Daybreak

The pandemic, as brutal as it was, forced a lot of businesses to double down on convenience and accessibility. Whether it was your online education or quick deliveries or at home blood tests. Just to be able to skip that dreaded visit to a hospital or a diagnostic centre meant so much to most people.Accredited labs popped up all over promising to come right to your doorstep and collect your samples from the comfort of your home and that too for super affordable prices. Healthians, a testing lab startup has seen bookings triple since the pre-pandemic era. Now, the company handles 12,500–13,000 bookings daily, with nearly 75% of its business coming from home collections.But while home tests are gaining popularity, whether you can trust them 100% is still under question. Phlebotomists and runners hold the keys to a sample’s fate and accuracy. 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.

On June 3, about 200 employees of the American management consulting firm Bain and Company’s India division received a rather ominous calendar invite. They each would have a 10-minute meeting with HR. But no one, other than the heads of the regional offices and the head of HR, knew what the meeting was about. During the meeting, they were all told they were being laid off. The layoffs took the consulting community by surprise, because it just wasn’t a very ‘Bain’ thing to do. What's going on? Tune in to find out. P.S. While you are here, check out the latest episode of our careers podcast The First Two Years, where host Akshaya Chandrasekaran delves into how to build trust with colleagues who don't trust you.

Nothing about Nykaa is strictly its own anymore. Back when it went public, it had no real rivals in the beauty space. But since then, things have changed. Last year, India’s largest retailer, Reliance Retail, officially entered the beauty space. It launched an omnichannel beauty retail platform called TiraReliance isn’t playing around. In the last year, it has made one thing clear: it wants to completely shake up the country’s  beauty segment. But even the Reliance legacy to back it up, Tira’s success in this space isn’t a given. 

More than a decade has passed since Starbucks came to India. But the world’d biggest coffee chain has been struggling to achieve profitability. In the latest financials,  the company saw its slowest sales growth in India since the pandemic.So far, Starbucks has managed to open around 400 outlets across the country. Meanwhile, Third Wave, a much smaller specialty coffee startup that started around eight years ago, already has more than 100 stores around the country. Its new CEO Rajat Luthra recently announced that that chain plans to open 50 new outlets in existing markets. Third Wave has more than doubled its operating revenue in the last financial year. In the year before that, it saw its revenue grew more than fourfold. It raised $35 million in a funding round led by private equity firm Creaegis in September last year.How far can a startup like Third Wave go against a a 50 year-old global coffee powerhouse with the backing of Tata?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.

The Ken co-founder Rohin Dharmakumar joins the hosts to discuss Apple's delayed entry into the AI race, the announcement of 'Apple Intelligence', and the impact of AI on creativity and job loss. They explore Apple's secretive AI development approach, trust in Apple's products, and collaborations with OpenAI. The conversation also includes insights on Malayalam movies and reflections on ending a successful podcast.

Airtel and Jio engage in a financial services battle in India. Airtel's successful ventures include Airtel Payments Bank and Airtel Finance. Airtel Finance has serviced loans worth $300 million. Jio focuses on B2B lending, while Airtel partners with lenders for consumer-centric products using SIM cards.

Two Indian fine jewelry brands, Caratlane and Bluestone, started with the same dream of selling everyday fine jewelry online. Despite initial skepticism, they paved the way for online jewelry retail. However, Caratlane shines brighter today, highlighting the importance of strategic investments in the competitive market.

AI algorithms for cancer screening show potential but are not yet accurate enough according to medical professionals. The podcast explores the challenges and disparities in AI cancer screening in India, including the use of AI as a secondary tool for detection. It also covers the implementation of AI in breast cancer detection and the importance of training AI algorithms on regional data for accurate diagnosis.

Discover how Minimalist, an Indian D2C skincare brand, revolutionized the market with transparent, active ingredient-based products. Legacy brands like L'Oreal are forced to adapt to this trend. Learn about the rise of D2C brands and the strategies for traditional beauty companies to stay competitive.

Discover how India's 40-somethings are redefining career longevity by staying 'forever employable' and adapting to new opportunities. Learn about challenges faced, financial realities, upskilling, and the importance of networking for sustainable employability.