The Morning Brief

Demand-supply gaps, small town challenges, false positives or negatives, record surge in demand for home testing, shortage of technicians who’re themselves getting infected, pressures on turnaround time. Are India’s Covid Labs overwhelmed? Is testing overload compromising on quality? Are home test kits the solution? Host Ratna Bhushan speaks to Dr Lal Pathlabs MD Om Manchanda, Hasmukh Rawal, MD of Mylab Discovery Solutions, and Dilip Jose, CEO of Manipal Hospitals to find out how prepared India’s Covid labs are for the third wave. Credits: The QuintSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is causing less severe disease but the virus itself is not becoming less pathogenic, a new study has found. Cambridge University’s Dr Ravindra Gupta explains the implications of this study and the future of the pandemic in an interview to host Nehal Chaliawala.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bulli Bai and Sulli Deals are just two new applications making headlines for fake auction of Muslim women. But cyber bullying is not new and most cases unreported. Host Bhavya Dilipkumar talks to Hasiba Amin, an Indian National Congress office holder and a victim, NS Nappinai, a Supreme Court advocate and ET’s Krishna Kumar to understand the modus operandi of these hate crimes and the recourse for victims.Credits: India Today, Mirror NowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the number of cases in the country surge and fear of a third wave looms large, host Devina Sengupta speaks to virologist Dr Gagandeep Kang, Dr. Alok Khullar, CEO, Gleneagles Global Health City and ET's Nidhi Sharma to assess whether India is better prepared than last year to deal with the Covid onslaught. Credits: TRT World, NDTV, CNN-News 18, WIONSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Challenges from two Covid waves and fears of a third; cost pressures and supply constraints; slow growth in the manufacturing sector and high taxes; hybrid vehicles and Totoya tie-up. Host Anirban Chowdhury in conversation with Maruti's Chairman RC. Bhargava, finds out what's ahead for the auto industry and what’s keeping the chairman occupied in 2022?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Year-ender series Theme Five: Assembly polls in 5 states in 2022 but all eyes are on Uttar Pradesh. Host Arijit Barman along with the general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)Hannan Molla, BJP spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi and veteran journalist Sharat Pradhan decode how the outcome of 2022 polls in UP will shape the national political narrative for BJP and its mascot Prime Minister Narendra Modi.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Year-ender series Theme Four: While 2021 challenged humanity, it also brought out the strongest in us: from the sheer wave of altruism during the second Covid wave, to the gritty farmers' protests, to a fresh vigour in shareholder activism, the year gave a new meaning to people power. Dia Rekhi talks to JN Gupta, founder of Stakeholder Empowerment Services, Megha Marik, research fellow at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and several Covid heroes to bring you some of the best stories of the human spirit from 2021. Credits: NDTV, Hindu Businessline, CNBC TV18, Business Standard, BBC, Mojo Story, CNN-News18, India Today, Indiatimes, DW News, NBC NewsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Year-ender Series, Theme Three: Stock markets, IPOs and funding in startups, all touched record highs in 2021. Banks had so much money to lend that it became the cheapest to borrow in a decade. But there was high inflation, job losses, slow credit growth and capital expenditure. Fears of Omicron too spooked investors. Hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Nehal Chaliawala speak to ET’s associate editor Sugata Ghosh and Mahindra Group’s chief economist Sachchidanand Shukla about how money behaved in 2021See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2021 has been the year of startups - record venture capital inflows, new unicorns, mega listings and consolidations. Will the party continue in 2022? Host Arijit Barman seeks answers from Ravishankar GV, managing director at Sequoia Capital and internet billionaire Sanjeev Bikhchandani, the founder of Info Edge.Credits: YourStory, CNBC-TV18, ET NowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2021 Year-ender Series, Theme One: From extreme weather events to the loud warning signals of the UN Report, from the blame game of Cop 26 to business leaders getting on the sustainability bus, climate change dominated headlines throughout 2021. Host Bhavya Dilipkumar in conversation with JSW Group’s CSO Prabodha Acharya, Bank of America Securities head of India Research, Amish Shah, convenor of Energy and Climate change group and environment activist Soumya Dutta and ET’s Urmi Goswami tell us what’s the story so far and what lies ahead. Credits: Ted, The Economist, The Telegraph, PBS Newshour, Narendra Modi,BBC News, Associated