Daybreak

E-commerce companies like Myntra and Ajio are changing their return policies due to the costly nature of reverse logistics. Some are even blocking customer accounts. The podcast explores how free returns impact online shoppers and the challenges faced by companies in managing returns.

Exploration of PharmEasy's downfall from being the highest-valued Indian healthcare startup to a 90% drop in valuation. Discussion on the debt challenges, impact of financial decisions, and loss of control to investors. Comparison with other startups facing financial struggles and the dichotomy of startup strategies in the Indian ecosystem.

Beyond the nostalgia associated with meals on trains, quite often, there are also horror stories. In fact, even a recent Parliament Panel report pointed out how food quality on Indian trains is compromised. The IRCTC (The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation) has been trying to figure out how to make food a more enjoyable experience on trains and more importantly, a solid source of revenue. A decade ago, IRCTC launched its e-catering services. It now has a network of nearly 500 restaurant partners and close to 20 food aggregators. Catering makes up for more than 40% of IRCTC’s revenue every year. And its seems it will only go up because in the last few months, IRCTC has also tied up with two of the country’s food delivery giants, Zomato and Swiggy.But while IRCTC has big dreams of catering to the 20 million passengers who take the train everyday, delivering food on trains is a logistical nightmare.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

Exploring how UPI will disrupt the credit card ecosystem by offering cost-effective solutions to banks, potentially challenging Visa and MasterCard. Introduction to RBI's push for pre-approved credit lines through UPI and the impact on traditional credit card reward models. Discussion on how credit via UPI could reshape the credit market, with insights from a FinTech startup on revenue models and enhanced rewards.

More than 70% of fraudulent banking transfers in India are KYC-linked scams. A senior official at the Financial Intelligence Unit, a national agency responsible for analysing data on suspect financial transactions informed The Ken that KYC frauds amount to over Rs 900 crore ($108 million) per year.One such fraudster who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity said, ““KYC is an easy trick to pull off. People have heard about banks freezing accounts due to non-compliance with KYC norms. So they get convinced, particularly those in smaller towns and cities.” In a span four years, this fraudster’s gang has stolen nearly Rs 50 lakh.But the whole point of banks carrying out the elaborate KYC process is to protect their customers from fraud. How is then that this very process accounts for nearly two-thirds of fraudulent banking transfers in India?Tune in.

Exploring the link between loans and mental health crisis in India, as household debt rises. Harassment by recovery agents leading to mental health issues, prompting professionals to study banking. Debunking the correlation between debt and mental health, with a focus on aggressive recovery tactics.

Swiggy has always been proud of the culture of innovation that it has fostered over the years for its employees. In fact, it is this very approach that helped it achieve the coveted unicorn status.But with the IPO scheduled for this year and its pursuit to profitability, innovation is no longer being encouraged. It has become way more challenging for newer projects to take off. And though it is natural for a company that is growing bigger to become more risk-averse, for Swiggy, this means a cultural shift that could change its very nature.Tune in.

From shadow-banning, content flagging, suspension and even account deletion, content creators are grappling with a variety of censorship methods on social media platforms—all in the name of maintaining community guidelines.But with social media platforms relying more and more on AI and machine-learning tools identify and remove violating content, even content aimed at creating sexual, social, and political awareness ends up being taken down.  And sex-ed and news content creators on platforms like Instagram and Youtube are seeing their reach, discoverability, and income take a hit.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, analytical business stories.

After the pandemic years, Kota’s coaching industry saw an unprecedented boom. Money was pouring in from everywhere–from edtechs to investors. In the last five years, Kota saw about 2 lakh engineering and medical aspirants, on average, arrive from across the country.Kota runs on stiff competition not just among the students but also among the scores of institutes that host and prep them. But since the past four months, Kota’s reputation has been on the line. Student admissions have dropped, with coaching-centre owners pegging it to be at least 20%.The rising number of student suicides are one reason, of course. But there is more to why Kota may be one result away from losing its star position in the coaching business.Tune in.

RBI ban on Paytm leads to loss of 20M Fastags, benefitting ex-colleague's Park+. Former Paytm employee's car services platform, Park+, founded by Amit Lakhotia, set to cash in on situation. Vijay Shekhar Sharma's investment in The Ken adds another layer of intrigue.