The Parliament was abuzz earlier this week as MPs debated the introduction of a landmark constitutional amendment Bill proposing simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies—widely known as One Nation, One Election. Advocates claim it will streamline governance and save resources, while critics warn it could marginalise regional parties and centralise power. In this episode, host Nidhi Sharma dives deep into the proposed 129th constitutional amendment–How does it aim to synchronise India’s electoral cycles, and what are its implications for federalism and democracy? What’s driving the NDA government’s push for this reform? Why is the Opposition so fiercely against it? And what’s next in this high-stakes political showdown?–with Members of Parliament, Manish Tewari, and Sanjay Singh and PRS Legislative Research’s Chakshu Roy. Join us as we unpack the complexities of this contentious Bill, its historical context, and its potential impact on India's political landscape. Tune in for a balanced analysis of one of India’s most ambitious and debated legislative moves. Credits: ANI, Mint, Times Now

In this episode we are tracing the journey of Vishal Retail, from surplus apparel exhibitions to a business that brought global fashion to the masses at unbeatable prices, this narrative explores the challenges of rapid expansion, the risks of short-term debt, and the disruptions that reshaped the market. Host Arijit Barman engages with Gunender Kapur of Vishal Mega Mart, Manas Tandon of Partners Group, and Nishant Sharma of Kedaara Capital to uncover a compelling story of ambition, resilience, and the transformative evolution of affordable retail.

With stellar credentials and a remarkable career trajectory, the new RBI Governor, Sanjay Malhotra, takes charge amid a two-year low GDP growth rate, persistent inflation, and growing debates on the monetary policy framework. In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury explores Malhotra’s background and immediate challenges with insights from Deepshikha Sikarwar, National Editor (Economics) at Economics Times, Sugata Ghosh, Associate Editor at Economic Times, and Indranil Pan, Chief Economist at Yes Bank. From tackling inflation and growth to navigating the RBI’s stance on crypto and NBFCs, we unpack what lies ahead for the new central bank chief. Tune in. Credits: NDTV, The Hindu Businessline, India Today, CNBC-TV18, Business Today, The Print, NDTV Profit

The ET CEO Roundtable 2024 brings together India’s top business leaders, policymakers, and industry experts for a thought-provoking discussion on the year’s defining challenges and opportunities. From devastating global conflicts and economic downturns to the rapid rise of AI and shifting power dynamics, the conversation explores how India, despite its challenges, remains poised to harness the best of global disruptions. Against a backdrop of inflationary pressures and rural consumption concerns, the discussion centers on whether India should maintain cautious optimism or unleash its full potential to shape the new world order. Listen in as ET’s associate editor Arijit Barman moderates a highly engaging discussion with: Lakshmi Venu, Director, TAFE; Salil Parekh, CEO, Infosys; Zia Mody, Co-founder & Managing Partner, AZB & Partners; Uday Kotak, Founder, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals; Romal Shetty, CEO, Deloitte South Asia; Anish Shah, Group CEO, Mahindra Group; Rohit Jawa, CEO & MD, Hindustan Unilever; Nicolas Berggruen, Founder, Berggruen Holdings

India is on the brink of a telecom disruption as the government plans to relax entry barriers for satellite communication (satcom) technology. This could pave the way for global heavyweights like Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Project Kuiper to enter the market. But the move has telecom majors—Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea—raising alarms over spectrum allocation policies and market disruption. Join host Dia Rekhi as she decodes the significance of satcom, the potential impact on India’s data market, pricing concerns, and how players like Starlink and Kuiper navigate regulatory hurdles. With Siddhant Cally, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, and Ashutosh Sharma, VP, Research Director at Forrester. This episode unpacks the future of India's link with Starlink. Tune in.

Yuval Noah Harari’s latest book Nexus talks, among other things, about information networks and how they are taking humanity away from the truth. The writer and historian has been one of the most prominent iconoclasts of recent times, turning time-honoured theories of human evolution, religion, governance and science on their heads. Harari has been one of the foremost warning voices on the dangers of letting technology rule over humanity. He says that unchecked and unregulated, AI has the potential to destroy humankind. ET’s executive editor Sruthijith KK and editor, views, Indrajit Hazra catch up with Harari on his India visit to launch his latest book. They examine the growing chasm between information and truth, the breakdown of shared reality, dangers of the Trump government, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the biggest violation of the international order, why the Israel-Palestine conflict is everything that is not Zionism and how India can play a role in resetting the international order.

