The Morning Brief

Pandemic-led social distancing saw people consume unprecedented levels of content on social media in 2020 to stay connected, updated and entertained ShareChat’s Content Strategy Director, Shashank Shekhar, Co-Founder of Trell App Pulkit Agrawal, Content Creator Niharicka Singh and ET’s Megha Mandavia take us through the social media journey in 2020 and some trends for 2021.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First came electronics, then groceries, and now, even your medicines can be ordered online. What's its impact on the neighbourhood chemists, investors, and regulators? Navroz Mahudawala, founder and MD of investment advisory firm Candle Partners and ET's Alnoor Peermohamed discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The use of virtual therapy more than doubled in 2020 as Covid-19 took a toll on people’s mental health. Ramakant Vempati, founder of therapy app Wysa, Ishita Pateria, a counselling psychologist, and ET’s Shephali Bhatt discuss the advantages and challenges that e-therapy has over the therapists’ couch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India's benchmark stock indices surged during the pandemic even as Covid-19 dented economic growth. Manish Bhandari, Co-founder of Vallum Capital, and ET’s Nishanth Vasudevan bring us an overview of what's driving the rally, common mistakes that retail investors should avoid, and what to expect in 2021.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent protests against big companies like Wistron and Toyota in Karnataka depict a trend of increasing trade unionism and labour dissatisfaction. As India Inc ramps up production, labour issues might intensify unless dealt with empathy, feel Dr Narendar Pani, Prof. at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Captain Gopinath founder of Air Deccan and ET's Archana Rai.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four entities are interested in buying Air India, attracted by the assets of the national carrier. However, high debt and legacy issues mean that reviving the airline is no easy task. Sanjiv Kapoor, Former Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer at Vistara, and ET’s Mihir Mishra discuss what’s next for the MaharajaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Centre's move to allow Ayurveda students to perform surgeries has sparked protests by allopathic doctors. Dr. Rajan Sharma, National President of the Indian Medical Association, and ET's Teena Thacker explain what this could mean for patients.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some states have pulled the plug on the fast-growing online gaming industry and more are likely to join the banned-wagon. Nikhil Narendran, Partner at Trilegal, Salone Sehgal, Co-Founder of Lumikai, and ET’s Megha Mandavia discuss the pros and cons of these restrictions and how they might affect investments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petrol and diesel prices are inching towards all-time highs in India where consumers pay some of the highest fuel taxes in the world. K Ravichandran, Executive VP at ICRA, Debasish Mishra, leader for energy resources at Deloitte, and ET’s Deepshikha Sikarwar discuss what triggered the price hike and whether consumers can expect any relief soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of India’s leading honey makers are facing charges of adulteration, denting their image. Sunita Narain, director of Centre for Science and Environment and ET's Ratna Bhushan discuss the concerning report, and what's next for the Rs. 1,800 crore sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.