Big Boss Interview

Rahul Tandon presents a special edition of Business Matters from Delhi. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power promising to make it to do business in the country. We speak to businessmen and women who have set up companies in the past few years. We also hear from the economist Saswati Chaudri about the challenge of creating employment in India's rural economy. And we speak to someone who returned to India few years ago to look for employment about the state of the job market. Also, over the last past few days thousands of small traders across India have taken to the streets to protest against Walmart's take over of the indian e-commerce firm Flipkart . We have a report from one of the protests. And the former civil servant turned writer Raj Liberham guides us through India's customs in the business world. Also in the programme, we consider how US states will be affected by overturning the established precedent allowing public-sector unions to collect fees from nonunion members.

We're joined throughout the programme by Hartosh Singh Bal editor of The Caravan magazine and Mitchell Hartman in Portland, a reporter at Marketplace Radio.

(Photo: Agricultural workers in rural India. Credit: AFP)

What's been done about Delhi's air pollution?

Rahul Tandon presents a special edition of Business Matters from Delhi looking at the city's pollution problem. We have a report about living in a city with one of the world's highest pollution levels. The writer Sandip Roy tells us why India has not yet seen a mass anti-pollution movement. Also in the programme, we have a report on the protests against residential blocks in the south of Delhi that will result in thousands of trees being cut down. Plus, we hear from students at one of India's top business schools about how they think the problem should be solved.

We're joined throughout the programme by Vasu Primlani, a sustainability professional and professor and Sushma Ramachandran, former chief business correspondent at The Hindu.

(Photo: Environmental protest sign in Delhi. Credit: BBC)

Canada is putting tariffs on more than $12bn worth of American goods. They will come into effect on Sunday and will target not just US steel and aluminium but also consumer goods like orange juice, whisky and even toilet paper. We hear from our economics correspondent Andrew Walker and whisky producer Colin Spoelman from Kings County distillery in Brooklyn.

President Trump has communicated much of his economic policy on Twitter; as part of the BBC's Money and Power series we hear from Dr Stephanie Hare who researches technological trends.

We round up the week's biggest news stories with Katie Martin from the Financial Times and Richard Cockett from The Economist.

And we're joined throughout the programme by Cathy Alexander, research fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute.

Picture description: Canadian dollars

Ahead of Sunday's election in Turkey, we ask what role economic decline may play. We gauge the mood in Istanbul with voices from business, academia and ordinary Turks. The oil producing nations in the OPEC grouping have agreed to increase output in order to lower prices around the world. Chris Low from FTN Financial in New York tells us about the surprising market response. Also in the programme, Eurozone countries have reached agreement with Greece on a repayment schedule for the country's debt. Yannis Palaiologos is a reporter on the Athens daily Kathimerini and tells us what the agreement means. We hear from Jonah Sachs, author of a new book on creativity, Unsafe Thinking. On 'Bring Your Dog to Work Day', our reporter talks to people who do just that. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. patent number 10 million to Joseph Marron, a principal engineering fellow at the Space and Airborne Systems division of Raytheon. Kai Ryssdal of the Marketplace programme on American Public Media has been speaking to him. On 'Bring Your Dog to Work Day', our reporter talks to people who do just that. Plus we look back at the rest of the week's big business stories with David Hodari of the Wall Street Journal, and Patricia O'Connell, former editor of Business Week.

We're joined throughout the programme by Clive Hunton of ABC News in Canberra, Australia.

(Photo: President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Credit: Getty Images)

The UN says more than two-hundred people people have drowned off Libya in recent days. The recent stand-off between Malta and Italy over a boatload of desperate African travellers has revealed how right-wing populism is hardening attitudes. We hear from Christian Dustmann, the Director of the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration at University College London about the EU's handling of immigration. Also in the programme, we have a report examining the role that China plays in updating Zambia's infrastructure. The White House reveals a document proposing the reorganisation of the US federal government. Michelle Hackman of the Wall Street Journal in Washington tells us what she made it. Our correspondent Rebecca Henschke gives us the latest on Monday's ferry disaster in Indonesia that killed almost 200 people. Plus, we hear how two female boxing champions are inspiring girls and boys alike. We're joined throughout the programme by Jason Abbruzzese, Senior Tech Editor at NBC News Digital in New York and Emily Feng of the Financial Times in Beijing.

