

The Morning Brief
The Economic Times
To make sense of the week’s hottest stories in business, economy, politics and markets, journalists from the Economic Times chat with reporters and industry leaders in this thrice-weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 20, 2023 • 29min
Jio Financial: What's Behind Ambani's Lending Ambition?
A new share from Reliance sets foot on Dalal Street -- making a special debut, Jio Financial Services comes out of the shadows of the parent company RIL after a much-awaited demerger. But street signs aside, what is Jio Financial Services? What is the business plan? Will the Ambanis gun for booming consumer lending or disrupt the B2B space? Can the financial sector replicate the telecom playbook or is the pricing game no good here? Host Anupriya Nair talks to The Economic Times' Arijit Barman and Pratik Bhakta to get insights on the lending ambitions of India's most valued conglomerate. If you like this episode from Anupriya Nair, you can check out more episodes of The Morning Brief Cheeni Kum: The Bitter Truth of Aspartame, Battle of the Bikes: Harley Davidson vs Royal Enfield, Tomato Tangle: Deciphering India’s Tomatoflation and more. You can follow our host Anupriya Nair on his social media Twitter & Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 18, 2023 • 30min
Cheeni Kum: The Bitter Truth of Aspartame
Can diet colas, sugar-free cookies, breakfast cereals, cough drops and even chewable vitamins cause cancer? A research arm of the committee for the World Health Organization declared that the world's most widely used artificial sweetener, aspartame, which is found in these products had a possible link to liver cancer. WHO later said these are 'safe, but within limits'. Should you really be worried and immediately quit all these? Host Ratna Bhushan gets all the facts and bitter realities as she speaks to Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Max Healthcare, Padma Bhushan awardee and the first Indian to be chosen for the Laureate Award and Dr. Harinder Singh Oberoi, Advisor, Science & Standards and Codex, at the FSSAI in this episode of The Morning Brief. Tune in! Credits: News 1, News 2, News 3, News 4, News 5, News 6 and News 7 If you like this episode from Ratna Bhushan, check out her other interesting episodes on The Hard Battle for Soft Drinks, Corner Office Conversation With Nestle India CMD, Suresh Narayanan, The Dark Side of Green: Unmasking Greenwashing Tactics and more! You can follow Ratna Bhushan on her social media: Twitter and Linkedin. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 14, 2023 • 32min
Battle of the bikes: Harley Davidson vs Royal Enfield
American bike-maker Harley Davidson recently launched X440 in partnership with Hero MotoCorp, a bike which is specifically made for the Indian market. Also launched recently was the Speed 400, a bike co-built by the British giant Triumph Motorcycles with Bajaj Auto. What makes it interesting is that these companies are tapping into a segment ruled by Royal Enfield in India. But why? Are companies expecting a rise in demand for the premium motorcycles in India? How will Harley straddle the premiumness and affordability in its brand identity and experience? Host Anirban Chowdhury gets all the answers from industry experts as he speaks with Rod Copes, Ex-President - Royal Enfield and Harley Davidson, Sirish Chandran of Project GTO Publishing, Nikunj Sanghi of J.S. Fourwheel Motors, Harsh Man Rai of Helmet Stories, and Devesh Agrawal, a motorcycle enthusiast and Harley bike owner in the latest episode of The Morning Brief podcast. Tune in! Credits: Fatboy sound, Street 750 sound, X440 sound, 1911 Harley sound, Harley Davidson Rally sound and Motorcycle Flyby sound If you like this episode from Anirban, check out his other interesting episodes on Chip Chase: Can India make the most powerful thing in the world?, Big cats, billions, bonds: India’s massive tiger economy, Will ONDC eat Swiggy, Zomato’s lunch? And more! You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 13, 2023 • 33min
Tomato Tangle: Deciphering India’s Tomatoflation
India is shocked with the alarming price hike of tomatoes, which have risen to a whopping Rs 200 per kilo across marketplaces. This dramatic price increase, more than five times the cost of last year, has shifted the attention away from onions and potatoes and towards tomatoes. Notably, the steep price increase has forced fast food major McDonald's to remove tomatoes off their menus in certain locations. Tomatoes are now more expensive than a litre of gasoline, placing them on level with fruits like apples and plums in terms of pricing. To throw some light on this matter, Host Kiran Somvanshi engages in insightful discussions with industry experts1) Sukhpal Singh, Professor of Centre for Management in Agriculture (CMA)2) Narayanan Renganathan, Vice President & Head of Procurement at Dabur 3) Maruti Chapke, Founder & CEO at go4fresh4)Kapil Dev, Chief Business Officer at NCDEXIf you like this episode from Kiran Somvanshi, check out his other interesting episodes on The A to Z of the Zee-Sony Merger Saga, The Billion Dollar Baby: The Business of IVF, Pakistan in Penury, Watch Before You Eat and much more! You can follow our host Kiran Somvanshi on her social media: Twitter & Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 11, 2023 • 31min
Game of 'Threads'
Threads have been the talk of the social media town. Excitement is all around, but not just for the newest social media platform. It has also triggered a fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. So, who is winning a cage fight between the two tech billionaires? We stitch together everything you need to know about Threads and all that it brings. Also, why does this matter for India? Host Dia Rekhi talks to - Matt Navarra, social media guru - Neil Shah, top tech business analyst - Mishi Choudhary, a prominent legal voice on online civil liberties Tune in to this episode of ‘The Morning Brief’. Credits: Colors TV If you like this episode from Dia Rekhi, you can check out her episodes - Twitter Tales, India vs Europe: Regulatory Rift, ChatGPT Explained and Explored, Band, Baaja, Billions and more. You can follow our host Dia Rekhi on her social media: Twitter & Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 7, 2023 • 30min