Press, India TodaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From virtual music concerts to NFT-based merchandise, metaverse presents a whole new gamut of business opportunities. Host Devina Sengupta explains the metaverse with Arvind Neelakantan, Tech Evangelist at Epic Games, Roby John, the CEO of SuperGaming and ET’s Apoorva Mittal.Credits: Meta, Forbes, Matther Maher, CNBCSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ITC Ltd had its first-ever investor meet in its 111-year history. But there was hardly anything new. What's stopping transformational changes in the conglomerate that can rejuvenate its languishing share price? Host Arijit Barman speaks to Dwijottam Bhattacharya, a former journalist turned stock market investor who has stayed invested in ITC since the 1990s and ET’s Kiran Somvanshi to decode the company's DNA and figure out if the cigarettes-to-coffee giant has what it takes to outshine peers and disruptors. Credits: Stockonomics, National Stock Exchange of India LimitedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ola has begun delivering its Electric Scooter to customers, after much hype and delays. Product glitches remain, plans are ambitious, tough competition looms and the company has seen a string of exits. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks to the editor of several trade magazines including CarDekho, Zigwheels and Bikedekho, Kartikeya Singhee as well as ET's Manu Toms and Nehal Chaliawala to find out what lies ahead for the company. Credits: Ola ElectricSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PepsiCo India has lost the rights to a potato variety grown exclusively for its popular Lay’s chips. Host Nehal Chaliawala speaks to activist at the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture,Kavitha Kuruganti, senior advocate Gourab Banerji & ET’s Ratna Bhushan on why PepsiCo lost this battle and what does it mean for the farmers and companies investing in innovation in India? credits: Oneindia English, Times Now, CNNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a conflict brewing in the FMCG space that's much like what’s played out in sectors like pharma and smartphones with retail trade and FMCG companies at loggerheads. Host Ratna Bhushan speaks to AICPDF President Dhairyashil Patil, Parle Products Senior Category Head Mayank Shah and ETIG’s Kiran Somvanshi to find out if FMCG companies can afford to ignore traditional distributors who make up about 90% of the overall market? Credits: JioMart, Swarajya, ET NowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IITs are witnessing a campus recruitment boom like never before. To understand what is driving the 8-figure job offers, host Devina Sengupta talks to Anishya Obhrai Madan, head of career services at IIT Delhi; Prashant Singh, managing director at Quantbox Research – who is one of the recruiters – and ET’s Sreeradha Basu.Credits: ET Now, India Today, Business TodaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Paytm, Star Health Insurance failed to shine upon listing on the bourses. This is despite the hype around the Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed company being the first standalone health insurer to go public. Host Bhavya Dilipkumar speaks to CA Pranav Goyal, Managing Partner at ValueMonks Solutions LLP as well as Kumar Saurabh, Founder, Scientific Investing and ET's Sanam Mirchandani to see if the company is in the pink of health. Credits: CNBC TV-18, India TodaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rollup ecommerce companies-firms that acquire multiple brands and help them scale up rapidly—are the latest disruptors in the ecommerce space. They are also the fastest entrants to the $1 billion unicorn club.Nitin Agarwal, CEO of Global Bees brands and Aqib Mohammed, co-founder of Powerhouse91 explain. Credits: DHL, ET Now, This Week in StartupsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new variant of the novel coronavirus has got the world on the edge as experts fear it could be more infectious and vaccine evasive. Host Dia Rekhi talks to Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at John Hopkins Center for Health Security and ET's Teena Thacker and Anirban Chowdhary to take stock of the situation.Credits: NDTV, CNBC-TV18, CaponeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As All India Trinamool Congress expands beyond Bengal, party chief Mamata Banerjee's national aspirations become more apparent. Is she already prepping for the 2024 national elections? Host Arijit Barman talks to parliamentarians Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Sushmita Dev and ToI’s Mohua Chatterjee to better understand Didi’s politics.Credits: India Today, CNN-News18, ANI News, Hindustan Times, The Print, Republic World, Tanmoy Abhinaba Banerjee and All India Trinamool CongressSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paytm's IPO has left a bitter aftertaste for investors and upcoming IPOs, especially in the fintech space, may pay the price. Host Nehal Chaliawala talks to