The Morning Brief

Declining property prices, record-low home loan rates, government incentives and offers galore from builders – is now the right time to buy your dream home? That's what we asked author and personal finance coach PV Subramanyam and ET’s Kailash Babar, who closely tracks the real estate market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines propose that states cap surge pricing and increase the commission for drivers to 80%. Rameesh Kailasam, CEO of IndiaTech.Org, and ET’s special correspondent Alnoor Peermohamed tell us the impact of these norms on cab-aggregator startups, drivers and customers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Friday, farmers unhappy with three recently passed farm bills, have laid siege to the capital. We ask Ajay Jakhar, a farmer and chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj, as well as Himangshu Watts, editor at ET, if the changes will improve efficiencies, farm incomes and boost investments in an otherwise anti-competitive sector or if bigger monopolies will create new cartels.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As another wave of the coronavirus scares vacationers, hoteliers are arming themselves with safety measures and special offers to attract guests. Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director of Sarovar Hotels, and ET’s Anumeha Chaturvedi tell us how hotel owners are also finding opportunities in the midst of the crisis such as hosting film crews and catering to wedding parties.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cyberattacks in India are getting more sophisticated. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) says that healthcare has become an attractive target for hackers. Supreme Court lawyer NS Nappinai and ET’s senior correspondent Anandi Chandrashekhar tell us what, apart from a strong cybersecurity law, is needed to deter hacking.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bharat Biotech failed to halt clinical trials after one person developed serious side-effects during the testing of Covaxin, its indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine candidate. Dr. Srinath Reddy, President of Public Health Foundation of India, and ET’s Teena Thacker take us through the protocols and challenges of developing a vaccine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time, the Reserve Bank of India roped in a foreign bank – DBS of Singapore – to take over the assets of an Indian lender, 94-year-old Lakshmi Vilas Bank. ET’s journalists Sugata Ghosh and Atmadip Ray tell us how and why this happened and what it means for banking in the country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s restaurants are trying everything to get customers back. Despite all the safety norms in place, consumers are still being careful about dining out. Sameer Seth, Founder of Hunger Inc., Zorawar Kalra, MD of Massive Restaurants, and ET’s Senior Editor Ratna Bhushan explain how the Rs 4.25 lakh crore industry is adapting to the new normal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s latest stimulus package to revive the economy includes reforms and incentives for local manufacturing and job creation, but experts are unsure if enough has been done to revive demand. ET’s Resident Editor, North, Vinay Pandey and Consulting Editor TK Arun dissect the Rs 2.65 lakh crore Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's move to bring over-the-top (OTT) services such as streaming platforms and digital news channels under the I&B ministry is seen by some as a precursor to content censorship. MediaNama's founder Nikhil Pahwa and ET's senior assistant editor Vasudha Venugopal explain the government's rationale, the impact on the industry and what it could mean for consumers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.