The Morning Brief

Haryana’s job reservation law is opposed by industry, which claims it goes against the ease of doing business and could set a precedent for other states. Prateek Som, a Spokesperson for Jannayak Janata Party, Dilip Chenoy, FICCI Secretary-General, and ET’s Nidhi Sharma discuss the business and politics of this act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The frenzy of market listing via blank cheque companies has gripped companies worldwide and is now landing on Indian shores. Renew Power Chairman Sumant Sinha and Girish Vanvari, Founder of tax advisory firm Transaction Square, decode how Special Purpose Acquisition Companies work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confusion and chaos marred the first days of vaccinations for senior citizens. As India scales up its vaccination drive to reach over a billion people, skepticism continues to be rife about the safety and efficacy of the jabs. Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Founder of Mahajan Imaging, and ET's Nidhi Sharma dispel the rumours and clarify the on-ground reality.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some provisions of the government's new rules for content on social media, digital news platforms and streaming services have raised concerns among media groups, activists and lawyers. Hitesh Jain, Managing Partner of Parinam Law Associates, Advocate Shreya Singhal and ET's Saubhik Chakrabarti discuss the wider implications of these rules.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reliance Industries is carving out its oil-to-chemicals business into a separate company as it looks to build a “New Reliance.” Joseph Chang, Global Editor at Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS), and Harshvardhan Dole, VP at IIFL, discuss what’s ahead for the conglomerate’s monetisation plans, challenges to the reorganisation and what shareholders should expect.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

K-pop, with its fanbase of millions of youngsters, was an attractive opportunity for scamsters on Twitter using the guise of fake crypto accounts and giveaways. But then the fan group called ARMY decided to fight back. ET's Shephali Bhatt and Ashwin Manikandan discuss their investigation of this unique scam lying at the intersection of crypto and Kpop – both hugely popular subcultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath outlines the state’s road map after his government presented a Rs 5.5 lakh crore budget focused on jobs, infrastructure, farmers and containing Covid-19. A year ahead of the state elections, the CM dismissed the opposition’s allegations on law and order and said UP is fast becoming an investment hub.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBFCs fell out of favour after the IL&FS imbroglio but a spate of recent acquisitions has brought them back into the spotlight. Krishnan Sitharaman, Senior Director at CRISIL, Sridhar Sivaram, Investment Director at Enam Holdings, and ET's Saikat Das help us decode this resurgence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India has opened up access to geospatial data for local companies to spur innovation in mapping. Lalitesh Katragadda, Founder of Google Map Maker, Rohan Verma, CEO of MapmyIndia, and ET’s Shantanu Nandan Sharma explain how Indian companies will benefit from the new policy, the hurdles in implementation and if existing players will feel the pinch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China and India seem to be moving towards military disengagement at the LAC after a standoff lasting months. Nirupama Rao, Former Indian Foreign Secretary, and ET's Pranab Dhal Samanta tell us what led to this development, whether India can trust China and the impact on bilateral trade relations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.