ET's Nishanth Vasudevan and Arijit Barman about how IPOs today are not very different from gambling and what led to Paytm's lacklustre listing. Credits: CNBC TV18See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news on the ban of private cryptocurrencies by the centre has jolted the investors, crypto companies and analysts. Host Devina Sengupta talks to Rameesh Kailasam, CEO of India Tech, Nischal Shetty, CEO of WazirX and ET’s Sugata Ghosh about the inherent issues of Crypto as currency and as an asset in India and whether the ban is the right way ahead for India’s nascent crypto economy. Credits: Euro News and WionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PM Modi announced the repeal of the three controversial farm laws which triggered the biggest farmer protests in India. Host Anirban Chowdhury along with Avik Saha,Secretary of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, Ashok Gulati, Agricultural Economist and ET’s Kumar Anshuman takes us through the controversies, what led to the repeal and find out whether this is a successful election strategy or a failed agricultural reform. Credits:Sahilonline TV News, NDTV, ABP News, The QuintSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s COP-26 coal stand of ‘phase down’ over ‘phase out’ has stirred a debate. Host Arijit Barman in conversation with Deepayan Basu Ray, Climate Initiative lead at Climate Outreach, Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Managing Director, Apraava Energy and ET’s Urmi Goswami discuss the reason behind defending coal and whether the promised targets are attainable? Credits: Breathe by Pink Floyd from Dark Side Of The Moon, Fragile By Sting, DW News, Guardian News, AFP News agency, ITV News, WIONSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Costs are spiralling for consumers, thanks to a high rate of inflation in the Indian economy. Anirban Chowdhury gets the final word on why wallets are getting lighter from Sonal Varma, managing director and chief economist at Nomura; Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at CARE Ratings and ET's Chaitali Chakravarty. Credits: Peepli Live (Raghubir Yadav, Bhadwai Village Mandali, T-Series), BJPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After making a stellar stock market debut, what will it take for Nykaa to sustain its sky-high premium? VS Kannan Sitaram, Venture Partner at Fireside Ventures and Neeraj Shrimali, Executive Director at Avendus Capital discuss what’s next for Nykaa with host Ratna Bhushan.Credits: ET Now, Nykaa, Mridul Walia, Shivangi SharmaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new start-up called Plaeto is out to disrupt the Indian sneaker market for kids that is dominated by Bata, Campus and Nike.Listen to host Arijit Barman chat with Ravi Kallayil, one of Plaeto's founders and Mathew Cyriac, CEO of Florintree Advisors and one of the angel investors in the company to figure out how science & design is being used to make kids more active through sports. But it is no child's play. Credits: Anabolic Beatz, Nike, Reebok, Netflix, Adidas, EspressoCredits - Editor - Anjali Venugopalan; Producer - Varun Kapahi; Sound editor - Soundarya Jayachandran;See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is India’s Narcotics, Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985 in need of a revamp? Host Devina Sengupta in conversation with Dr Rajesh Kumar, executive director at Society for Promotion of Youth & Masses, Bharat Chugh, advocate and former judge, Neeraj Kumar, former Delhi police commissioner and ET’s Anubhuti Vishnoi delves deeper into the Drug Act and finds out what can make the law more humane towards those who are users of narcotic substances and not traders. Credits: India Today, HW News English, NDTVSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Much rides on the COP26 conference as the effects of climate change become more real around the world. From Glasgow, Sumant Sinha of ReNew Power and ET’s Urmi Goswami give a ground report about the tussle between the developing and the developed nations, India’s sustainability goals and how successful the conference has been.Credits: United Nations, UN Climate Change, CNBC Television, Times Now, BBC, Narendra Modi, Guardian NewsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your mother's favourite Kanjeevaram and Banarasi saris are now back in vogue. Join us in this special Diwali episode, where we explain the economics behind the handloom sari's revival. We bring to you special ground reports from the weavers in Varanasi and Kanchipuram, and inputs from designer Gaurang Shah, textile scholars Rta Kapur Chisti and Sabita Radhakrishna and Sujata Biswas, co-founder of Suta on why sustainability and slow fashion are contributing to handloom's popularity, but challenges still lie ahead for the weaver ecosystem. Music Credits: Relaxing Vibz, Zakir Hussain & Rakesh Chaurasia, Sony Music India, Vishal-Shekhar, Vijay Antony, Nabeel Khan/Denis Kucherov, RajVideoVision/Deva. Voice-over by Anirban Chowdhury.