The Morning Brief

The Tata Group’s plan to buy BigBasket & 1 mg is considered a stepping stone to creating a one-stop digital service, a super app. ET’s Senior Editor Kala Vijayraghavan and Mumbai Deputy Resident Editor, Arijit Barman tell us why these acquisitions are important for the Tatas and the chances of their super app succeeding in the highly competitive consumer internet space.

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The roar of Rafale jets may make up for the absence of a chief guest and fewer spectators at India's 72nd Republic Day parade in New Delhi. ET’s Vikram Doctor and Manu Pubby discuss the history of this annual procession, its appeal among today’s social media-obsessed youth and whether it is truly representative of modern India.

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As the 46th US President, Joe Biden has a host of challenges awaiting him, senior journalist and ET Columnist, Seema Sirohi and Deputy Executive Editor, Pranab Dhal Samanta discuss how it will affect India on matters such as immigration, trade, climate change and international security.

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As India rolled out its massive immunisation drive against Covid-19, we look at the action behind the scenes. Kunal Agarwal, Cofounder of Kool-Ex, tells us about the cold-chain logistics involved, Dr. Swadhina Mohanty gives us her account of getting the jab on the first day, and ET’s Nidhi Sharma explains how the government plans to deal with vaccine hesitancy.
Host - Devina Sengupta

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The growing number of unregulated loan apps, many with Chinese links, and the harassment of borrowers has caught the regulator's eye. Srikanth L of advocacy group Cashless Consumer and ET’s Shailesh Menon and Venkat Ananth discuss the modus operandi of these apps, how they proliferated with ease and the red flags to watch out for.

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What's it like to see Ratan Tata up close and personal? Shantanu Naidu, the 28-year-old personal assistant to one of India's most reclusive tycoons, recently wrote a book about the man behind the mystique. Naidu tells us how he unexpectedly - and delightfully - found a friend, mentor and comrade for life in Tata.

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7 months of protests, 8 rounds of talks, and one Supreme Court stay order later, the impasse continues. Where do the protesters and government go from here? Jai Kisan Andolan Coordination Committee's Avik Saha and ET's Aman Sharma discuss.

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WhatsApp's new policy guidelines have raised questions about data privacy and stirred a storm among users. techARC Founder Faisal Kawoosa and ET Prime’s Tech Policy Editor Sandhya Sharma tell us how safe our data is with WhatsApp and help us make sense of what data privacy is and how to protect it.

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Cinema stardom and politics seem to go hand in hand in many Indian states. Following actor Rajinikanth’s decision to not enter politics, political observers Vaasanthi and Telakapalli Ravi, and ET’s KR Balasubramanyam dissect the reasons behind this move, its ramifications and the relevance of film stars in today’s political landscape.

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In a year of many lows, cryptocurrency Bitcoin’s value rose 300% in 2020. As investors grapple with the fear of missing out, CEO of Bitbns Gaurav Dahake and ET Prime’s Sidhartha Shukla decode the recent boom in the cryptocurrency market and tell us why Bitcoin is the new digital gold for several investors today.

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