The Morning Brief

Virtual Reality in India has long been seen as a futuristic gaming gimmick flashy, expensive, and niche. But that’s changing. Host Anirban Chowdhury and ETs Rajesh Naidu talk to national award winning film maker Ram Madhvani (Neerja, Aarya) who is reimagining VR as a cultural and spiritual experience. His latest project? A five-minute immersive film on the Bhagavad Gita not for streaming, but to be experienced through VR headsets in temples, forts, and museums across India. With plans to roll out 100 such films by 2028 and place headsets in cultural hubs, Madhvani wants to democratize VR not through Silicon Valley, but through Bharat. Priced at just ₹100, these bite-sized experiences could bring in pilgrims, students, and families, not just gamers and techies. As India’s spiritual tourism surges and the government pushes cultural pride, could this be the unlikely tipping point for VR adoption in the country? We dive into the vision, the tech, the economics and the big bet on storytelling as India’s gateway to the metaverse.

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You can follow Rajesh Naidu on his Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read his Newspaper Articles.

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

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall 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.

CREDITS: Jaroslav Beck - Topic, Happydent, DisneyPlus Hotstar_IN, Fox Star Studios

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What happens when economic friction between two global partners sparks deeper strategic questions? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Agneshwar Sen, trade policy leader, EY India, to unpack the implications of recent US tariff on India and threats for more. From the unexpected 25% tariff to the intricate triangle of the US-India-Russia dynamic, the conversation navigates the fine line between trade penalties and geopolitical signaling. Is Washington's move a matter of policy consistency or a sign of deeper mistrust? Is the imminent India-US trade deal dead on arrival? As August 7 looms, the episode offers a nuanced look at how India can weather economic turbulence while safeguarding strategic autonomy. 

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

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall 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.

Credits: CNBC Television, USAToday, CNN, Business Today, WION

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India’s pharma sector is at a turning point transitioning from a global generics powerhouse to a serious contender in biotech and innovation. In this episode, host Vikas Dandekar is joined by Namita Thapar, Executive Director, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Aman Mehta, Managing Director, Torrent Pharma, and Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences to explore what it takes to climb the innovation ladder. From regulatory roadblocks and pricing pressures to building a robust R&D ecosystem, the panel lays it all out. Patel reflects on Zydus’ early bet on research, Thapar shares Emcure’s commitment to women’s health and inclusive leadership, while Mehta highlights the shift toward patient-first thinking. Blending sharp insights, real-world data, and candid personal stories, this conversation asks the big question: Can India go from being the “pharmacy of the world” to becoming its “laboratory”?

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

Listen to the first installment of Corner Office Conversation called Corner Office Conversation with Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe

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

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Kerala, India’s smallest southern state by area, is often celebrated for its pioneering “Kerala Model,” where social progress laid the foundation for economic growth. Decades of focus on education and healthcare have led to high literacy, long life expectancy, and rising per capita income. But today, the state grapples with fresh challenges: outward migration of skilled talent, an ageing population, growing healthcare needs, and limited land for industrial growth. In this second installment of South Capital, host Nidhi Sharma speaks with Kerala’s Industries Minister P. Rajeev on how the state plans to attract investments while balancing growth with sustainability and social equity.

You can follow our hosts Nidhi Sharma on their social media: Twitter & Linkedin

Listen to the first installment of South Capital called South Capital: Andhra Pradesh’s Comeback.

Check out other interesting episodes like:The Curious Case of HUL’s CEO Shuffle, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Brandalore Rising! 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.

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Once valued at over ₹1 lakh crore, Anil Ambani’s Reliance ADAG group is now facing one of its biggest reckonings. The Enforcement Directorate has launched a sweeping probe into alleged loan fraud and money laundering worth over ₹24,000 crore—spanning Yes Bank transactions, shell firms, and suspected quid pro quo deals with Rana Kapoor’s family offices.

In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury, ET’s banking editor Sangita Mehta and its tracker of financial wrongdoings Rashmi Rajput unpack the Grand Thornton audit red flags, the delays in enforcement action, and the high-stakes legal and financial fallout.

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

You can follow Sangita Mehta on her Linkedin, Twitter  profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.

You can follow Rashmi Rajput on her Linkedin, Twitter  profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.