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The online beauty and personal care products industry in India is growing fast but challenges posed by the draft e-commerce rules and high customer acquisition costs remain. With market leader Nykaa going public, is the sector coming of age? Manish Taneja, the CEO of Purplle, Darpan Sanghvi, Co-founder at MyGlamm and Aditya Kondawar, the COO at JST Investments explain. Credits: Chetali Chadha, Shivani Taneja, Made By Monda, Shruti Arjun Anand, BloombergQuint, CNBC TV-18See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two new teams in the Indian Premier League were sold earlier this week for astronomical sums of money. Is the valuation justified, and how long will it take for the teams to break even? Can the IPL have the long lifespan of international sporting leagues? Mohit Burman, owner of IPL team Punjab Kings and vice-chairman of Dabur India, as well as K Shriniwas Rao, sports journalist at The Times of India break down the numbers. Credits: CNBC-TV18, Star Sports, VR's Info, Tommy Official, Y.i Cricket TV, Munbai Indians, India TodaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Bitcoin back in the news for touching a new high and NFTs making a splash too, is it a good time for investors to take the plunge into the crypto world? Or is another bubble building? We decrypt the hype and hoopla surrounding everything crypto with Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO at Unocoin and ET's Associate Editor Sugata Ghosh. Credits: Arirang News, CNBC Television, Rajshri, CoinDCX, Zee Music Company, Shemaroo, India Today, Saregama Music, The Script Room, Hetal Puniwala, Indian Advertising Co. Ltd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Popular Indian brands are under attack on social media for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a group of people through their TV commercials. Communications strategy consultant Kartik Srinivasan, Advertising Standards Council of India’s secretary general Manisha Kapoor, and corporate strategy advisor Sandip Ghose tell us what’s behind the hostility and what are some realistic solutions to overcome this. Credits: NDTV, Newz Tape, Satyen K. Bordoloi, Learning Mirror, CNBC TV18, India Ahead NewsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Afghanistan to Bangladesh and Kashmir in the middle, a spate of violence has unleashed fear across different minority communities. ET's Pranab Dhal Samanta, Rahul Tripathi, Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury and a special ground report from ET's Hakeem Irfan Rashid from Srinagar tell us whether the Taliban triumph in Afghanistan is firing up extremists across South Asia.Credits: Wion ,India Today Aaj Tak HD PIB India Times Now Oneindia News DW News,CNN, RSVP MoviesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minority shareholders' voices are getting louder and they're pushing back against management decisions that they think are unfair to investors. What's behind the rise of shareholder activism? Shriram Subramanian, MD, InGovern Research as well as Amit Tandon, MD, IiAS, and ET's Pavan Burugula explain this phenomenon. Credits: Flame of Truth (RIL), CNBC-TV18, MoneyControl, News in 30 Seconds, Wipro, BloombergQuintSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the government is looking at approving Covaxin for those between 2-18, experts advise exercising caution amidst a lack of choices and data for healthy kids before they return to school. Virologist Dr. Gagandeep Kang and Dr. Anand Pillai, Assistant Professor, Global Institute of Public Health, Ananthapuri Hospitals and Research Institute, Trivandrum, discuss the issue. Credits: T-Series, Maithri Manthan, India Today, WHO, WION, Shubham Jha.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India is facing one of its worst ever coal crises in decades, with power outages hitting several states. What led to the problem, and how long is it likely to last? Partha Bhattacharyya, former chairman and managing director of Coal India, and Sanjiv Sahai, former power secretary, along with ET’s Sarita Singh explain what kindled the shortage. Clip credits: WION, India Today, NDTV, CNBC-TV18, Walt Disney Records, Michael Ghelfi - RPG AudioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ritesh Agarwal's Oyo Rooms is entangled in many legal battles and controversies even as the hospitality sector was severely hit by the pandemic, yet, an ambitious IPO plan. What does the SWOT analysis say? Hear from our guests Anirudh A Damani, Managing Partner, Artha Venture Fund, S. Sundareswaran, former head of Morgan Stanley’s M&A team and ET’s Anumeha Chaturvedi on whether this is the right time for Oyo’s IPO and will it successfully check in to the bourses. Credits: Oyo Rooms, Dream On Aerosmith, CNBC TV18,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost a century before Air India became a white elephant that had to be sold, it was a successful startup by a young Parsi businessman. ET’s Anirban Chowdhury tells the story of the Maharajah through the eyes of the