The Morning Brief

Google recently tied up with Equitas Small Finance Bank to offer fixed deposits via its UPI platform Google Pay. Sahil Kini, CEO of fintech software infrastructure company Setu, and ET's Saloni Shukla explain why Big Tech's foray into finance could be the next big disruption. Credits:Shubham Bagde, Bloomberg Markets and Finance, CNBC-TV18, NDTV, Google India, PaytmSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The end of road for Ford in India will jeopardise thousands of livelihoods. ET’s Ketan Thakkar explains how poor sales, piled up losses and failed attempts at partnerships pushed the American carmaker to shut its Indian manufacturing plants. ET's Dia Rekhi and FADA president Vinkesh Gulati narrate the plight of those affected from Ford’s exit.Credits: Reuters, CNA, India TodayCredits: CNBC-TV18, ET Now, Royal EnfieldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IPO-bound Byju’s has been an M&A juggernaut with 17 acquisitions so far. Rakesh Gupta, Managing Partner at LoEstro Advisors, Rahul Malhotra, Director at AB Bernstein and ET Prime's Debleena Majumdar explain the reasons behind Byju’s shopping spree and the associated challenges.Credits: Business Today, CNBC-TV18, ET Now, Stronger Stories, Byju's, CNBC TelevisionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A number of private players in India are showing interest in developing satellite communications, a service that's touted to bring fast internet to far-flung parts of India. How long before projects by the likes of Elon Musk, Bharti Enterprises and the Tata Group can take off? TV Ramachandran, president of the Broadband India Forum and ET's Kalyan Parbat explain why satellite broadband could be a game-changer. Clip credits: CNBC, NewsThink, Republic World, CNETSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The seven-year-long struggle to publish a mandate to introduce front-of-pack warning labels indicating high sugar, salt or fat contents on all packaged foods and drinks may finally see the light of the day. Britannia’s former managing director, Vinita Bali, FSSAI’s CEO Arun Singhal, & Ashim Sanyal, COO of Consumer Voice tell us how this will impact India's packaged food industry and whether this will change the way we snack. Clip Credits : Coca-Cola Great Britain & Ireland TVC, Kellogg's India TVC, Smokefreedelhi, RawleyThanks to Saradha N, Kondadadi Rahul and Charu Mehra for the Vox Pop.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What justifies an eye-watering $4.7 billion valuation for BillDesk? Anirban Mukherjee, CEO of PayU India, the acquirer, explains the rationale behind this mega fintech marriage and the way forward with ET’s Ashwin Manikandan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 285-year-old Wadia family empire is standing on shaky ground with its family scion and heir apparent, Jeh Wadia, resigning from the boards. Dr Mita Dixit, co-founder of Equations Advisors and ET’s Satish John tell us what went wrong, and whether this is a failed succession plan or a temporary tussle. Credits: Guruprasad Gp Youtube channel, Yousaf Salli, GenesisTVCs, MirrorNow, itvindia, ETNowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By strategically 'leasing out' assets of public sector undertakings, the Centre hopes to raise ₹6 lakh crore under the National Monetisation Pipeline. But concerns over the fine print, viability, and potential private monopolies remain. ICICI securities EVP Raghwendra Pande and ET's Sugata Ghosh discuss. Credits: NDTV, HW News English, India Today, ET Now, Hindustan Times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Siddhartha Lal has resurrected Eicher Motors and Royal Enfield to make it a cult. But dipping sales and the recent shareholder blowback has halted its cruise. Auto industry veteran Avik Chattopadhyay and ET's Ketan Thakkar discuss whether the company will ride into the electric age, or face disruption. Credits: Royal Enfield, TV-18, ET Now, Auto X, Jay Leno's Garage, Economic Times, NDTV, Ather Energy, ZigWheels, AC/DC, T-Series, Silly Monks Music, Vgrooves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A clutch of “femtech startups”, companies that use tech to providing solutions for women’s health problems like PCOS, thyroid, sexual well-being, menstruation and maternal problems have mushroomed in India. We spoke to Achitha Jacob, founder of Proactive for Her and ET’s Indulekha Aravind to understand why this neglected segment is now seeing so much traction. Clip credits: SheThePeopleTV, Dr. Cuterus, Leeza Mangaldas, BeerBiceps, Clue, Aretha Franklin (WMG/Atlantic Records), Doordarshan, Cyndi