The Morning Brief

Some states have pulled the plug on the fast-growing online gaming industry and more are likely to join the banned-wagon. Nikhil Narendran, Partner at Trilegal, Salone Sehgal, Co-Founder of Lumikai, and ET’s Megha Mandavia discuss the pros and cons of these restrictions and how they might affect investments.

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Petrol and diesel prices are inching towards all-time highs in India where consumers pay some of the highest fuel taxes in the world. K Ravichandran, Executive VP at ICRA, Debasish Mishra, leader for energy resources at Deloitte, and ET’s Deepshikha Sikarwar discuss what triggered the price hike and whether consumers can expect any relief soon.

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Some of India’s leading honey makers are facing charges of adulteration, denting their image. Sunita Narain, director of Centre for Science and Environment and ET's Ratna Bhushan discuss the concerning report, and what's next for the Rs. 1,800 crore sector.

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Declining property prices, record-low home loan rates, government incentives and offers galore from builders – is now the right time to buy your dream home? That's what we asked author and personal finance coach PV Subramanyam and ET’s Kailash Babar, who closely tracks the real estate market.

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The new Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines propose that states cap surge pricing and increase the commission for drivers to 80%. Rameesh Kailasam, CEO of IndiaTech.Org, and ET’s special correspondent Alnoor Peermohamed tell us the impact of these norms on cab-aggregator startups, drivers and customers.

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Since Friday, farmers unhappy with three recently passed farm bills, have laid siege to the capital. We ask Ajay Jakhar, a farmer and chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj, as well as Himangshu Watts, editor at ET, if the changes will improve efficiencies, farm incomes and boost investments in an otherwise anti-competitive sector or if bigger monopolies will create new cartels.

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As another wave of the coronavirus scares vacationers, hoteliers are arming themselves with safety measures and special offers to attract guests. Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director of Sarovar Hotels, and ET’s Anumeha Chaturvedi tell us how hotel owners are also finding opportunities in the midst of the crisis such as hosting film crews and catering to wedding parties.

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Cyberattacks in India are getting more sophisticated. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) says that healthcare has become an attractive target for hackers. Supreme Court lawyer NS Nappinai and ET’s senior correspondent Anandi Chandrashekhar tell us what, apart from a strong cybersecurity law, is needed to deter hacking.

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Bharat Biotech failed to halt clinical trials after one person developed serious side-effects during the testing of Covaxin, its indigenously developed Covid-19 vaccine candidate. Dr. Srinath Reddy, President of Public Health Foundation of India, and ET’s Teena Thacker take us through the protocols and challenges of developing a vaccine.

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For the first time, the Reserve Bank of India roped in a foreign bank – DBS of Singapore – to take over the assets of an Indian lender, 94-year-old Lakshmi Vilas Bank. ET’s journalists Sugata Ghosh and Atmadip Ray tell us how and why this happened and what it means for banking in the country.

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