Mint Podcast

In this hard‑hitting interview, world‑renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs tells Abhishek Singh, Deputy Editor at Mint, why Donald Trump’s tariffs on India — and other major economies — are “unconstitutional” and illegal under Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. Sachs explains the dangers of protectionism, U.S.–India trade tensions, and the political motives driving Trump’s trade war. He dismantles the myth of a U.S.–India “strategic partnership,” reveals the role of the military‑industrial complex, and warns why India must pursue a multipolar world and strong ties with China and BRICS nations. A must‑watch for anyone tracking global trade, U.S. politics, international law, and geopolitics.#jeffreysachs #donaldtrump #russiaukrainewar #israelgazaceasefire #tariffs #tariffwar #gaza #netanyahu #netanyahunews #putin #xijinping #indiachina #indiachinarelations #militaryindustrialcomplex #russiaukrainewar #middleeast

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint.. I’m Nelson John and here are today’s top stories.

Red Fort Security Breach Days Before I-Day

A “dummy terrorist” from Delhi Police’s Special Cell walked into the high-security Red Fort with mock explosives during a drill — reaching the children’s enclosure, taking selfies, and leaving unnoticed. This marks the third lapse in recent drills ahead of Independence Day. The man scaled a wall near Nishad Raj Road, loitered in the VIP seating zone, and exited before the breach was reported to police HQ and the PM’s Security Unit. No action has been taken yet. Last week, seven policemen were suspended over illegal Bangladeshi nationals and live cartridges found near the fort.

Pakistan Army Chief’s Nuclear Threat in US

During a black-tie dinner in Tampa, Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir warned, “If we’re going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” Reviving tensions over the suspended Indus Waters Treaty, he accused India of risking famine for 250 million Pakistanis and vowed to destroy any Indian dam with “10 missiles.” On his second US visit in two months, Munir met top US military leaders. India’s Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi called him a “Failed Marshal” and urged scrapping cricket ties with Pakistan.

Trump’s 50% Tariff Hits India Hard

India now faces the highest US tariff rate — 50% — more than China’s 30% and Vietnam/Bangladesh’s 20%. Exports in gems, jewellery, textiles, and some foods have stalled. Bloomberg Economics projects a 60% fall in US-bound exports and a 1% GDP hit. The Nifty 50 is down 7% from its peak, with potential for a 10% drop if tariffs persist. Analysts warn Trump’s unpredictability, high market valuations, and foreign investor exits could prolong the pain. The tariffs could also fuel US inflation, risk stagflation, and keep Fed rates high. Experts say the trade war could last until the 2026 US midterms.

British F-35’s Second Emergency Landing

A British F-35B fighter jet made an emergency landing in Kagoshima, Japan, after a malfunction, briefly shutting the runway. Just two months earlier, another British F-35B made an emergency landing in Kerala due to a hydraulic fault. Two landings in two countries in eight weeks raise questions about the reliability of one of the world’s most advanced — and expensive — fighter jets.

Tata’s Battery Arm Gets Chinese-Owned Partner

For the first time, Tata Group acknowledged a Chinese-owned company in its flagship battery venture. Japan-based AESC Group, owned by China’s Envision, bought a 12% stake in Agratas Energy Storage Solutions for ₹66 crore in March; Tata Sons holds the rest. AESC’s general counsel, Gordon Louis Chin, joins the board with Tata chairman N. Chandrasekaran and Tata Motors CFO P.B. Balaji. Agratas is building 60GWh of gigafactory capacity in the UK and India to supply Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors. AESC, one of the world’s top 10 EV battery makers, could give Agratas access to proven tech and global supply chains — critical as Chinese export curbs hit rare earth magnets

India's premier investigative agencies like the CBI and ED are under increasing scrutiny as major corruption cases collapse in court after years of media trials, arrests, and political damage. In this video, I examine the recent closure of high-profile cases like those against Satyendar Jain and Suresh Kalmadi, and ask: what went wrong?

