The Morning Brief

Half your milk comes from animals grazing on land the government calls wasteland. The mutton in your biryani? Same story. We're talking ₹1.3 lakh crore annually 5% of India's GDP built on ecosystems we've systematically mislabeled as worthless since the British needed a tax category for "land we can't monetize. Now we're converting these "wastelands" into solar farms at scale without asking the millions of pastoralists who depend on them, or calculating the carbon stored beneath them, or wondering what happens when milk and meat prices spike because we've paved over the free grazing grounds that keep them affordable. The twist? These aren't degraded lands waiting for rehabilitation. They're ancient grasslands and savannas that have existed for millennia, doing exactly what they're supposed to do. We just never bothered to look closely enough to notice. Until now, when it might be too late. Host Anirban Chowdhury asks Dr Abi Vanak, Director, Centre for Policy Design at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE-CPD), to explain.

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You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like Battle Beyond Borders, Peace Perished: Explaining the Pahalgam Terror Attack, Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation, Rebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

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What does it take to build and scale a remote-first company across borders, regulations, and cultures? In this episode, host Himanshi Lohchab talks to Alex Bouaziz, co-founder and CEO of Deel, on how the company grew from a startup idea into a global HR and payroll platform operating in over 150 countries. Bouaziz reflects on early pivots, lessons from Y Combinator, and the idea of founder–product fit that continues to shape Deel’s culture and strategy. The conversation explores Deel’s expanding product suite, investments in payroll infrastructure, its approach to compliance, and how capital has been deployed through acquisitions and innovation. The episode also examines broader shifts in global hiring, cross-border talent movement, and India’s increasing role in Deel’s long-term plans offering a clear-eyed view of how companies manage scale and complexity in a rapidly changing world.

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You can follow Himanshi Lohchab on her social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes of ET in the Valley: ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s nuclear energy framework is set for its most consequential reset in decades with the passage of the Shanti Bill. In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks to ET’s executive editor, politics Pranab Dhal Samanta and Anubhuti Vishnoi to unpack what the new law changes and why it matters now. The discussion traces India’s long nuclear journey: from staying outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty and building indigenous capabilities, to gaining global legitimacy after the Indo-US nuclear deal. Yet, despite access to international fuel and technology, expansion remained sluggish, constrained by strict liability norms and a tightly controlled, state-led model. The Shanti Bill seeks to change that. It consolidates existing laws into a single framework, removes supplier liability, aligns compensation rules with global conventions, and introduces graded liability caps. Crucially, it opens the door to private participation, separates regulatory and operational roles, and clarifies responsibilities across the nuclear fuel cycle while keeping strategic control with the state. As nuclear power is expected to play a larger role in India’s long-term energy mix, this episode explains how the new framework could reshape the future of civilian nuclear power in the country.

You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like
Battle Beyond Borders, Peace Perished: Explaining the Pahalgam Terror Attack, Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation, Rebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

Credits: Films Division, Indian National Congress, DNAIndiaNews, AP Archive, Mint

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the global pharmaceutical industry enters a period of profound transition, this episode of Corner Office Conversation examines what lies ahead. Hosts Vikas Dandekar and Teena Thacker talk to Stefan Oelrich, Head of the Pharmaceuticals Division at Bayer AG, about the forces reshaping drug discovery and access from trade tensions and shifting innovation hubs to the promise and uncertainty of cell and gene therapies. Oelrich reflects on Europe’s struggle to stay competitive as capital and talent flow increasingly toward the US and China, and argues that meaningful reform will require faster regulation, leaner bureaucracy, and quicker patient access. He also addresses the looming loss of exclusivity for blockbuster drugs and outlines how Bayer plans to offset revenue impact with a packed pipeline of new launches. India emerges as both an opportunity and a test case, offering scale and growth while raising tough questions on affordability and access. At its core, the conversation asks whether breakthrough science can move fast enough to serve patients without losing public trust.

You can follow Vikas Dandekar on his social media: X and Linkedin and read his Newspaper Articles.

You can follow Teena Thacker on his social media: X and Linkedin and read her Newspaper Articles.

Listen to Corner Office Conversation: Corner Office Conversation with Knight Frank’s William Beardmore-Gray and Shishir Baijal, Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation, Corner Office Conversation with Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director, Youtube India, Corner Office Conversation with Elizabeth Reid, Head of Search, Google and much more.

Catch the latest episode of “Corner Office Conversation” on: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts,and wherever you get your podcasts from.

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Why do small businesses still wait months to be paid, even when the law says 45 days?