Is food inflation truly skewing the effectiveness of monetary policy? The government certainly seems to think so. A combination of volatile food prices, supply side inflation surge, and tame core inflation has led the government to think food inflation had best be excluded from the headline numbers. Now this can be massively consequential as its weightage in the consumer price index is 46%! So does the change in framework make any sense?Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Gaura Sengupta, Chief Economist at IDFC FIRST Bank about the Debate Over India’s Monetary Policy Framework

The Indian government’s recent access to data from Germany has unraveled a massive stash of undisclosed properties owned by wealthy Indians in Dubai—worth over ₹1,000 crore. In this episode, Anirban Chowdhury dives into the depths of this financial thriller with ET’s Rashmi Rajput and Sugata Ghosh.They discuss the significance of this treasure trove, its implications for India's tax authorities and perpetrators, and how this could be the beginning of a larger global crackdown on undisclosed wealth. Tune in.

India’s economy just recorded its slowest growth in almost 2 years, with the fastest growing major economy coming back to Earth. Manufacturing stagnated, mining declined, and even government spending—a key growth driver—remains muted. While services posted a strong performance, weak private consumption continues to weigh on the overall picture. In this episode, we unpack the implications of these disappointing numbers. What went wrong? And why did experts—including the RBI—miss the warning signs? With the central bank’s policy meeting looming on Friday, critical questions emerge: Can India recalibrate its strategy to revive growth? Or is it time to fundamentally rethink the nation’s economic trajectory? Join host Anirban Chowdhury as he speaks to renowned economist and former RBI Monetary Policy Committee member Ashima Goyal to explore the state of the economy, the factors behind this slowdown, and the road ahead.Credits: Firstpost, CNBC-TV18

Terrorism casts a long, wide shadow—crippling economies, tearing societies, and leaving nations to grapple with enormous costs. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Dia Rekhi dives deep into the costs of terror. Joining her are Thomas Morgan, Chief Research Officer at the Institute for Economics & Peace, who unpacks insights from the Global Terrorism Index, and Dr. Abhinav Pandya, a counterterrorism expert and Founder of Usanas Foundation, who breaks down the funding machinery of terror outfits. How are terror organizations financed? What role do cryptocurrencies play in fueling extremism? And as nations pour billions into counterterrorism, are we really any safer? Tune in for an eye-opening discussion on the monetary, social, and human toll of terrorism. Credits: India Today

Gold has had an extraordinary year in 2024, marked 40 record-breaking price peaks and a recent volatility…all influenced by geopolitical events, Fed rate cuts, central bank purchases and Trump’s return to the White House. India’s consumer demand was a standout despite price hikes and helped by a duty cut. Gold-backed ETFs gained traction, growing by 14 tons this year. And let’s not forget the growing demand for the yellow metal in AI technology. Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Sachin Jain, Regional CEO, World Gold Council, Gayatri Nayak from ET and S Mehta of Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association to chronicle the new age gold rush.

As Bitcoin nears $100,000, Trump’s pro-crypto policies, including a proposed Crypto Czar and a U.S. “Bitcoin stockpile,” are reshaping global sentiment about this asset class. The EU and UK are advancing crypto regulations, while India’s capital markets regulator SEBI hints at a progressive framework despite RBI’s caution. Amid optimism, challenges like the WazirX hack highlight the need for stronger investor protection. Can India embrace a crypto-friendly future while safeguarding its investors? The world watches as crypto evolves in a rapidly changing landscape. Host Anirban Chowdhury discusses the ramifications with CoinDcx's co-founder and CEO Sumit Gupta and ET's associate editor Sugata Ghosh.

