In Focus by The Hindu

The Indian Premier League 2026 mini-auction delivered record spending and a clear shift in team priorities, as franchises splurged on Indian domestic talent alongside marquee overseas names. While Cameron Green became the costliest overseas buy in IPL history, the night belonged to uncapped players, several of whom attracted multi-crore bids and reshaped auction dynamics.
In this episode of In Focus, The Hindu’s Amol Karhadkar reports from the auction venue in Abu Dhabi. Amol analyses the biggest purchases, the rise in demand for domestic uncapped players and strategies adopted by teams such as CSK and KKR.
Guest: Amol Karhadkar, The Hindu’s sports reporter

Host: Reuben Joe Joseph

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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Global spending on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is projected to reach $375 billion this year and and $500 billion by 2026, according to the UBS. That raises a fundamental question: is AI’s value being driven by genuine technological progress, or by investor enthusiasm racing ahead of reality? Is the AI boom a bubble?

Guests: Bhagwan Chowdhry and Anoop Kunchukuttan

Host: Areena Arora

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

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On the 21st of November, the government of India has brought in 4 labour codes to reform and replace the 29 existing laws in the country

They are Code on Wages, Code on Industrial Relations, Code on Social Security and Code on Occupation Safety, Health and working conditions.

The government is touting these labour codes as India’s biggest labour reforms—brought in nearly eight decades after Independence and over five years it was passed in the parliament.

These codes seek to ease work regulations, expand social security, and bring greater uniformity to wage structures.

However, on 26th November, the Left parties in the country took to the streets to protest these reforms citing them as “anti-labour”.

So, why are the left parties opposing these reforms? What are the changes brought by the four labour codes and how do they reshape the future of labour in India?

Guest: Venkatesh B. Athreya, economist, and former head of department, Bharathidhasan University

Host: Bhagavathi Sampath K J

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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For years, India’s political debates, parliamentary discussions, and health-policy arguments have leaned heavily on a simple figure of one doctor per 1000 people supposedly set by the World Health Organization or WHO

But the WHO in a written reply to the Hindu has clarified that it has never actually recommended this ratio.

This episode breaks down the history behind the 1:1000 myth, examines the WHO’s current SDG-linked framework for assessing health worker availability, and explores why India’s own data paints a far more uneven picture — from rural-urban gaps to ongoing disputes over counting AYUSH doctors.

Guest: Siddhesh Zadey, health-systems researcher and co-founder of the Association for Socially Applicable Research (ASAR)

Host: Devyanshi Bihani

Edited by Jude Weston

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In its recent assessment, the International Monetary Fund India’s national accounts statistics, which includes key figures such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross Value Added (GVA), a grade of ‘C’, the second-lowest grade there is. “National accounts data are available at adequate frequency and timeliness and provide broadly adequate granularity,” the IMF noted, adding, “However, some methodological weaknesses somewhat hamper surveillance and warrant an overall sectoral rating for the national accounts of C.”

At a time when the government is celebrating 8.2% GDP growth, this grade has sparked uncomfortable questions. What is the IMF saying and is India truly growing as fast as the government claims? 

Guest: Prof. B. Bhagwan Das, Former Associate Professor of Economics, Loyola College, Chennai

Host: Nivedita V

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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It will soon be four years since Russia invaded Ukraine. As the conflict drags on, neither side seems ready for a compromise. But President Donald Trump has been pushing for a peace deal. He recently released a 28-point peace plan. It basically asks Ukraine to cede territory it has already lost in exchange for security guarantees.

But Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out giving up territory. He has also been talking of a revised peace plan.

But Trump is impatient for a ceasefire. He is applying pressure on both sides to come to an agreement. What is at stake for the different parties involved, and what are the chances of a deal being reached?

Guest: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Host: G. Sampath

Edited and produced by Sharmada venkatasubramanian

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Indigo’s mass cancellations have disrupted the lives of thousands of passengers. This company is not a newbie or a start-up. It is India’s largest airline, with 60% market share. In Financial Year 2024, it returned a profit of ₹8,000 crores. So, finances were not a concern. 

Yet, it did not invest in preparing for the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms that kicked in from November 1. Following the mess with the cancellations, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now created special Oversight Team which will be stationed at the Indigo headquarters and audit its operations. 

Why didn’t Indigo prepare for the new FDTL norms? Could this operational crisis have been averted if it had hired pilots on time? Or is it true, as some analysts are claiming, that India’s aviation sector is inherently uncompetitive, and the odds are stacked against the airlines? We get to the bottom of the Indigo fiasco in this InFocus episode. 

Guest: Jagriti Chandra, The Hindu’s aviation correspondent.

Host: G. Sampath

Edited and produced by Sharmada venkatasubramanian

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Over the last few days, the rupee exchange rate has fallen below ₹90 a dollar and has largely stayed at that level. Now, with Parliament running, a lot of the discourse on this has been political. However, from a policy level, it is critical to understand the economics behind the fall.

Why is the rupee falling? Is it falling worse than other currencies? Does the fall hurt or help the Indian economy? And finally, is this a cause for alarm?

Guests: Madan Sabnavis and Ranen Banerjee

Host: TCA Sharad Raghavan

Edited by Jude Weston

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India’s home season against South Africa has been nothing short of dramatic, from a bruising Test whitewash to a spirited comeback in the ODIs. But beneath the results lies a deeper story about where Indian cricket stands today and where it is headed.

In this episode of In Focus, we break down the biggest talking points from the tour. Why is India suddenly vulnerable in Tests at home? Are the pitches the problem, or is this part of a larger decline in red-ball skills? In contrast, what did the ODI win tell us about the squad’s depth — and is the Rohit-Kohli chapter far from over?

We also discuss Gautam Gambhir’s leadership, the idea of split coaching roles, and what the upcoming T20s mean for India’s 2026 World Cup preparation.

Host: Reuben Joe Joseph

Guest: Amol Karhadkar, The Hindu’s sports writer

Produced and edited by Jude Weston

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A recent report released by the World Health Organization, stated something that experts in India have been warning about for years: antimicrobial resistance or AMR in our country the report said, “is a serious and escalating threat, with resistance rates among the highest in the world.” The government is taking this threat seriously: it has now brought out National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR 2.0) — (2025-29) to combat AMR at all levels.

So what is India facing in terms of infections that may not be able to be cured? What sectors does AMR affect outside of hospitals? What are the gaps in the latest AMR plan and how can they be managed? And finally, what can we, as individuals do?

Guest: Dr. Abdul Ghafur, Senior Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospital, Chennai, and Coordinator, Chennai Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance 

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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