Check out other interesting episodes like:The Curious Case of HUL’s CEO Shuffle, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Brandalore Rising! 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.

Credits: NDTV, NDTV Profit, TIMES NOW, Republic World

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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is set to lay off around 12,000 employees, its biggest workforce reduction to date. While the move might seem driven by automation, the company attributes it instead to a widening skills gap. As TCS shifts to newer technologies and agile delivery models, many existing roles especially at the mid and senior levels no longer align with business needs. Bench policies are also being tightened, with extended periods of unassigned time potentially leading to termination. TCS says it will offer support to affected employees, including severance pay, healthcare coverage, and job placement assistance. In this episode, Host Anirban Chowdhury, ET’s Beena Parmar and UnearthInsight CEO Gaurav Vasu unpack how this signals a larger industry shift where digital transformation is reshaping not just what tech companies do, but how they need to do it.

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

 You can follow  Beena Parmar on her Linkedin, Twitter  profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.

Check out other interesting episodes like:The Curious Case of HUL’s CEO Shuffle, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Brandalore Rising! 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.

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When Tamil Nadu claimed the title of “India’s No. 1” in economic growth, Andhra Pradesh hit back with a sharp, self-aware message: “We are No. 2. We work harder.” Borrowing from a legendary advertising playbook, the move sparked a fresh wave of competition among southern states vying for investment and influence. In the first episode of our special limited series South Capital, we put the spotlight on Andhra Pradesh’s renewed push under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. From reviving stalled mega-projects to enticing investors across state borders, AP is pulling out all stops to reclaim its place on India’s economic map. Host Nidhi Sharma sits down with Nara Lokesh, Minister for IT, Electronics, and Communications, to unpack the real story from leadership transitions and political recalibrations to whether Andhra’s promise of “speed of doing business” can challenge the established investor ecosystems of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

You can follow our hosts Nidhi Sharma on their social media: Twitter & Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes like:The Curious Case of HUL’s CEO Shuffle, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Brandalore Rising! 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.

What if the next billion-dollar idea wasn’t about making money but about making a difference? In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury sits down with Varun Aggarwal, deeptech entrepreneur and AI researcher, and Shubham Bansal, a YCombinator alum turned social impact leader. Together, they lead Change Engine, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit accelerator aiming to build 20 nonprofit unicorns in India each impacting over a million lives. They discuss their bold vision for scaling nonprofits with startup-style speed and ambition, expose the cracks in India’s philanthropic funding model, and introduce their latest work, The Playbook for Nonprofit Unicorns, a practical guide to driving large-scale impact. From navigating government systems to using technology for grassroots change, this conversation reimagines what innovation and success can look like in today’s India. Tune in to discover how mission-driven ventures might just be the country’s most powerful engine of change.

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

Check out other interesting episodes like:The Curious Case of HUL’s CEO Shuffle, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Brandalore Rising! 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.

It’s been a turbulent fortnight for corporate leadership, with sudden CEO exits at companies like HUL, Coca Cola bottler HCCB, L’Oréal, Diageo, Kenvue and WPP. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Ratna Bhushan speaks to ET’s Associate Editor Arijit Barman and Vibhav Dhawan, Partner at Positive Moves Consulting to unpack what’s driving this churn: from slowing demand to soaring competition, from tariff pressures to slackening control over ad networks, from a lack of focus on growth to a push for next-gen leadership. Why is the top job turning into a revolving door? Are CEOs fall guys? Is the traditional playbook outdated? And are short tenures the new normal? 

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

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall 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 is not just watching the space race — it’s entering the arena with serious firepower. In this Corner Office Conversation, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Nirmal John sit down with Pawan Goenka, Chairperson of IN-SPACe to explore how India is opening up the final frontier for private players.

From transferring ISRO’s rocket technology to industry, to creating a Rs 1,000 crore space-focused VC fund and setting up new launchpads in Tamil Nadu, Goenka outlines the roadmap for turning India into a global hub for small satellite launches. He also discusses the upcoming Space Activities Bill, the boom in aerospace startups like Skyroot, Pixxel and Digantara, and the challenge of Series B-C funding in deeptech.

If you've wondered how India plans to grow its space economy from $8.5 billion to $44 billion by 2033 — this episode offers answers from the man steering the catalyst in this journey.

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

You can follow Nirmal John on his social media media: Twitter and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall 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.