Daybreak

Exploring Zomato's investment in Blinkit, from saving a dying platform to acquiring it for $600 million. The podcast delves into Blinkit's journey in the quick commerce market, highlighting the strategic shifts and growth predictions under Zomato's ownership.

Exploring the struggles of women with inadequate personal health insurance coverage for maternity expenses, leading them to rely on corporate insurance. Delving into health insurers' reluctance towards pregnancies and the limited access to corporate health insurance in the country. Discussing the differences in coverage for maternity expenses in standalone policies versus those with riders, and the challenges faced by individuals in early-stage startups. Exploring the expansion of maternity coverage by insurers to cater to the needs of individuals planning for pregnancies.

Explore how Cleartrip's acquisition by Flipkart brought challenges and struggles in adapting to the changing travel industry, veering away from traditional OTA strategies and maybe learning a thing or two from old-school travel agents.

Energy drinks like PepsiCo's Sting are gaining immense popularity in India, with a 30X increase in consumption in a year. They have become a go-to choice for various demographics as stimulants, meal replacements, and even cocktail mixers. PepsiCo's Sting holds 90% of the market share, driving Varun Beverages' stock price up by over 1000%. However, concerns arise over the youth's unawareness of the health risks associated with these drinks.

A 29-year-old media professional from Lucknow discusses her experience with Indian dating apps that bridge casual dating and marriage. These apps offer autonomy with parental approval, connecting users with similar backgrounds. The podcast explores user preferences, business models, and challenges faced by individuals navigating 'datrimonial' apps in India.

It has been a tough couple of years for India’s Chartered accountants. This was and to some extent still is one of the most sought after jobs in the country. But lately, the amount of risk involved in their work has been amped up considerably. And as a result, CAs have been resigning left, right and centre. The reason this is happening is because the auditing industry has been undergoing a major shake-up. And behind this shakeup is a relatively new, independent audit regulator called the NFRA, or the National Finance Reporting Authority. The NFRA has set all sorts of records in the last two years. Since 2022, it has debarred 78 auditors and imposed close to Rs 20 crore in penalties. Tune in. 

According to a survey by S&P, more than 75% of Indian adults do not understand basic financial concepts. The gap is 5% more when it comes to women.So the rise of financial influencers who simplify complex financial jargon and provide investment advice is not really surprising. But often, they underplay risks  and overplay returns, and try to ride the market waves.In fact, SEBI, the market capital regulator, has been receiving many complaints and is working on creating a framework of strict guidelines to bring them under its control.But reining these ‘finfluencers’ in is a bit of a catch-22 situation.Tune in.

Since 2021, Toyota and Maruti have been engaged in somewhat of a marriage of convenience. The terms were pretty simple. Toyota would share its hybrid technology with Maruti Suzuki. In exchange, Toyota would get to re-enter the pocket-friendly segment. So what this meant was that the non-premium Toyota cars sold were actually built by Maruti. And the fully hybrid cars sold under the Maruti label were built by Toyota. This arrangement has worked well for both companies for multiple reasons. The biggest of which is the growing popularity of hybrid vehicles in India in the recent past. But in the process, EV makers seem to be losing big time. Tune in.P.S. While you are here, why don't you check out the latest episode of The First Two Years, The Ken's early careers podcast. It's a good one! Akshaya talks about how to network without seeming desperate. Check it out here. 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.

Learn about how credit card companies are grappling with the high costs of offering free airport lounge access as more and more people take advantage of this perk. Discover the changing policies of major banks and the impact on the credit card industry.

Praveen Gopal Krishnan from The Ken discusses India's 10-minute delivery apps, user behavior, and app loyalty. They explore why people choose specific apps and how they shape the economy. The podcast delves into user preferences, survey results, and the unique traits of Swiggy, Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto, and BigBasket. Factors influencing user loyalty are analyzed, along with a comparison of Blinkit and Zepto's strengths and demographics.