(Photo: Migrants from Libya in the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: AFP)

President Trump has said there is a "very substantial chance" the summit may not happen. Meanwhile, the South Korean president, Moon-Jae in, is in Washington for talks which are focussed on salvaging the meeting. Harry Kazianis, Director of Defense Studies, at the conservative-leaning Centre for the National Interest in Washington gives us his take on if the talks with Kim Jong-un will go ahead. We have a report from Rahul Tandon about if India can create enough jobs to cater for the millions of people expected to enter the labour force over the next few decades. Also, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has testified at the European Parliament about the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. We hear from our technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones who was watching Mr. Zuckerberg's appearance. Legal and General Investment Management in the UK has decided to launch the first investment fund aimed at encouraging gender diversity. Helena Morrissey, head of personal investing at LGIM, tells us how it works. Also in the programme, are voice controlled AI assistants at risk of developing human prejudices? Trevor Cox, professor of Acoustic Engineering at Salford University in northern England, tells us about the potential pitfalls of applying machine learning to decoding the human voice.

We're joined throughout the programme by Catherine Yeung, Investment Director at Fidelity International- who's in Hong Kong, and Bridget Bodnar of Marketplace, in Los Angeles.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump and South Korea's Moon Jae-in)

South Korea said the ship had transferred 600 tonnes of oil to a North Korean vessel. There are suggestions, denied by the Chinese, that China was responsible for the shipment. We find out more from China expert Gordon Chang. Also in the programme, it’s been a bumper year for commodities with palladium ending at a 17-year high. IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp explains what’s ahead in 2018.

Does fake news mark the end of free speech in America? Katherine Mangu-Ward, editor of Reason.com explains whether a problem is brewing in the U.S. Then, Chelsea Fagan, author of the Financial Diet, demonstrates how to make non-traditional decisions about money. Our reporter explains why the defunct bank brand Lehman Brothers has been resurrected as a whisky. Plus, we look back at the year’s big business stories with Nina Trentmann of the Wall Street Journal and Justin Fox from Bloomberg. Colin Peacock of Radio New Zealand joins presenter Roger Hearing.

(Picture: The Lighthouse Winmore, chartered by Taiwanese company Billions Bunker Group Corp., is seen at sea off South Korea's Yeosu port. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The U.S. Senate closes in on passing tax reform legislation. Bipartisan Policy Center senior advisor, Steve Bell, weighs in on what a legislative victory on taxes could mean for the Trump administration. And a conversation with Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier about sexual-harassment allegations swirling through Congress. Also in the programme, UNCHR’s representative to Libya talks about the evidence of Libyan slave markets in a post-Gadaffi world. Plus, has Trump’s travel ban had an impact on American tourism? We talk with Brand USA president Chris Thompson.

Joining throughout the programme is Robert Miliken, Australia correspondent for The Economist.

(Photo: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; photo credit: Getty)

A look into why Japan’s once sterling corporate reputation has taken such a hit amid a number of high-profile scandals in recent years. Also in the programme, a deep dive into why the nation's efforts to make it easier for women to return to work after having children may be destined to fail. And, as Tokyo celebrates its own AIDS Week – a conversation with Japan’s most prominent and respected LGBT figure, Pink Bear, about how traditional values in the country make it difficult for gay people to be open about themselves.

Akiko Nagi, founder of networking site Wantedly, and Tomohiro Taniguchi, a journalist and government adviser, weigh in throughout the programme.

(Photo: Japan scenery – photo credit: BBC)

Host Roger Hearing visits areas surrounding the city on the east side of Japan’s main island where almost half a million people had to leave their homes in 2011 due to the nuclear disaster. He speaks with one man who lost two children and is now involved in a group dedicated to finding those who have so far never been found. Later in the programme, Roger visits an area that was once considered the nation’s breadbasket, but now even as the government and producers try to clean the land and convince shoppers what’s grown there is safe…it’s still a tough call. Finally, even in the toughest times, there are still those who are working to keep the flame of traditional culture alive. Roger speaks to one man doing just that.

Roger is joined throughout the programme by William McMichael, assistant professor of economics and business administration at Fukushima University, and Dr. Sae Ochi, director of internal medicine at Tokyo’s Soma Central Hospital.

(Picture credit: Getty; a train suite Shiki-Shima, operated by East Japan Railway, during a training run in Inawashiro, Fukushima)