With automation and generative AI reshaping industries faster than ever, half of the global workforce may need reskilling by 2025. In this episode, we delve into the urgent need for learning and development (L&D) programs to help Indian professionals stay ahead in a rapidly changing world. Drawing from eye-opening reports by the World Economic Forum, LinkedIn, and McKinsey, we explore how AI is transforming roles across sectors—while also creating significant skill gaps. Why is healthcare, one of the world’s largest workforce sectors, struggling with digital upskilling? How are organizations rethinking their strategies to embrace AI while bridging critical gaps? And what does India’s role look like in this global race for a future-ready workforce? Join host Anirban Chowdhury as he unpacks the challenges and opportunities shaping the skilling revolution and uncovers how two companies are gearing up to meet the demands of a tech-driven tomorrow. With Coursera’s India and APAC MD Raghav Gupta & Rajat Puri, Chief Operating Officer, Carelon, and President, Carelon Global Solutions.

Delhi’s air has hit a new low—literally. With pollution levels crossing global safety thresholds, the city is gasping for solutions. Crop burning, rapid urbanisation, and political inaction have created a toxic cocktail choking much of India. In today’s episode of The Morning Brief, Anirban Chowdhury hosts Frank Hammes, Global CEO, IQAir, Dr. Arvind Kumar, Chairman, Institute of Chest Surgery, Medanta, Karthik Ganesan, Fellow & Director, CEEW, and Anubhuti Vishnoi, Senior Editor, ET, to explore the causes, health repercussions, and potential solutions to India’s air quality crisis. Don’t miss this critical conversation on what it will take to clear the air!

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is escalating into a global health emergency with dire consequences for humanity. As World AMR Awareness Week unfolds, Anirban Chowdhury hosts an insightful conversation with Vikas Dandekar and Dr. Manica Balasegaram, Executive Director at the Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership. Together, they explore the global response, innovative solutions, and India’s potential influence in combating this looming crisis.Tune in!Credits: World Health Organization (WHO), Forbes Middle East

Indians are ingesting too many antibiotics. As a result, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming a serious public health crisis, as many commonly used antibiotics are losing their effectiveness. Currently, about 70% of antibiotic treatments fail to work against infections, making it increasingly difficult to treat conditions that once had straightforward solutions. Each year, more patients experience recurring infections, both in outpatient and inpatient settings, and mortality rates continue to rise among those requiring critical care. Hosts Vikas Dandekar and Anirban Chowdhury talk to Dr Viny Kantroo of Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, and Maneesh Paul of Orchid Pharma trying to understand if AMR could drastically alter healthcare as we know it, posing an unprecedented challenge to future generations.

As COP 29 unfolds, the stakes are higher than ever. The focus this year is on new climate finance targets. The question is the same: Will developed countries pay up to help the poorer nations battle climate change? And where will the money come from? Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Urmi Goswami, Special Correspondent at Economic Times, and Dr. Jai Asundi, Executive Director at CSTEP, to explore whether rich nations are walking the talk. From India’s evolving stance on energy transition to the G77+China’s position on NCQG, this episode deals with the most pressing issues. Tune in to find out what COP 29 could mean for the future of global climate action. Credits: Economic Times, Business Standard, NDTV (1), ANC 24/7 (1), CTV News, BBC News (1), Sky News, BBC News (2), Firstpost, CBS Evening News, NDTV (2), ANI News India, ANC 24/7 (2)

Political instability and the constant flip-flopping of voters define the predicament of the Jharkhand State Legislative Assembly since the turn of the century when it came into being. Despite the last two governments completing their terms, no political party can claim with conviction that they have cracked the code in Jharkhand. Join host Nidhi Sharma as she and ET’s own Kumar Anshuman navigate the tricky electoral arithmetic of the state and bring to you the issues, parties and personalities that will decide the fate of one of the country’s most resource-rich states.Don't miss out on this special election series – Polls On My Pod!

The RBI’s latest draft guidelines stems from its discomfort in overlapping activities between banks and their subsidiaries. It says banks and not their units should do the core banking activity of lending and deposit taking. This will affect banks' structures, balance sheets and upcoming IPO valuations. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury breaks down the implications with ET’s Banking Editor Sangita Mehta and Sachin Gupta, Chief Ratings Officer at CARE Ratings Ltd.

