Snigdha's choice: Why aren't we scared of chemicals in our skincare anymore?Audience choice: How India's 40-somethings are redefining career longevity?And that's a wrap! We will be back with new episodes next year. Stay tuned! 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.

The real-estate market of Delhi-NCR is an anomaly. The Ken spoke to a bunch of potential homebuyers who are looking for premium apartments with budgets of up to 2.5 crore rupees. Real-estate experts are telling them to give up on their dreams. Lately, the national capital has been facing an acute supply crunch of new housing projects, especially in the mid-premium segment (80 lakh to 2 crore rupees) depending on the city. Delhi NCR has witnessed the sharpest fall in inventory in this segment in the last few years. Real-estate prices in turn have shot up far beyond the reach of most buyers. But it’s not like demand for housing has gone down because of these sky high prices. People are still buying tens of thousands of these mid-premium houses in and around Delhi. So the obvious question then is: why aren’t more residential housing units being built? *This episode was first published on 12 Sept 2024

No one was surprised by Vishal Mega Mart’s stellar market debut last week. After all, institutional and retail investors oversubscribed 27X to the Rs 8,000 crore IPO. So when it listed at a considerable premium, most people saw it coming. But, how did the 23-year-old value retailer get to this point? Well, in the last few years, Vishal, which has 70 per cent of its stores in tier 2 and smaller cities, has managed to outpace its rivals in the same space, such as Vmart and V2 Retail. Today, it pegs itself in the same league as Dmart and Trent, despite the fact that the retailer is still much smaller in scale. But this comparison has given Vishal a compelling story to tell about itself. In this episode, we delve into Vishal Mega Mart’s current position in India’s retail landscape. 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, and analytical business stories.

For most Indians, a cup of good chai is a comfort that’s accessible. Coffee chains, on the other hand, are mostly premium. And it all adds up when one considers the fact that Indians consume 20 cups of tea for every cup of coffee. But we live in a time when opulence and luxury makes us go google eyed. In the Indian consumer market, premiumisation is no longer a choice. Even chai cafes chains don’t really have an option but to take the premium path.But Chaayos, the largest tea cafe chain in India, has decided not to go where the wind blows. And Nitin Saluja, the 40-year-old founder of Chaayos, says that this decision is actually based on its customers.Over the last two years, nearly 200 of them have clearly indicated their unanimous opinion to the company: don’t become like Starbucks.Tune in.** This episode was first published on 18 July 2024Daybreak 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.

This isn't your usual Daybreak Friday episode. Considering it's the end of the year, we thought we’d ask the reporters in our newsroom to talk to us about the stories they liked best. This week, we have DVLS Pranathi and Shristi Achar on the show.They share two of their favourite stories — First, Pranathi tells us about an unconventional new homegrown footwear company started by three former Puma executives. Next, Shristi speaks to us about why Karnataka’s EV battery making ambitions are stuck in low gear. Shristhi's recommendation: How the stock market is fuelling India’s grandest-ever wedding season 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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here

Category managers have shifted from routine e-commerce roles to powerful decision-makers in quick commerce. They now manage the limited shelf space in dark stores and decide which products get visibility on platforms like Instamart, Zepto, and Blinkit. Naturally, brands are aggressively courting them, with over 30,000 requests every month for just 150 slots. From hosting parties to taking them out for drinks, brands are pulling out all the stops. Meanwhile, category managers are urging brands to invest more in ads and marketing to stay competitive.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, and analytical business stories.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here

Back in 2016, the Internet and Mobile Association of India set up an all new club for what was then a very small cohort of digital leaders in corporate India. It was called the all-India Chief Digital Officer club. Back then, there were only about five-six CDOs that were members. The point of the initiative was to give legitimacy to this new, emerging role. But soon enough, the initiative fizzled out. Not because the role didn’t take off or anything. Actually, the opposite. The initiative became redundant because the role became even more popular than they had anticipated. So it started with 5-6 members, but within the next four years its membership rose to 50 and then doubled the next year. You see, digital transformation has become THE buzzword for corporate India. And in the process, the CDO has become part of the companies top leadership. But the question is — where does that leave the CIO? Tune in. P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for.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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here

Back in 1949, XLRI introduced India to management studies. Since then, it has managed to become one of the most sought after B-schools in the country. For decades, it was like the dependable elder statesman of Indian management education. But now, XLRI wants to be anything but just another business school. In the last two decades, there has been an explosion of MBA seats across the country. Now, XLRI doesn’t want to simply add more management seats mindlessly. It wants to introduce programmes it thinks are relevant. Some of which, have nothing to do with management studies at all. What's going on? Tune in. P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for.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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here

India can't get enough of surveillance technology.Indian startups, meanwhile, are making the most of this trend by securing high visibility government contracts. But while these can boost a startup's profile, government projects are unpredictable and often difficult for smaller startups to win. As a result, there is a shift underway — private clients are becoming increasingly crucial for profitability. This divide between public and private contracts is forcing India’s surveillance startups to do a fair bit of monkey balancing. How are they pulling it off?Tune in. P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for.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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here

The golden age of the Indian shopping mall is over. There are at least 400 malls across the country. But a growing proportion of them are either dead or on life support. A report by real estate consultant firm Knight Frank found that the number of ghost malls in the country rose from 57 in 2022 to 64 in 2023. That’s about 1 in almost six malls. The report estimates that between 2022 and 2023, the loss of value due to the rise in ghost malls was around 800 million dollars, so that’s close to 7,000 crore rupees. In this episode, Daybreak host Rahel Philipose is joined by Gulam Zia, senior executive director at Knight Frank and Abhishek Bansal, the Executive Director of Pacific Development Corporation to understand the ins and outs of the mall business — why some succeed and others fail.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, and analytical business stories.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here

For a while now, some of the biggest players in India’s third-party logistics industry have been riding on the success of e-commerce unicorn Meesho. As of 2023, it accounted for over half of the 2.5 billion shipments that were being handled by third-party logistics players. Companies like Delhivery and Ecom Express happily rose to the occasion and partnered with Meesho to handle all its order deliveries. For logistics companies this was a dream come true because most of the other major e-commerce players in India – like Flipkart and Amazon – take care of all their logistics in-house. But earlier this year, Meesho announced the launch of Valmo, its own in-house logistics arm. Naturally, third party logistics partners are nervous. But no one is more shaken up than Ecom Express.Tune in.**This episode was first published on September 2, 2024.P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for.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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here