Why India’s working women are logging out
Multiple reports show that the female workforce participation has been dropping in the country. Some companies say the return-to-office mandate has also led to higher attrition among women. In this episode, host Mugdha Variyar analyses the complexities behind the falling share of women in the workforce and what needs to change. We speak to: - Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder - TeamLease Services Limited - Shirin Sehgal, Deputy Chief People Officer - PwC India - And some women professionals on their experience.If you like this episode from Mugdha Variyar, check out her other interesting episodes on Rahul Yadav: Trouble Magnet or Troublemaker?, Will ONDC eat Swiggy, Zomato’s lunch?, Has milk politics turned sour in Karnataka? And more! You can follow Mugdha Variyar on her social media: Twitter and LinkedinCatch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 6, 2023 • 37min
Byju's: The Teacher Who Got Schooled
Too Big Too Fast - From funding FOMO to aggressive acquisitions to now vanishing valuations and a debt trap. The story of Byju's, which is far from over, has lessons for founders and funders. Where they just plain lucky to be at the right place at the right time? Is it a case of flawed processes and not fraudulent practices? Will debt be the death knell for educators' P&L? Host Anupriya discusses the issue with Salman SH,from ET Prime, as he details what is going on with Byju's behind the scenes and why directors and auditors are fleeing. Sriram Somayajula, Co-Founder & CEO of IndigoLearn, explains Why Startups (especially BYJUs) Do Not Deserve Debt.Get More on Byju’s on ET Prime: Byju Raveendran treads a takeover tightrope against investors. Byju's eventful week: Boardroom drama, layoffs, inquiry, revolt.You can check out more episodes of The Morning Brief on: The Uncertain Fate Of Asia’s Largest Refinery, Has milk politics turned sour in Karnataka?, El Niño: Little Boy, Big Trouble, E-20 Explained: The blender’s pride or bane? And more. You can follow our host Anupriya Nair on his social media Twitter & Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 4, 2023 • 29min
The Great Indian Job Jhol
The notorious 'bribe-for-jobs scam' has been an open secret, in the case of job recruitment in the competitive Indian job market. The recent scandal at a prestigious IT company, known for its ethical standards, and its global scale of recruitment, has sparked fresh concerns. Host Kiran Somvanshi explores why this malpractice continues despite increased scrutiny and accountability in Indian companies, the underlying factors facilitating it, the modus operandi, and the often-overlooked role of HR. Kiran is in discussion with: Dr Ganesh Shermon K Sudarshan, MD, EMA Partners International (India) And a bunch of HR professionals from companies as well as consultancy firms as they shed light on this sort of corruption in India Inc and discuss the potential solutions. If you like this episode from Kiran Somvanshi, check out his other interesting episodes on The A to Z of the Zee-Sony Merger Saga, The Billion Dollar Baby: The Business of IVF, Pakistan in Penury, Watch Before You Eat and much more! You can follow our host Kiran Somvanshi on her social media: Twitter & Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 30, 2023 • 20min
Why is Plastic in India Ban-Resistant?
This July, India will complete a year of single use plastic ban. But it turns out that the pervasiveness of single use plastic is difficult to beat. Despite a year after the government imposed the ban, prohibiting its manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, and sale, of plastic carry bags thinner than 120 microns, the material is still found to be in use. What is behind India’s persistent plastic problem? Lax enforcement of regulations? Absence of alternatives? Lack of incentives for waste processing? Host Kalpana Pathak and Team TMB talk to Akshay Gunteti, Head of Partnerships at Green Worms and Nandini Kumar, Senior Senior Consultant at CII and a host of plastic users and vendors. You can check out more episodes of The Morning Brief on: The Uncertain Fate Of Asia’s Largest Refinery, Has milk politics turned sour in Karnataka?, El Niño: Little Boy, Big Trouble, E-20 Explained: The blender’s pride or bane? And more. You can follow our host Kalpana Pathak on his social media Twitter & Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 29, 2023 • 33min
Chip Chase: Can India make the most powerful thing in the world?
American chip maker Micron’s announcement to set up an India plant gives the country a breakthrough it’s been seeking for four decades. Semiconductors power the modern world-automobiles to AI. Over the years, the tiny chips have become a strong geopolitical tool and a frontier for the deadly battle of superpowers US and China. Its thawing relations with the US and penchant for standing up to China can get India global support in its chip ambitions. But are its own capabilities enough? Host Anirban Chowdhury traces the semiconductor story across the years with Chris Miller, Author of the corporate bestseller Chip War Pranab Dhal Samanta, Associate Executive Editor, ET Shelley Singh, Senior Editor, ET Prime. Credits: CNBC-TV18, NBC News If you like this episode from Anirban Chowdhury, check out his other interesting episodes on Big cats, billions, bonds: India’s massive tiger economy, Will ONDC eat Swiggy, Zomato’s lunch?, Go First: The Insolvency Flight Path, Reliance Capital: ADAG’s Dust, Hinduja’s Dreams?, and much more! You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.