India’s airlines are facing a never-before, nowhere-else crisis. Close to 100 bomb threat calls in just 7 days, numerous flight delays, and hundreds of crores in losses—India's airline industry is in turmoil. What’s causing this surge in threats, and why is it so difficult to tackle? Will it lead to a fear of flying among passengers, and how are airlines and the government responding? Join host Anirban Chowdhury as he speaks with The Economic Times’ airline tracker Arindam Majumder, Shyamala D., former DIG of the Central Industrial Security Force, and Rajesh Chandra, former head of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, to break down the situation, its impact, and the measures being taken. Credits: India TV, India Today, WION, News 18 Rajasthan, CNN-News 18

Ten months after the government stipulated guidelines to curb them, dark patterns continue to be used by ecommerce companies in India-from travel to health tech. These deceptive design strategies are used to manipulate users into sharing personal information or making unintended purchases. With India’s e-commerce market expected to reach $350 billion by 2030, this is a menace that needs to be prevented. But how? Anirban Chowdhury and Dia Rekhi talk to Manisha Kapoor of ASCI, Nidhi Khare, Consumer Affairs Secretary and Sachin Taparia of LocalCircles to understand the nuances and the way forward.

SEBI’s new curbs on the high-stakes world of Futures and Options trading mean tighter restrictions for retail traders, such as reduced weekly expiries and increased contract sizes. The game is about to change. Host Himani Kothari talks to Deepak Shenoy, Founder of Capitalmind, and Sudhakara Reddy, Associate Professor of Finance and Control at IIM-Calcutta, to break down why Sebi has implemented these steps, the alarming rise in retail participation, and the staggering losses traders have incurred.

India’s underworld, once dominated by figures like Dawood Ibrahim, is witnessing a resurgence with the rise of Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang. Once a small-time outfit, Bishnoi's criminal empire now wields significant power, with the recent high-profile killing of powerful Maharashtra politician Baba Siddiqui sending shockwaves across the country. Is India witnessing the return of an era where gangsters run the business of extortion and fear? Join host Anirban Chowdhury as he talks to ET’s Rashmi Rajput and supercop D Sivandandan to uncover how the Bishnoi gang operates and what this means for the future of organised crime in India. Credits: ABP News, midday india, NDTV, India Today, WION

India - Canada relations have hit an all-time low after Ottawa accused Indian diplomats of involvement in the assassination of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India’s retaliatory expulsion of Canadian diplomats has only fueled the crisis further. With global players like the US, China, and the Five Eyes alliance involved, the stakes are high. Join host Anirban Chowdhury as he speaks with Harsh V Pant of the Observer Research Foundation and ET’s Pranab Dhal Samanta to break down the geopolitical, economic, and political factors at play. Credits: Firstpost, DNA, ANI News, DW News

Following the passing of Ratan Tata, the Tata Group has appointed Noel Tata as the new chairman of Steer Tata Trusts. While Noel has built Tata's retail business into a ₹2.85 lakh crore entity, his new role at the helm of the Trusts comes with different challenges. From managing a complex board of shareholders to navigating the group’s relationship with the SP Group, all eyes are on how Noel will steer the Trusts and its vast influence over the ₹34 trillion Tata empire.In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury discusses with ET’s Kala Vijayraghavan on what Noel Tata’s leadership means for the future of the Tata Group.

With Chinese equities being among the cheapest globally, they have sparked renewed interest from value investors. But with past rallies fizzling out, will this time be different? Host Nishanth Vasudevan talks with Manish Bhandari of Vallum Capital Advisors discuss the historical patterns of Chinese market rallies, the government’s efforts to rebuild trust, and how China’s evolving economic strategies could impact global markets, including India.

Bollywood is facing turbulent times, with over 40 big-budget projects shelved or stalled—double the pre-pandemic numbers. Big names like Ranveer Singh, Tiger Shroff, Akshay Kumar, and Deepika Padukone are affected as rising star fees, weak scripts, and the waning bankability of A-list actors weigh heavily on the industry. After a promising bounce back in 2023, uncertainty now looms large. Join host Anirban Chowdhury as he delves into the reasons behind this freeze with ET’s Rajesh Naidu, Suniel Wadhwa of Karmic Films and producer Vikram Malhotra of Abundantia Entertainment.Credits: The Hollywood Reporter India

India is betting big on hydrogen-powered mobility. From the Indian Railways’ plans of hydrogen trains on heritage routes to govts commissioning of dedicated hydrogen ports to initiatives by auto companies such as Tata Motors and M&M, India has a lot going for its green hydrogen mission. In this episode, we discuss potential, opportunities and challenges. We also trace the global history of hydrogen transportation, from early innovations in the 1960s to today’s advancements, and ask the question: Can hydrogen-powered transportation truly go mainstream? Host Anirban Choudhury talks to Anuraag Nallapaneni, Program Manager (Hydrogen) WRI India and ET’s Twesh Mishra.