women and men who spent their lives working at the airline.Credits: Air India, Rajiv Mehrotra, Indian National Congress, Shemaroo Filmi GaaneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Lights, Camera, Action, all over again! Daniel Craig’s No Time to Die lit up screens last week and has set the box office ringing. But can the Friday magic return? Join us as we ask PVR joint MD Sanjeev Bijli, MD of Roy Kapur Films and President of the Producers Guild of India, Siddharth Roy Kapur, renowned film critic and editor at Film Companion South Baradwaj Rangan and ET’s Assistant Editor Gaurav Laghate how they see this potboiler play out. Credits: James Bond 007, TheAmericanGazette, The Suite Suit Movie, Adele, Zee Music Company, T Series Music, Sony Music South, Aditya Music, YRF, Social Things, HuntingFox1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pandora Papers have once again pointed fingers at many world leaders, industrialists, and celebrities with their wealth parked in tax havens. Even as some defend the investments as kosher, large patches of grey remain.Bijal Ajinkya, Partner at Khaitan and Co. and ET's Sugata Ghosh take you through the world of foreign bank accounts and offshore trusts.Credits: CBS Mornings, BBC News, CNBC TV-18, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Narendra Modi, Beach Boys.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From ministers to trade bodies and from the RSS to ED and the Future Group, Jeff Bezos is facing a multi-pronged assault in India. K Giri, the DG of Empower India, Vinod Kumar, President of India SME Forum, and ET's Vasudha Venugopal and Rasul Bailay help understand why Amazon is finding itself under such scrutiny.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green hydrogen could be the most practical solution to the conflict between climate change and our growing energy needs. Haim Israel, head of global thematic investment research at BofA Securities and ET’s Urmi Goswami explain how green hydrogen can also help India reduce its dependence on fossil fuel.Credits: DD National, Australian Renewable Energy Agency, CNBC-TV18See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Freshworks' listing on Nasdaq, Chennai finds itself in the spotlight. ET deep dives into understanding what makes the city home to a thriving SaaS ecosystem through the eyes of founders, employees and other stakeholders. Credits: Jerin G, Chennai Super Kings, Sony Music South, Times Music South, Muse For Music, CNBC TV-18, Tamil Mazhai, Whatsapp Status Video Tamil, Sony Music IndiaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will the first of its kind Supreme Court PIL against Ola, Uber, Zomato, and Swiggy seeking legitimacy for workers change the rules of the game forever? Gayatri Singh, co-founder of Human Rights Law Network and the advocate who filed the PIL, Noopur Raval, researcher, AI Now Institute at New York University, and Shaik Salauddin, National General Secretary of the Indian Federation Of App Based Transport Workers (IFAT) get you the on-ground realities of our app riders. Credits: Ola, Swiggy India, Zomato, Uber India, The Quint, Reuters, CBS New York, BBC News, Al Jazeera English.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PM Narendra Modi's trip to Washington DC is a busy one, from the Quad summit to bilateral meetings with discussions on national security, tariffs and more. It will also shape foreign policy with the Biden administration for years to come. ET's Pranab Dhal Samanta dissects the trip. Credits: Guardian News, NewsX, @SameeraKhan, Indian Express Online, CNBC, WION, DD News, Economic Times, Fox News, Sky News.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SEBI's latest decision to advance trade settlement by a day to 'T plus One' has sparked mixed reactions. ET's Sugata Ghosh and Nishanth Vasudevan explain why domestic investors welcome the decision even as many foreign portfolio investors are unhappy. Credits: CNBC-TV18, Scam 1992 (SonyLiv, Applause Entertainment), New York Stock Exchange, ET NowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Super fast deliveries are becoming more than just a feature but a competitive edge for several e-commerce companies today. TN Hari, HR Head at BigBasket, Saurabh Deep Singla, Executive Vice President at Ecom Express, and a gig economy executive, who runs the popular Twitter handle @DeliveryBhoy tell us whether super fast deliveries are sustainable in the long run and what can brands do to protect the safety and security of the last-mile delivery personnel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years ago Punit Goenka saved the family crown jewel from the brink of a takeover by bringing in Invesco Oppenheimer. But as old backers lose patience and have decided to pull the rug, will Zee Entertainment survive a board coup? Shriram Subramanian, Founder and Managing Director of InGovern and" ET's Gaurav Laghate take you through what's at stake. Credits: TV18, ET Now, Money Control, EditorjiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.