With only 2 convictions out of 193 political cases by the ED in the last decade, is this a sign of systemic failure—or politicisation? Watch as I break down the numbers, the cases, and the larger impact on justice and democracy in India.#CBI #ED #SatyenderJain #SureshKalmadi #PMLA #CorruptionCases #IndianPolitics #CBIFailure #EDRaids #PoliticalVendetta #JusticeInIndia #RajivGandhiCase #CBIInvestigation #EnforcementDirectorate #IndianJudiciary #DemocracyInIndia #SupremeCourt #CBIvsED #MoneyLaundering #MohallaClinics

What happens when empathy becomes your business model?In this episode of The Success Code, Mala and Sonia Dhawan, Founder Trustees of A Hundred Hands, join Rushank Shah to talk about reviving India’s handmade legacy — by supporting the artisans behind it.They share:

• What it takes to build trust with craft communities
• Why sustainability isn’t just about products — but people
• How grassroots collaboration can lead to real change

A Hundred Hands: https://ahundredhands.org/Watch the full episode now!Click here to know more: https://brandstories.livemint.com/hub...Origin Story:    / @originstory.official  #Orginstory #MalaDhawan #SoniaDhawan #TheSuccessCode #AHundredHands #CraftRevival #WomenInBusiness #SocialEntrepreneurship #HandmadeInIndia

US–India trade talks have hit a wall. President Donald Trump has doubled tariffs on Indian imports from 25% to 50%, tying the hike to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil. His message was blunt — “No, not until we get it resolved” — making clear that negotiations won’t resume until the tariff dispute ends. For India, a key US export market is now at risk, but New Delhi insists its oil imports are about economic stability, not geopolitics.

Amid the tension, NSA Ajit Doval met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Talks with Russian Security Council chief Sergey Shoigu focused on defence and energy cooperation, and may pave the way for Putin’s India visit. While Doval was in Moscow, Trump’s tariff hike landed. The Kremlin blasted Washington’s move as “illegitimate,” vowing to keep trading with partners like India.

China also joined the pushback. Its envoy to India, Xu Feihong, called the US a “bully,” warning that tariffs violate global trade rules. Trump hinted Beijing could be next for penalties, despite China buying nearly half of Russia’s crude exports.

In another twist, Russia’s deputy UN envoy confirmed a possible Putin–Trump summit next week — the first US–Russia leaders’ meeting since 2021 — as part of a push to end the Ukraine war. Trump campaigned on ending the conflict in 24 hours, but the promise remains unmet seven months into his second term.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s President Lula phoned PM Modi to discuss the 50% tariffs on both nations. They agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, defence, and technology, expand the India–MERCOSUR pact, and link digital payment systems PIX and UPI. Lula will visit India early next year, with his vice-president leading a trade delegation in October. Both leaders condemned Washington’s move, signalling a united Global South stance without announcing retaliatory tariffs — yet.

From Delhi to Brasília, Moscow to Beijing, the week saw a flurry of moves: alliances tightening, rhetoric hardening, and the US turning tariffs into a high-stakes geopolitical weapon.

India and Russia on Wednesday signed a new protocol to enhance industrial cooperation across sectors such as aluminium, fertilisers, railways, and mining technologies. The move deepens bilateral engagement at a time when geopolitical tensions are reshaping global trade alignments. Watch for more!#trump #india #russia #indiarussia #putin #modi

Artificial Intelligence or AI is the current revolution, disrupting industry like never before. On Mint's series with  @salesforce  India, we explore all aspects of how AI is impacting businesses and what it means for the workforce.Watch Episode 12 where Abhishek Singh, Deputy Editor, Mint is joined by Arundhati Bhattacharya, President & CEO, Salesforce South Asia and industry leaders from across sectors. #AllAboutAI #ai #artificialintelligence #genai #salesforce #data #jobs #workforceintelligence #agent #autonomous

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint.. I’m Nelson John and here are today’s top stories.