Lauper (SonyATV)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What connects phones getting pricier this Diwali and your neighbourhood mobile store going out of business? A global shortage of semiconductor chipsets. In part 2 of our two-part series, Arvinder Khurana, president of All India Mobile Retailers Association, Sanjay Gupta, vice-president, NXP India, Navkendar Singh, research director at IDC India and ET’s Devina Sengupta explain how deep is the crisis and tell us whether this will unsettle your plans to buy a new phone this Diwali. Credits: Reuters, WionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you plan to buy a new car this Diwali, chances are you may not get it on time. A global shortage of semiconductor chips is causing months-long waiting periods for car buyers, explains Ravi Bhatia, president of JATO Dynamics and ET’s Ketan Thakkar and Nehal Chaliawala in this part 1 of our two-part series on the impact of the chip crisis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will China, Pakistan and Russia’s nod to a Taliban-led Afghanistan force others to accept this new regime? We spoke to a teacher in Afghanistan who wants to identify as Jangzapali, a student who managed to flee his homeland Afghanistan and settle in India and ET's Pranab Dhal Samanta to understand the fallout of this humanitarian crisis and its impact on India. Credits: AlJazeera, Today, Wion ABC News, Hindustan Times, CNBC Television, TRT World, TSASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest IPCC report on climate change warns that 12 of India's cities could go underwater by 2100. But the disasters might be closer than we think. Climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll, lead author and contributor to IPCC's report, and ET's Shashwat Mohanty discuss. Credits: IPCC, NDTV, WION, BBC, ABC.Host - Anjali VenugopalanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Within 3 years of joining forces to create India's largest telecom company, what went wrong for Vodafone Idea that the prospect of a Birla company going belly up has become real? ET's Romit Guha and Devina Sengupta discuss. Credits: CNBC TV-18, Bloomberg Quint, NDTV, Mint.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investors and young consumers are lapping up Buy Now Pay Later services that lend micro loans for online shopping without a credit score. Lizzie Chapman, CEO of ZestMoney and ET’s Ashwin Manikandan explain the business model of these fintech credit platforms.Clip Credits: Moneysmart, Preet Banerjee, Finder Australia, Next Gen Personal Finance, App Of The Day, Youth Finance, NDTV, Yahoo Finance, CNBC Television, Bajaj Finserv, WarikooSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Union government recently introduced a bill burying the controversial retrospective taxation amendment that had led to a series of rulings in the Cairn and Vodafone cases that went against India in international tribunals. Mukesh Butani, managing partner at BMR Legal, and ET's Gulveen Aulakh tell us why the bill is a positive signal from India to global investors. Clip Credits: Lok Sabha TV, CNBC-TV18, Narendra Modi's Youtube Channel, NDTV, NDTV Profit, India TodaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contemporary Indian hockey cannot ignore the role the state has played, as a sponsor and a springboard. Rajiv Seth, Project Director, Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre and TOI's Manuja Veerappa tell the story of how Odisha became the biggest backer of Indian hockey. Clip credits: Yash Raj Films, OTV, Hockey India, FIH and RSTV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From deliveries to despatches, the business of drones is set to boom as regulators relax laws. But while companies and consumers benefit, for some countries it is also becoming a security hazard and a tool for terror attacks. Academic and tech entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa and startup Skylark Drones' CEO Mughilan Thiru Ramasamy tell us what the drones of the future will look like, and what we need to do to keep our skies safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Big Bull of stock markets Rakesh Jhunjhunwala is backing an ultra-low-cost airline, Akasa. Aviation industry veteran Suresh Nair and ET’s Anirban Chowdhury tell us candidly on what are the possible turbulence ahead and can it withstand the competition and take off. Clip credits: NDTV, Bloomberg, CNBC TV18, Yahoo Finance, India Today, CNASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Star gymnast Simone Biles' pullout from the Tokyo Olympics and tennis player Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open has yet again brought mental health of athletes back in focus. Olympic bronze medalist Gagan Narang shares with us what it's like to be in the pressure cooker of the world's most intense competition, while sports psychologist to elite athletes Vaibhav Agashe shares why it's important to train the mind and not just the body. Clip credits: Netflix, Guardian, Entertainment Tonight, Olympics.com , NDTV, HBO, TODAYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An RBI-backed central bank digital currency (CBDC) could potentially bring together the best of two worlds - traditional money and cryptocurrencies. Shehnaz Ahmed, fintech lead at Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, WazirX CEO Nischal Shetty and ET’s Sugata Ghosh explain what a digital currency is and its potential impact on cryptocurrencies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pegasus scandal has raised allegations of snooping on politicians, journalists, and technocrats. Public policy lawyer Vrinda Bhandari, ET Prime's Nirmal John, and ET's Sachin Dave discuss why corporates and civilians should pull up their firewalls and fight for privacy. Credits: CBS, The Guardian, NDTV, WION, Pro Sound FX, Sound Response, OtternestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Millennial users of the online food delivery app are whetting their investment appetite by subscribing to the public issue. Varun Sridhar, CEO, Paytm Money, Rachana Ranade, CA turned Finance YouTuber & Aditya Kondawar, COO, JST Investments slice and dice the factors behind the frenzy and deliver their verdict on the internet IPO gold rush. Credits: Zomato, Chintamani Jaipuri, TV18, CA Rachana Ranade, CNN, CNBC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The electric vehicle market in India is revving up with ambitious plans of product launches and subsidies from the government have helped in making them price competitive. But are consumers willing to get into the driver's seat when charging infrastructure is still lagging behind? Ather Energy CEO Tarun Mehta and ET's Nehal Chaliawala tell us if EVs will live up to the hype. Clips from YouTube channels of NDTV, CNBC-TV18, MOJO STORY, The Car Guide - Rishabh Arora, CA Rachana Phadke’s, Akshat Shrivastava, WIONSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new-found enthusiasm of some states to curb population growth is a misplaced idea that will do more harm than good, experts warn. Poonam Muttreja, executive director of Population Foundation of India and S Irudaya Rajan, chairman of the International Institute of Migration and Development, explain the perils of controlling population through regulations. Credits: CNN-News18, NDTV, Al Jazeera, DW News and Bhandarkar EntertainmentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pandemic has laid havoc to the traditional college admission timelines, forcing teachers, students, and lawmakers to adhere to an entirely new system. Is a click-and-mortar college system going to be the way forward? Aseem Chauhan, Chancellor, Amity University, Ayush Bansal, Founder & CEO, iDreamCareer, Santanu Paul, CEO & MD, TalentSprint, and ET Prime's Debleena Majumdar discuss. Credits: Pink Floyd, SonyMusicIndiaVEVO, NDTV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amidst massive losses and poor recoveries of corporate dues, India's bankruptcy code is slowly losing its reformatory zeal. Author and founder of financial magazine Moneylife, Debashis Basu, bankruptcy regulator Dr. MS Sahoo and ET’s Mohit Bhalla tell us whether the bankruptcy code is being gamed by opportunistic tycoons and pliant lenders, and ways to fix it. Credits: ET Now, Bloomberg Quint, TV 18, FredsVoice ASMR, Applause Entertainment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the Chinese Communist Party marks its 100th anniversary, we look at how China went from being the world’s factory to almost a superpower-like status. Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore and ET’s Pranab Dhal Samanta help answer the question – Who will stand up to China? Credits: WION, Bloomberg Quicktake, CNA InsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amendments to the Cinematograph Act of 1952 could completely change the way Indian cinema is produced and released. Why is the government trying to supersede the CBFC and take matters into its own hands? We discuss with film industry veteran Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Kaushik Moitra, Partner at Bharucha and Partners, and independent filmmaker Rushabh Nagraj. Credits: Cinecurry Classics, ETernal ET., MOJO Story, The Wire, India Today, Amazon Prime UK, Netflix India.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

