The Morning Brief

Why do nations rise - and why do they fail? In this special edition of The Morning Brief, ET’s Executive Editor Sruthijith KK speaks to James A. Robinson, co-author of the seminal Why Nations Fail and co-winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize for Economics, on the shifting architecture of power, prosperity and politics. Robinson unpacks why economists no longer lean on the term “capitalism,” the perils of simplistic theories like “geography is destiny,” and how inclusive institutions - not authoritarian efficiency - determine a nation’s fate. From India’s deep democratic roots and Africa’s untapped potential to the United States’ “mad rush for productivity” that he calls “a train wreck waiting to happen,” Robinson offers a profound reflection on the forces remaking our world.

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

Check out other interesting episodes like

Yuval Noah Harari on Information, Invasion, India
Another Big Betting Scam!!
Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins
Corner Office Conversation with Apollo’s Dr Preetha and Suneeta Reddy
OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave
Rebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon

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.

Apollo Hospitals’ 42-year journey is coterminous with the story of how India has been trying to modernise its healthcare. In this episode Host Vikas Dandekar talks to Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive vice chairperson of Apollo Hospitals and Suneeta Reddy, MD, Apollo hospitals as they take us inside the institution: history, challenges and mission. From the time a young poor patient who was unable to afford treatment triggered the idea of Apollo in founder, chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy’s mind to becoming a global medical institution attracting patients from 147 countries, the conversation tracks its evolution as well as the tectonic shifts in India’s health ecosystem. The Reddys break down the country’s structural gaps: the shortage of beds, doctors and nurses, the rise of NCDs, and why preventive health has become India’s biggest economic risk. They lay out Apollo’s playbook: technology-led scale, AI-driven diagnosis, telemedicine networks, genomic forecasting, and the push for affordability without compromising outcomes.


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

Catch more stories from your host Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma, Corner Office Conversation with Eli Lilly's Global CEO David Ricks, Corner Office Conversation With Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla, India vs TB: Where are we at? 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.

Cricket, cash and the dark web of betting — the scandal has come full circle. The Enforcement Directorate has frozen over ₹11 crore in assets belonging to former Indian cricket stars Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, who are caught in the crosshairs of a money-laundering probe. At the heart of the investigation is 1xBet, a global betting platform banned in India yet flourishing through celebrity endorsements, offshore loopholes, and sophisticated digital marketing.

In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with ET’s financial crimes expert Rashmi Rajput to unravel how this underground economy thrives in plain sight. 

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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

Bhilai to Burj: The Rs. 5,000 Cr Bollywood Studded Mahadev Book Scam
Is Women’s Cricket in India Finally Out of the Shadows?
Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins
OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave
Rebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon

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 largest retail broker is making its debut on Dalal Street - but can Groww sustain its blistering rise once the markets start asking harder questions?

Founded in 2016 by four ex-Flipkart entrepreneurs, Groww has reimagined investing for young India - through clean design, relatable content, and a promise of simplicity in finance. Its ₹6,600-crore IPO now is a test of whether scale built on retail exuberance can evolve into long-term resilience. With 80% of its revenue still anchored in broking and regulators sharpening their scrutiny of speculative trades, Groww faces its toughest market yet - the public one. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Pratik Bhakta, ET’s in-house fintech expert, to decode Groww’s journey - its breakout playbook, its pressure points, and whether this listing signals India’s fintech maturity or just another market mirage.

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

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like
Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation
Rebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon
Explaining RBI’s Raft of Deregulations

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.

What began as a simple idea—to change how we hear and interact with voices—has turned into a global tech movement. In this brand-new limited podcast series of The Morning Brief- ET in the Valley, host Surabhi Agarwal speaks with ElevenLabs co-founder Mati Staniszewski about the company’s mission to revolutionize voice technology. From its Polish roots and multilingual vision to expanding across India with support for Hindi and Tamil, ElevenLabs is reimagining how language, AI, and creativity converge. The discussion dives into the company’s collaboration with Indian enterprises, Mati’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi, and the challenges of navigating a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.
As voice models grow more sophisticated and creators monetize their own voices, the episode explores whether ElevenLabs’ blend of innovation, ethics, and global ambition could redefine how the world listens—and speaks—in the AI era.