The recent pager explosions in Lebanon have led the Indian government to fasttrack the implementation of its guidelines regarding surveillance equipment, which came out earlier this year. The fresh guidelines are likely to come into effect this month and will likely affect Chinese vendors who make up a bulk of the CCTV market in the country. The new guidelines prioritize security, data protection, and the promotion of “Make in India” products. In this episode, we discuss the implications for Chinese players like Hikvision and Dahua, the rise of domestic companies like CP Plus, and how these measures are in line with other governments too which are cracking down heavily on Chinese CCTV equipment. Host Dia Rekhi is joined by Varun Gupta of Counterpoint Research and Ausma Bernot, Expert of Surveillance Tech & Governance to understand how India is reshaping its surveillance landscape.

India's primary market is set to witness back-to-back billion-dollar IPOs, including Hyundai's record-breaking Rs 25,000 crore issue. With heavyweights like Swiggy and Afcons Infrastructure also preparing to go public, investors are closely watching the potential market impact. Will these big IPOs sail through smoothly, or are we looking at short-term market disruptions? Join host Nishanth Vasudevan, as he discusses the road ahead with Aditya Sood, Fund Manager at Incred Asset Management, on this episode of The Morning Brief.

The last time the people of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) elected their representatives to the state assembly was nearly a decade ago. In 2014, the electoral landscape was markedly different. For starters, J&K was a state that included Ladakh, it enjoyed a special status as per the constitution of India and there were fewer seats in the fray. Turn to today and much water has passed under the bridge. J&K is now a union territory that will have a bigger legislative assembly with truncated powers. Join host Nidhi Sharma–along with ET’s own Anubhuti Vishnoi and Hakeem Irfan Rashid–as she tracks one of the shortest elections the region has seen and the issues, parties and personalities resonating with the electorate.

Symbolic of India’s affinity to Apple, a week ago, hordes eager to get their hands on the shiny new iPhone 16 pro queued up in front of stores. With all the business that the company is getting from India, it is reciprocating the love in the form of jobs generated from manufacturing phones and allied components–6 lakh jobs by the end of FY25, including 2 lakh direct positions by March with a special impetus on diversity, equity and inclusion. But why is Apple eyeing India? Where does the country stand when it comes to the company’s largest markets? How is Apple doing in a price-sensitive market like India? What kind of value addition is India doing and how will it change? Join host Dia Rekhi as she seeks answers to these questions and more with Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research and Ekta Mittal, senior analyst at CCS Insight.

The controversy surrounding the iconic Tirupati laddoos has sparked a political firestorm. What began as allegations of adulterated ghee has escalated into a major showdown between Andhra Pradesh’s political figures, N. Chandrababu Naidu and Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy. Host Nidhi Sharma speaks with YSRCP’s Rajampet MP P V Midhun Reddy and TDP’s Vizag MP Mathukumili Sribharat to break down how this controversy took a sharp religious twist, and its broader implications for temple management, food safety, and the faith of millions. Join us as we dissect the politics, religion, and facts behind the laddoo scandal.

Bajaj Housing Finance just had a record 6,560 crore rupees IPO, setting records for both demand and applications in the Indian primary market. The issue was oversubscribed 64 times, attracting bids worth 3.23 trillion rupees—surpassing Coal India's 2010 record. Bajaj’s valuation is several multiples of its peers although it’s financials don’t beat theirs in every instance. Is the company overvalued? Is the valuation sustainable? What price will it settle at? How should investors take this frenzy? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury explores all of this with ET’s Saloni Shukla and Jignesh Shial, Director - Research and Head of BFSI Sector at InCred Capital. Tune in!

