The Morning Brief

Between finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s tax sops for the middle class and Donald Trump’s tariff missiles on three countries he really dislikes, it’s been a largely eventful three days. And as usual, The Morning Brief is buzzing with questions: From tax cuts and fiscal discipline to capital expenditure, is the so-called “impossible trifecta” too good to be true? Why was a tax bill introduced separately from the budget? Is the government pivoting from corporate India to the middle class? Trump’s latest executive decision can put global trade in limbo and has thrust the world into very uncertain times. What lies ahead? Host Arijit Barman talks to Swaminathan Aiyar about it all. And more…

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If you like this episode, check out more Corner Office Conversations from the podcast: Adar Poonawalla, Sandip Patel, The Mega Listing Of Vishal Retail, Antonoaldo Neves, Rajesh Jejurikar, Srikanth Velamakanni, and more!

You can follow our host Arijit Barman on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin

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.

A little-known Chinese AI startup just sent shockwaves through the global tech world—wiping off $593 billion from the market value of one of the world’s most valuable companies and challenging Silicon Valley’s dominance. How did DeepSeek, a newcomer, manage to rattle AI behemoths like OpenAI and Nvidia? And what does its rise mean for the future of AI, economics, and geopolitics? In this episode, Anirban Chowdhury and Dia Rekhi break it all down with Conor Grennan, chief AI architect at NYU Stern School of Business and Jeffrey Ding, assistant professor at George Washington University. They dissect DeepSeek’s cost-efficient AI model, its implications for U.S.-China tech rivalry, and whether this marks the start of a seismic shift in AI’s power balance. Is DeepSeek the future, or just a flash in the pan? And should Silicon Valley be worried? Tune in to find out.

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: India’s Space Odyssey 2025, How will the H-1B furore pan out?, Building India’s $30 Trillion Future By 2047, Mint Street’s New Maestro, Explaining the Food Inflation Debate, India’s Big Dubai Probe and more!

You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin and Dia Rekhi on her social media: Linkedin & Twitter

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.

At the Davos World Economic Forum Arijit Barman had an insightful conversation with Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management, about managing one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. From the rise of AI and Big Tech dominance to the impact of geopolitical tensions and shifting energy policies, Tangen breaks down the forces shaping global finance. He also shares insights on the role of India in the investment landscape, the risks of market concentration, and why transparency is key in managing $2 trillion. 

If you like this episode, check out more Corner Office Conversations from the podcast: Adar Poonawalla, Sandip Patel, The Mega Listing Of Vishal Retail, Antonoaldo Neves, Rajesh Jejurikar, Srikanth Velamakanni, and more!

You can follow our host Arijit Barman on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin

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.

Parth Jindal, Managing Director, JSW Cement and Priya Aggarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc talk to Arijit Barman about the yeas and nays of Davos 2025, the most interesting people they met there, overdoing AI, navigating China and ESG and wokeism in the Trump era. 

If you like this episode, check out more Corner Office Conversations from the podcast: Adar Poonawalla, Sandip Patel, The Mega Listing Of Vishal Retail, Antonoaldo Neves, Rajesh Jejurikar, Srikanth Velamakanni, and more!

You can follow our host Arijit Barman on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin

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.

Arijit Barman is joined by Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India, at the World Economic Forum 2025 where he sheds light on concerns around Trump’s pullout from the WHO, progress in achieving vaccine equity, status of key projects like the HPV vaccine to combat cervical cancer, and upcoming vaccines for malaria, dengue, and chikungunya. He also discusses the institute’s $2 billion investment in cutting-edge research and facilities, the use of AI to aid clinical trials, and the development of needle-free vaccine delivery methods. Beyond healthcare, Poonawalla highlights his strategic diversification from financial services and insurance to films and music labels. 

Tune in:.

If you like this episode, check out more Corner Office Conversations from the podcast: S. Jaishankar, Ravi Kant Jaipuria,Arjun Nohwar, Manoj Chacko, G.V. Prasad, Dara Khosrowshahi, Henry Kravis, Campbell Wilson, Warren K. Harris,Nithin Kamath, Corner Office Conversation With Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India and more!

You can follow our host Arijit Barman on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dreaming of studying abroad as an Indian student? The path to global education is becoming increasingly fraught with soaring tuition fees, inflation, and a depreciating rupee. From onerous education loans to repayment challenges, we’ll discuss whether these global degrees are worth the investment. Are there cost-effective destinations offering quality education, or is the dream becoming unsustainable? Host Neil Ghai talks to Piyush Kumar, Regional Director, South Asia at IDP Education and Aniket Dani, Director of Research at Crisil Intelligence as they uncover the growing financial pressures faced by Indian students pursuing international degrees.