Geopolitical Flashpoint: Russia Ditches INF Treaty

In a move that could redraw the global nuclear map, Russia has officially abandoned the last remaining limits under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The Kremlin confirmed it no longer feels bound by its self-imposed restrictions—opening the door to the redeployment of nuclear-capable missiles across Europe and Asia.

The trigger? A sharp escalation with the U.S., including Trump’s warning to Vladimir Putin to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire by August 8, or face severe consequences. Add to that America’s positioning of nuclear submarines in undisclosed zones, and Russia claims it’s simply responding in kind.

Who’s at risk? NATO countries and U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific.

What’s next? A likely return to Cold War-style brinkmanship—with no treaty left to keep things in check.

Indian Skies on Red Alert: BCAS Issues Maximum Security Warning

From September 22 to October 2, all Indian airports and aviation hubs will be on maximum security alert. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has issued an urgent directive following intelligence inputs warning of potential terror threats.

Airports, helipads, flying schools, and cargo facilities must ramp up surveillance, conduct thorough ID checks, and maintain constant coordination with CISF, IB, and local police. Passenger queues may lengthen—but so will vigilance. Every parcel, every vehicle, every perimeter—under the scanner.

Trade War Escalates: Trump Threatens India Over Russian Oil

Just a day after slapping a 25% tariff on Indian goods, Donald Trump has threatened to raise it “substantially”—within 24 hours. His reason? India’s growing imports of Russian oil and defense products.

Calling India a “bad trading partner,” Trump claims America buys more than it sells—and blames India for “fueling Russia’s war machine.” India’s response was swift: the MEA slammed the move as “unjustified and unreasonable”, calling out Western hypocrisy for continuing to trade with Russia while targeting others.

With Russia, India, and China drawing closer—and BRICS gaining momentum—the battle lines in global trade are shifting fast.

Tariffs on Pills and Chips: Trump Targets Pharma Next

In a separate trade blow, Trump announced plans to impose a “small” tariff on pharmaceutical imports—but warned it could rise to 250% within 18 months. His goal? Bring drug manufacturing back to U.S. soil.

He also teased upcoming tariffs on semiconductors and chips, likely aimed at reducing America’s reliance on Asian suppliers.

If implemented, the move could reshape global supply chains, raise prices, and escalate trade tensions in tech and healthcare—two sectors critical to global stability.

Moon Reactor by 2030: NASA Joins the Space Race

NASA is going nuclear—literally.

In his first big policy push, interim NASA chief Sean Duffy is launching plans to build the first nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030. The 100-kilowatt reactor would power future lunar bases, rovers, and science missions.

But behind the tech lies strategy: the directive warns that whoever gets there first could claim a ‘keep-out zone’, shutting rivals out. With China and Russia planning a joint lunar base, the space race is now a territorial race.

Meanwhile, NASA also plans to replace the aging International Space Station with commercial successors—before China’s Tiangong becomes the sole station in orbit.

Last month in Jaipur, Titan released the Jalsa, its secondflying tourbillon watch in the Nebula line. Apart from the prestigious flying tourbillon complication, the Jalsa features a marble dial painted by Padma Shri Syed Shakir Ali, one of India’s most renowned masters of traditional Mughal miniature art. The watch, limited to 10 pieces, costs Rs 40.5 lakh and will be Titan’sofficial entry to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie d’Geneve (GPHG) in Novemberthis year.Will this creation win them the award? And what is Titan trying to signal with this watch?#titan #watch #time

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on August 3 said that the bullet train project was progressing at fast pace, and 315 km of the elevated section is getting ready. As per PTI, he also said that "when it starts running, the journey from Mumbai to Ahmedabad will take only two hours and seven minutes.” India's first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will span 508 kilometres. In fact, there was another recent announcement which could fast-track India's first bullet train project - watch!#bullettrains #india #infrastructure