Etihad Airways Group CEO Antonoaldo Neves has the precarious job of balancing growth with profitability and margins. Neves is the rare premium airline chief who talks of saving $150 million a year—through the minutest of cut downs like double catering of food—even as he aims to double his airline’s size and keep it as premium as it has always been. Etihad’s net profit grew fivefold to $143 million in 2023 (it turned around in 2022 from losses worth billions of dollars) but it remains a fraction of earnings clocked by rivals Emirates and Qatar. Neves however isn’t bothered about “our friends in the Gulf” too much. As he overhauls Etihad’s network, India features among its top three markets globally. In the latest Corner Office Conversation, Neves talks to hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Forum Gandhi about the flight path he has planned for the airline.

Nearly four and a half years ago The Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, a traders association alleged that e-commerce giants were playing favourites. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) soon took cognizance and passed an order asking the director general to investigate both Amazon and Flipkart for anti-competitive practices. Turn to today, an exhaustive report on alleged anti-trust activities of Amazon and Flipkart has been submitted, though not made public. The findings include charges of preferential treatment to a select few, deep discounting undercutting competition and giving certain listings priority. In today’s episode, host Dia Rekhi turns to Vishwanath Pingali, faculty at IIM Ahmedabad, to understand whether digital platforms are indeed hurting small businesses and legal eagle Gautam Shahi, partner at Dua Associates, to explore the ramifications of what could potentially be a landmark judgement.

Exactly a year ago, ONDC, the govt backed open sourced commerce network was launched across the country. The purpose was twofold: onboarding small sellers who couldn’t afford to be on ecomm biggies; challenging the supremacy of the biggies. The platform has quietly been achieving one milestone after the other, spreading to more than 200 pincodes, adding 2 lakh sellers and some prominent names such as Paytm and Ola. But is this enough? And what are the challenges? Anirban Chowdhury and ET’s tech expert Suraksha P explores answers to these questions. With ONDC’s MD and CEO, T Koshy.

Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, one of the companies banned in India in 2020, is set to make a comeback, this time under a licensing agreement with Reliance Industries. Other Chinese entities like HKC and the Adani Group’s new subsidiary in China hint at a possible shift in India’s business approach towards its neighbour. Do all these point to a change in Indo-Chinese relations, at least as far as business is concerned? Hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Dia Rekhi discuss the dynamics with ET Prime’s Shabori Das and public policy and China expert Amit Bhandari.

A year ago, President Joe Biden and PM Narendra Modi launched the India-U.S. Renewable Energy Technologies Action Platform (RE-TAP), deepening cooperation on clean energy. With over a decade of collaboration and billions in U.S. investments, how can the two countries drive the future of renewables and rural electrification? Join ET’s Sanjeev Choudhary as he speaks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, David Turk about the next steps in this critical energy partnership. Tune in.

India's SME IPO market is on a tear, with companies like Amic Forging, Bondada Engineering, and Resourceful Automobiles delivering triple-digit gain multiples and driving a 176% surge in the BSE SME IPO index over the past year. Retail participation is at an all-time high, with applications soaring from 408 in 2019 to over 2.13 lakh per IPO today. But behind the headlines, concerns are growing. Volatility and rapid price swings have sparked debate about whether this is a healthy market or a bubble waiting to burst. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by ET Prime Reporter Himadri Buch, Capital Mind’s Deepak Shenoy, and IIM Calcutta Professor Sudhakara Reddy to analyse the drivers behind the SME IPO boom, the emerging risks, and what regulators are watching closely. Tune in! Credits: CNBC TV-18

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu recently met with top CEOs at Sri City, Tirupati, to rally investment, but his unexpected focus on population growth stole the spotlight. Earlier in August, his Cabinet scrapped the two-child rule for local elections, prompting questions about his strategy. Why is a leader known for sharp political and economic insights now zeroing in on population management and the North-South divide? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Nidhi Sharma discusses Naidu's surprising policy shift and its potential impact with Telugu Desam Party MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayulu and Professor Sanjay Kumar from the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. Stay tuned to understand what's driving these decisions and what they mean for Andhra Pradesh's future. Credits: ABN Telugu

Peer-to-peer lending in India was supposed to be a game-changer—connecting borrowers and lenders directly and bypassing banks. But the business is now facing major turbulence. On August 16th, the RBI issued a new mandate that could reshape the future of P2P lending in India, leaving many to wonder if this is a turning point or the beginning of the end. Join The Morning Brief as host Anirban Chowdhury discusses what lies ahead for this emerging sector with ET’s fintech expert Pratik Bhakta and Mukesh Bubna of P2P lending firm Monexo.