You can follow Neil Ghai on his Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read his Newspaper Articles.   

Check out other interesting episodes  like: Should we re-examine India’s ‘Growth Story’?, The 2024 Gold Rush, What Will Bitcoin 100k Mean For Indian investors?, Need For Speed To Fill The Skills ______,  and 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 reported 24 lakh TB cases last year, despite a government program launched in 2018 aiming to eliminate TB by 2025. This conversation examines critical advancements, including innovative diagnostics, improved treatment regimens, and public-private partnerships. Host Vikas Dandekar is joined by a distinguished panel comprising Dr. Urvashi Singh, Deputy Director General (TB) from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr. Randeep Guleria, Former Director of AIIMS and a public health advocate; Dr. Alpa Dalal, Head of Pulmonary Medicine at Jupiter Hospital and Honorary Chest Physician at Sewri TB Hospital, Mumbai; and Mr. Sriram Natarajan, Director and CEO of Molbio Diagnostics. Together, they address key challenges such as stigma, treatment adherence, and the role of nutrition in recovery. Learn how India is leveraging technology, community involvement, and government initiatives to tackle one of its most pressing public health challenges. What progress has been made, where do we stand, and what’s next in the fight against tuberculosis? Tune in to find out.

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: India’s Space Odyssey 2025, How will the H-1B furore pan out?, Building India’s $30 Trillion Future By 2047, Mint Street’s New Maestro, Explaining the Food Inflation Debate, India’s Big Dubai Probe and more!

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

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 Eveready torches to luxury tents, and from ash-smeared sadhus to Instagram-worthy holy dips, a spiritual extravaganza like no other, where over 400 million devotees, brands, and marketers converge in Prayagraj. They discover how spirituality is shaping India’s consumer culture. With record-breaking revenues and global attention, the Maha Kumbh has become the Super Bowl of India for marketers. Host Ratna Bhushan Talks to Shuvadip Banerjee, Chief Digital Marketing Officer at ITC, Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director at Rediffusion and Anirban Chowdhury talks to Manan Bajoria, Vice President, Growth Marketing at Ixigo.

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: India’s Space Odyssey 2025, How will the H-1B furore pan out?, Building India’s $30 Trillion Future By 2047, Mint Street’s New Maestro, Explaining the Food Inflation Debate, India’s Big Dubai Probe and more!

You can follow Ratna Bhushan on her social media: Twitter and Linkedin.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ola Electric’s recent announcement of its expansion plans on X before the exchanges and the resultant spike in its stock price has earned it the regulator’s ire. Sebi has accused it of flouting market disclosure norms.

Are new age listed companies lax about sharing material information on social platforms for quick impact?

Or should the regulator move with the times and make disclosure norms more inclusive of other more accessible platforms?

Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to ET Prime Editor Shishir Prasad and its markets editor Pravin Palande as well as Sandeep Parekh, former Sebi board member and managing partner at Finsec Law Advisors.

Tune in. 

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: India’s Space Odyssey 2025, How will the H-1B furore pan out?, Building India’s $30 Trillion Future By 2047, Mint Street’s New Maestro, Explaining the Food Inflation Debate, India’s Big Dubai Probe and more!

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

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

Credits: TV9 Hindi News, Fatafat News

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese companies are embracing ‘Indianisation’ strategies. Because of an unsaid mandate from the Indian government, wary of security concerns that Chinese presence brings to the country’s industry. Over the last one year, Chinese giants in consumer electronics and automotive have been establishing joint ventures with Indian companies and appointing Indians on the boards of their units. The alternative is an endless wait for visas for Chinese executives or worse, an outright refusal to set up shop here. Will their efforts be enough to convince the govt? Also India needs Chinese presence to cut its trade deficit with its neighbour. But can it afford a deluge of Chinese expansion here?

Host Anirban Chowdhury tries to explain the dichotomy with Writankar Mukherjee and Sharmistha Mukherjee of ET and Amit Bhandari, Senior Fellow, Energy, Investment and Connectivity at Gateway House.

Check out other interesting episodes  like: Should we re-examine India’s ‘Growth Story’?, The 2024 Gold Rush, What Will Bitcoin 100k Mean For Indian investors?, Need For Speed To Fill The Skills ______,  and more!

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

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.