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

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like
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.

It was indeed historic — India’s women’s cricket team finally lifted their first-ever ODI World Cup trophy on home soil, ending decades of near misses and heartbreak. But can one glorious win rewrite a long, uneven story? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Ace sports journalist  K. Shriniwas Rao and is joined by Divyanshu Singh CEO of JSW Sports to trace India’s remarkable yet turbulent journey — from pandemic disruptions and coaching shake-ups to the rise of fearless young stars redefining the game. The conversation delves into deeper questions: Why does the sport still grapple with a shallow talent pool, inconsistent marketing, and a Women’s Premier League yet to reach its potential?
As the dust of victory settles, the episode asks whether this World Cup win can be more than a moment of pride — could it spark a lasting transformation for women’s cricket in India?

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

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like
Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation
Rebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon
Explaining RBI’s Raft of Deregulations

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 indie music festivals to global comedy tours, Only Much Louder (OML) has long been the backstage engine of India’s creator revolution. In this episode of The Morning Brief, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Aanya Thakur sit down with OML CEO Tusharr Kumar to decode the shifting dynamics of digital influence from short-form fame and creator-led brands to the fusion of online buzz with offline fandom. What began as a talent management outfit for comics and musicians has now transformed into a data-driven machine shaping how creators build careers, businesses, and even micro-cultures. As India’s creator economy races toward a projected $1 trillion by 2030, a potent mix of instinct, data, and storytelling is redefining what it means to be an artist-entrepreneur.

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You can follow Aanya Thakur on her Linkedin profile and read her Newspaper Articles.

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

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Corner Office Conversation with Gunjan Soni, Youtube India., Text-to-Theater? How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 1, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, 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.

Once hailed as India’s coolest craft beer brand, Bira 91 is now facing a sobering reality, mounting losses, unpaid dues, investor mutiny and a probable drag down to bankruptcy court. What went wrong with the company that promised to make beer fun, youthful, and proudly Indian? In this episode host Anirban Chowdhury talks to ET’s Ratna Bhushan and Manu Toms also joined by Poonam Chandel, Managing Director of NeuWorld Spirits to trace Bira’s journey from startup stardom to financial freefall. Together, they unpack founder and CEO Ankur Jain’s bold vision, the early buzz that fooled investors, and the missteps: overexpansion, regulatory blunders, and reckless spending that led to its downfall.

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

You can follow Ratna Bhushan on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.

You can follow Manu Toms on his Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read his Newspaper Articles.

Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more.

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From selling contact lenses in 2010 to building a global eyewear brand across India, Japan, and the Middle East, Lenskart's journey mirrors the rise of India’s new-age consumer startups. ET’s national editor for startups Samidha Sharma and startups tracker Pranav Mukul talk to Peyush Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Lenskart, as he traces the company’s evolution from an online retailer to a company launching one of India’s most anticipated IPOs. Bansal opens up on global expansion plans, the leap into smart-glasses and AI-led eye tests, and the balancing act between valuation, investor expectations and vision.

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You can follow Samidha Sharma on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.

You can follow Pranav Mukul on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.

Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more.

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s real estate is at an inflection point. In this episode of Corner Office Conversation, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Kailash Babar talk to Knight Frank’s Global Chairman William Beardmore-Gray and India Chairman and MD Shishir Baijal to unpack what’s behind record-high office demand, rising cross-border capital flows, and India’s shift into the world’s promising office markets. They discuss the surge of GCCs, the luxury-housing boom, and why institutional investors are eyeing living sectors like senior and student housing. The conversation also explores how PropTech, AI, and ESG are transforming global property decisions—and what lessons India can draw from China’s slowdown.
Tune in:

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

You can follow Kailash Babar on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.

Listen to Corner Office Conversation our new show:: Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, Corner Office Conversation with The New Leaders of Indian Pharma and much more.

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Why Is India Still Buying Russian Oil?, How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Of Dragons and Elephants: Modi–Xi in Focus and much more.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.