Payments giant Visa is bullish about India’s fast evolving digital payments landscape, the growth of small and medium enterprises and its fiercely independent women customers and stakeholders. In a riveting conversation at the ET World Leaders Forum, vice chair Kelly Mahon Tullier talks to ET’s associate editor Arijit Barman about Visa’s new vistas.

Mahindra & Mahindra is on top of the SUV game. It’s the market leader by revenue and no. 2 by volumes. The company is on a launch spree. And is heavily invested in the EV story. But with heavy competition in the SUV space, a global slowdown in EVs and sporadic demand in India’s automotive industry, how will it stay ahead of the game? Hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Shally Seth talk to M&M’s ED & CEO of the auto and farm sector in this Corner Office Conversation. Listen in. Credits: Mahindra Automotive

The recent incident at R G Kar Medical College has brought the larger issue of women’s safety, particularly in the medical profession, into sharp focus. We hear firsthand accounts from women doctors who recount the harassment and discrimination they face from colleagues, patients, and their families. Host Nidhi Sharma talks to Dr. Ammara Hasan, radiation oncologist and Anirban Chowdhury talks to Aparna Mittal, DEI advisor/ Corporate Lawyer, Founder Samāna Centre, on whether the legal framework is inadequate to protect women employees.

Fractal, India’s first AI analytics unicorn, is poised for an IPO at a reported valuation of $3 billion . From being founded 24 years ago long before AI became a buzzword every business wanted to log on to by five IIM batchmates, the company quickly gained traction amongst Indian and international clients. Within a few years however, it faced a leadership crisis with two of its founders exiting. Srikant Vellamakani, whose CEO ship was the centre of a raging debate among the founder group, however, took the setback as not a “Why me?” lament but a “Why not me?” lesson instead. Soon enough he made a comeback as the CEO and 2022, the company entered the unicorn club with a $360 million investment from TPG. Along the way it came up with some ground breaking solutions for clients spread across more than 10 industries and 170 plus enterprises-including a solution that reduced railway track crossing accidents in Mumbai by a whooping 75%. In this corner officer conversation, host Arijit Barman talks to Srikanth Velamakanni about AI of today, tomorrow and the future. Will it be responsible or regulated? From maths to machine and the mind here is a freewheeling conversation, up, close & personal.

Telegram, the bad boy of social messaging, is in deep trouble. Its CEO Pavel Durov has been arrested by the French police on alleged failure to mitigate the misuse of its platform for criminal activities. When Telegram started, it was hailed as a champion of freedom of speech and information sharing. Over the last few years however, it has become a hotbed for the exchange of pirated content, child pornography and other alleged terrorism and criminal acts. Governments across the world have had problems with Durov and his platform. But there have never been so serious questions about its future as now. Host Anirban Chowdhury explores with Kevin Curran, Professor of Cybersecurity at Ulster University, Siddhant Jain founder of VdoCipher and an active voice against anti-piracy and ET’s Aashish Aryan.

Netflix’s India story is a growing piece of its global saga that spans 278 million subscribers and an annual revenue of more than $34 billion. Indian content on the platform has been attracting subscribers at home and abroad and has pushed into being a profitable entity. But content costs are growing, cinemas are filling and consumer dynamics are rapidly changing. In this episode, Monika Shergill talks about the Netflix India story and its upcoming episodes and seasons.

Many of us grew up dreaming of becoming astronauts, picturing ourselves floating among the stars. In today’s world, making that dream a reality is no longer the destiny of the select few. With private companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic making space travel accessible, anyone can now touch the cosmos. Join host Nirmal John as he sits down with Michael Edmonds of Blue Origin and Gopichand Thotakura, India’s first civilian astronaut, to discuss how you too can fly to space.Credit: VideoFromSpace