-Indians enjoy some of the lowest telecom charges in the world, but operators say that the current tariffs are not sustainable. Will the government intervene to let them charge you more? Prashant Singhal, TMT Emerging Markets Leader at EY and Lt Gen SP Kochhar, Director General of telecom lobby COAI, discuss the issue of floor tariff rates for the telecom sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

E-commerce companies have been thrown into a tizzy after the Department of Consumer Affairs unexpectedly released a draft of rules aimed at protecting consumers. Do the rules really benefit consumers, or will this kill a booming online market through over-regulation? Jehangir Gai, Consumer Rights Activist, Archana Tewary, Partner at J Sagar Associates and ET's Digbijay Mishra give us the highlights. Credits: Backstage with Millionaires, CNBC-TV18, Flipkart, Amazon, The Economic Times, Times Now, The Lallantop, NDTV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does PM Modi’s meeting with leaders from Kashmir signal a thaw in relations between the Centre and the Valley? Or is it just realpolitik? DS Hooda, Former Army Commander, Northern Command, Policy Analyst Radha Kumar, who was a member Group of Interlocutors for J&K and ET’s Hakeem Irfan Rashid analyse the Valley's politics. Host - Anjali VenugopalanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The bankruptcy court may have approved the resolution plan for Jet Airways, but challenges, like getting the right airport slots and managing the heavy costs of running and operating the flights, remain even as the new buyers figure how to take off again. Endau Analytics’ Founder, Shukor Yusof and ET’s Anirban Chowdhury and Tarun Shukla tell us what lies ahead for the grounded aviation giant. Credits: NDTV, CNBC, ET NOW, India Ahead News, France 24 English.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By undertaking his most challenging mission — a $10 billion investment in clean power and fuel — Mukesh Ambani is pivoting India's largest conglomerate yet again. What are his motivations, and is he spreading himself too fast, too thin? Tim Buckley, Director of Energy Finance Studies, Australia/South Asia at the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and ET's Arijit Barman discuss. Credits: Jio, Bloomberg, NBC, Global News, DD News, The BeatlesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PMC finally has a buyer. RBI has given Centrum and BharatPe the initial approval to rescue the scam-hit co-operative bank. What does this mean for anxious PMC depositors, the new buyers, and the sector? ET's Sugata Ghosh and Ashwin Manikandan discuss. Credits: TV18, Times Now, ET Now, BloombergQuint.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recently approved Model Tenancy Act has proposed big changes in India's rental market. But while this act may make dispute resolution between tenants and landlords easier, every state needs to adopt it and the process may be beset with bureaucratic and political challenges. Cherag Balsara, a senior lawyer specialising in property disputes and ET's Kailash Babar give us the lowdown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High hospital bills and black marketing of drugs and oxygen make the treatment of Covid-19 prohibitively expensive. Dr SP Kalantri, Medical Superintendent at Kasturba Hospital, Malini Aisola, co-convenor of the All India Drug Action Network and ET's Kiran Somvanshi discuss the flaws in the existing setup and the steps to fix the financial burden of Covid-19. Audio clips from NDTV, India Today, ET Now, Times Now and Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rise of renewable energy projects has resulted in the encroachment of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard's habitat. Abi Vanak, Senior Fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, M D Madhusudan, Independent Ecologist and Conservation Scientist, Subrahmanyam Pulipaka, CEO, National Solar Energy Federation of India, and ET's Shashwat Mohanty discuss the complex issues around economic development and wildlife conservation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India's crypto community was rattled after the Enforcement Directorate said it issued a show-cause notice to the country's largest cryptocurrency exchange WazirX in a money-laundering probe. We speak to CoinSwitch founder and CEO Ashish Singhal, and ET's Sugata Ghosh and Apoorva Mittal to understand what's ahead for investors and exchanges.