In this episode of The Morning Brief, we examine one of the most persistent stress points in India’s MSME ecosystem: delayed payments. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Basant Kaur, Country Head of C2FO and Ramesh Dharmaji Senior advisor of the Global Alliance of Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) to unpack why payment backlogs—running into over 7.3 lakh crore rupees—continue despite legal mandates. The conversation moves from banking credit flows and risk appetite to the promise and pitfalls of platforms like TReDS, and why buyer participation remains the missing link. The episode also explores whether regulation alone is enough, or if behavioural change, digital infrastructure, and faster dispute resolution are equally critical. As MSMEs power jobs, exports, and growth, the discussion raises a timely question: can India fix its payment bottleneck before it chokes the very enterprises driving its economy?
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You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like
Battle Beyond Borders
Peace Perished: Explaining the Pahalgam Terror Attack
Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation
Rebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon
Booking’s APAC Chief on Travel Trends, AI, and Loyalty
Reliance’s AI Playbook
Text-to-Theater? How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 1
How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From no age gating on sexual content to the absence of statutory warnings around smoking on screen, Microdrama apps are violating critical rules associated with publishing curated digital content. In this episode, host Dia Rekhi speaks with Mallika Noorani of Parinam Law Associates on how platforms dismissed as “just two-minute videos” are in fact operating outside the law, despite clearly falling under India’s Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code. The discussion lays bare systemic failures: missing content ratings, weak or misleading age gates, absent parental controls, poor accessibility features, and routine neglect of mandatory health disclaimers. Noorani explains why neither format nor duration offers legal cover, how microdrama platforms qualify as publishers of online curated content, and what due diligence truly requires. The episode also probes broken grievance redress systems and opaque subscription practices that leave users exposed, with little protection or recourse.

You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & X

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From big data’s earliest breakthroughs to AI-driven software automation, Ashish Thusoo has been at the centre of enterprise technology’s biggest inflection points. In this episode of ET in the Valley, host Surabhi Agarwal speaks with Ashish Thusoo, co-founder and CEO of CurieTech AI. About how data, software, and enterprise IT are being reshaped once again. Tracing his journey from Oracle in 1998 to redefining data processing at Facebook, and later building cloud-scale platforms, the conversation unpacks why AI-led automation of integrations is emerging as the next frontier. Thusoo also weighs in on whether the AI wave spells disruption or opportunity for Indian IT firms, the froth around valuations and circular deals, the uncertainty over H1B visas, and what makes technology companies endure in Silicon Valley. 

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You can follow Surabhi Agarwal on her Linkedin, X profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. 

Check out other interesting episodes of ET in the Valley: ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s economy appears strong on the surface: high growth, low inflation, rising global interest and a confident narrative around the “India decade.” But is the optimism masking deeper structural risks? In this wide-ranging roundtable, leading voices from business, policy and economics examine what is really driving India’s growth and what could hold it back. In the latest edition of The Economic Times CEO roundtable ET’s Executive Editor Sruthijith KK talks to Priya Nair, CEO & MD, Hindustan Unilever, Uday Kotak, founder, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, Sajjan Jindal, Chairman, JSW Group, Lalit Keshre, Co-founder & CEO, Groww, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Senior Lawyer, Debasish Mishra, Chief Growth Officer, Deloitte South Asia as they explores rising rural incomes, consumption shifts, entrepreneurship beyond metros and the promise of digital public infrastructure, while also confronting persistent challenges: weak private capex, underinvestment in R&D, judicial delays, export competitiveness and concentration risks across key sectors. 

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You can follow Sruthijith K.K. on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s quick-commerce boom is masking a growing public-health crisis. A new analysis reveals that half of all packaged foods sold on these platforms are junk, HFSS or ultra-processed, with some apps listing unhealthy items at rates as high as 62 percent. What looks like convenience is reshaping consumer behaviour, especially among Gen Z, where late-night impulsive ordering has become routine and, in many households, a daily habit. At the same time, medical research links ultra-processed foods to a wide range of diseases including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular problems, kidney disorders and even depression raising alarms about long-term dietary patterns. In this episode host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Sachin Taparia founder of Local Circles and public health and nutrition expert Dr. Arun Gupta, convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi). Despite this, India still lacks strong front-of-pack warning labels, stalled for years by industry pushback and regulatory delays. With digital storefronts acting as unregulated corner stores and offering almost no nutritional guardrails, this episode examines how an everyday swipe has quietly turned into a nationwide dietary risk and what it will take to reverse the trend.

Tune in.

You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google and Accel have teamed up to launch their first-ever AI Cohort in India, a pre-seed program designed to back the country’s most ambitious AI founders at a moment when global giants like Microsoft are announcing multibillion-dollar AI investments in India. In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Jonathan Silber, Co-Founder & Director of AI Futures Fund, Google, and Accel partners Prayank Swaroop and Pratik Agarwal to unpack why India was chosen as the global starting point, what the program offers, and how it aims to shape the next wave of AI innovation. From early access to cutting-edge Google DeepMind models to hands-on mentorship from engineers, researchers and venture partners, the guests explain how the cohort is built to give Indian startups a genuine global advantage. They discuss the surge in AI adoption across India, the challenges founders face in scaling internationally, and why both organisations believe India is ready to produce category-leading AI companies for the world.

Tune in.

You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.