The Hindu Businessline's on the beat podcast

India’s telecom sector has achieved one of the fastest 5G deployments anywhere in the world. But after the record-breaking rollout comes the tougher question: how do operators turn massive network investments into sustainable returns?In this episode of On the Beat, Vallari Sanzgiri speaks with Nitin Bansal, Managing Director, Ericsson India, about the evolution of India’s telecom ecosystem and the opportunities emerging from next-generation connectivity.Bansal reflects on India’s remarkable 5G journey, highlighting the deployment of nearly 200,000 sites in just 18 months and the country’s status as one of the world’s largest consumers of mobile data. He explains how the focus is now shifting from network build-out to creating value through consumer and enterprise applications, including fixed wireless access (FWA), differentiated connectivity services, and industry-specific digital transformation initiatives.The discussion also tackles one of the industry's most pressing concerns: 5G monetisation. Are telecom operators facing an uphill battle in recovering their investments, or do emerging services and enterprise use cases offer a viable path to growth? Bansal shares Ericsson’s perspective on how technologies such as network slicing can enhance user experiences while opening new revenue opportunities.Bansal outlines how telecom infrastructure is evolving to meet the demands of an increasingly intelligent digital economy.

 In this episode of businessline podcast, host Anupama Ghosh speaks with Pranav Haridasan, MD & CEO of Axis Securities, about where Indian equities stand as 2026 approaches. After record highs and a cooling phase across indices, the market now feels like a crossroads. They break down what recent corrections in mid- and small-caps indicate, whether valuations have reset to a healthier range, and how earnings visibility is shaping expectations for the year ahead. The conversation covers the RBI’s rate cuts, the rebound in credit demand, and what this could mean for financials. Haridasan explains why large-caps may lead the early leg of the recovery, before confidence filters into mid- and small-cap names. He also highlights where value may emerge: defence, manufacturing, Make in India plays, and parts of consumption that could benefit from policy support and improving sentiment. 

The podcast also looks at the IPO landscape. If FPIs are selling in the secondary market, why are they still buying new listings? The answer, he says, lies in pricing discipline, better valuation ranges, and the structural growth stories behind some upcoming offers. Whether 2026 becomes a blockbuster IPO year or a selective one will depend on how the calendar is spaced and how global conditions evolve.

Listen in to the podcast to know more!

In this episode of the businessline's On the beat, Anupama Ghosh speaks to Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research at Kotak Securities, who shares his views on the market outlook, earnings trends, sectoral opportunities, and the FII flow trajectory as India steps into a year of policy tailwinds and potential growth revival. From why BFSI and hospital stocks could lead the rally to how investors should position portfolios for growth and recovery — this episode offers a crisp, data-backed view on navigating the year ahead. 

In the latest episode of businessline’s On the beat, host Rishi Ranjan Kala speaks with Rohit Chaturvedi, Partner – Transport and Logistics, Government, Infrastructure and Development Sector Advisory Services at Forvis Mazars, India. As geopolitical disruptions and tariff wars redraw the global trade map, Chaturvedi explores the strategic and economic implications of India’s efforts to decarbonise its transport sector, primarily through electric vehicles, and how these global shifts could reshape supply chains, domestic manufacturing, and India’s place in the global clean energy transition. 

At a time when companies across the globe are facing voltalitle geopolitical and macro-economic conditions, a recent survey by Kroll, leading independent provider of global financial and risk advisory solutions, indicated  that fewer than one in four Indian respondents believed that they are very prepared to address the totality of all business challenges ahead, lagging all other countries in the APAC region (30%) as well as the global average (32%)

.In a podcast interaction, Tarun Bhatia, Managing Director and Co-Head APAC, Investigations Diligence and Compliance, Kroll spoke about the key business challenges being faced by organisations in India.  "More than half (56%) say their level of preparedness for the year ahead is either the same or lower than it was over the previous year," Kroll's 2025 Global Busines Sentiment Survey Report stated.

Bhatia pointed out that the risks businesses are facing are not the typical operational risks. Besides, geopolitical tensiosn, cybersecurity threats, AI developments and integration, data privacy concerns, economic instability and regulatory changes are all emerging as key risk concerns. He added that businesses have been focusing more on financial metrics in the past but now they need to look at the impact of multiple variables on their businesses.

Rapid-fire events are reshaping the global economy and jolting the business environment in real time delivering unprecedented challenges for even the most seasoned global business leaders, he added.

(Host: Meenakshi Verma Ambwani, Producer: Prethicshaa Gurumoorthy)