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the second wave dipping and corporate vaccination drives picking up, companies are now talking about getting employees back to work. We have Pankaj Bansal, Co-founder of People Strong Technologies. Anshul Prakash, Partner at Khaitan & Co and ET's Saumya Bhattacharya tell us the ground reality of getting back to offices, and how companies are already tracking employee vaccination status, which will play a key role in returning to the workplace.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regulatory roadblocks, Chinese influence and ecosystem aspirations – Gautam Chhugani, Director - India Financials and Fintech, Bernstein and ET's Digbijay Mishra dissect the triggers behind Paytm’s tearing rush towards a $3 billion initial public offering by Diwali this year.Credits: Audio clips from Bloomberg Quint, ET Now, CNBC-TV18, Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay. Music from Pink Floyd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ramp up vaccination by buying in bulk and including the private sector, Dr. Devi Shetty, founder of Narayana Health and head of Karnataka's Covid task force, tells the government. Dr. Shetty warns that we need to prepare for a third wave, not waste time discussing its likelihood.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Centre maintains that Big Tech needs to follow India's social media guidelines but Twitter, Facebook, Google, and WhatsApp are not going down without a fight. Is a ban on the cards, and what next for the tech giants? Raman Chima, APAC Policy Director at Access Now, Nikhil Pahwa, Founder, Medianama, and ET's Surabhi Agarwal discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As brands tap social media influencers, covert ads were proliferating. The new ad guidelines now ask influencers to clearly label branded posts. Content creator Danish Sait, Manisha Kapoor, Secretary-General of Advertising Standard Council of India, and Lakshmi Balasubramanian, Co-founder of Greenroom discuss the business of social media marketing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents are anxious and states are ramping up facilities but is there any actual evidence that a third wave might affect children disproportionately? Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, Epidemiologist and Public Health Expert, Dr. Rakshay Shetty, Head, Pediatric Intensive Care, Rainbow Children's Hospital, and ET's Teena Thacker ease your worries. Credits: Audio clips from ABP News Hindi, NDTV, The Atlantic, The Economic Times, IndiaTV, DD News.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lakshadweep’s residents have been protesting a series of changes brought about by administrator Praful Khoda Patel, who wants to make the idyllic islands a tourist hub. How will this affect the archipelago’s economics, ecology and culture? We find out from Ayshabi Kalpeni, Chief Medical Officer at Life Care Hospital in Kerala, who hails from Lakshadweep, M Rajshekhar, Independent Journalist, and Kanchi Kohli, a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Policy Research. Credits - News clips from ANI, India Today, Mathrubhumi News. Music from Mirshad Khan's YouTube channel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blockbusters are moving from the big screen to smaller ones, OTTs woo movie audiences away from theatres. Will Covid kill the silver screen and make our home the new box office? Catch filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee and Bahubali producer Shobu Yarlagadda in a candid discussion. Credits: Eros Films, Colors Cineplex, Zee Cinema, Warner Bros, Jio, T-Series, Bollywood HungamaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are political parties battling over toolkits on social media? Pratik Sinha, Co-founder of Alt News, Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Policy Director and Senior International Counsel at Access Now, and ET’s Vasudha Venugopal help us understand what toolkits are, and how new regulations will impact social media and freedom of expression.News Clips from Vice (HBO), AajTak, Wellness Today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the throes of the pandemic, India now has another worry - the rising number of black fungus cases among Covid-19 patients. Dr. Shashank Joshi, an Endocrinologist, and Ophthalmologist Dr. Raghuraj Hegde decode the outbreak, its warning signs and why the treatment is so expensive. ET's Nidhi Sharma explains the steps taken by the government.News clips from Times Now, ANI News, CNA TV and NDTV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.