The Morning Brief

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 LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes from the host likeCorner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho CorporationRebel Foods’ chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the HorizonExplaining 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.Tune InYou can follow Aanya Thakur on her Linkedin profile and read her Newspaper Articles. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck 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 LinkedinYou 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. Tune inYou 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 LinkedinYou 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.

Rebel Foods disrupted India’s dining landscape by proving that you don’t need high streets to build high-value brands. From Faasos and Behrouz Biryani to Oven Story and Sweet Truth, it runs 20-plus brands across 10 countries — all powered by tech, not tables. In this episode of The Morning Brief, Co-founder and Group CEO Jaydeep Barman tells Anirban Chowdhury how the company transformed kitchens into a scalable platform for global restaurant brands.He opens up on the company’s origin story, its no-CV culture, cold-emailing Sequoia for funding, using data and automation in every kitchen, and why slow scaling beats fast burnout.Listen in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel is getting smarter, deeper, and more digital. Booking.com’s Asia-Pacific MD Laura Houldsworth joins Brand Equity’s Anirban Roy Choudhury to decode how global travel is changing and why India has become the industry’s biggest opportunity. She discusses the rise of digital-first travellers, the surge in spiritual and alternative stays, and how Booking is embedding AI to personalize journeys — from inspiration to experience. Tune inYou can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen 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 Lagaan to RRR, Indian cinema has gone truly global. But behind the glitz of overseas premieres and record-breaking box offices lies a fast-changing battlefield. In this explosive conversation, Host Rajesh Naidu talk to veteran overseas distributor Pranab Kapadia to unpacks the billion-rupee world of international film distribution: how Bollywood grew from 300 screens in 2003 to 60+ countries today, the diaspora’s unmatched influence, and why the U.S. alone powers up to 50% of overseas revenues. But a perfect storm is brewing. Trump’s 100% tariff on foreign films, the rise of streaming platforms, and shifting audience behaviour could redraw the cinematic map. Will the next Rocky Rani or RRR find its audience in theatres or on OTT? And can Indian cinema keep expanding into untapped markets from Africa to Eastern Europe? Tune in.You can follow Rajesh Naidu on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin 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.

In India the so-called pharmacy of the world children are dying from the very medicines meant to heal them. The Morning Brief’s latest audio deep dive travels from rural Madhya Pradesh to Tamil Nadu’s factories to uncover how a cough syrup laced with industrial chemicals like diethylene glycol killed at least 25 children and how a system built on 80-year-old drug laws allowed it. Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to fathers who lost their children,  Dr Arvind Bagga, professor emeritus and former head of pediatrics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Pramod Verma, Inspector General at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh,  public health activist and author Dinesh S Thakur, lawyer and author Prashant Reddy T. Dinesh, JJ Hospital veteran Dr Ishwar Gilada  and ET's pharma editor Vikas Dandekar This story exposes a broken drug regulation system and the human cost of neglect. Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & TwitterListen 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.

What happens when a small Indian software firm quietly evolves into a global SaaS powerhouse without external funding or data monetization? In this episode of Corner Office Conversation, ET’s tech experts and hosts Surabhi Agarwal and Suraksha P sit down with Zoho founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu and his leadership team to trace the company’s extraordinary rise from its humble beginnings in the 1990s to becoming a billion-dollar global player. The discussion explores Zoho’s early bet on SaaS, its commitment to ethical growth, the bold decision to build talent from rural India rather than urban hubs and why India has to be self reliant in tech to avoid weaponisation by the giants. As the conversation unfolds, it probes a larger question: can a homegrown tech company balance global ambition with local empowerment while staying fiercely independent? Tune InYou can follow Surabhi Agarwal on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. You can follow Suraksha P 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 YouTube’s fastest-growing market home to a young, ambitious generation that’s transforming from viewers into global creators. In this conversation, host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Gunjan Soni Country Managing Director of YouTube India to break down how the platform is powering this shift. She talks about the explosive rise of Shorts, the growing influence of connected TV, and how linguistic diversity and AI are opening new frontiers for creators. Soni also dives into YouTube’s evolving monetization ecosystem from ad revenue and fan funding to affiliate models and how Indian creators are turning content into thriving businesses. The discussion doesn’t shy away from the tough issues: burnout, platform dependence, algorithm myths, and the guardrails around AI-generated content.  Tune in:You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin 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.

The stage is set for one of India’s most riveting political contests, the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. Nine-time Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faces perhaps his toughest test yet, battling fatigue and anti-incumbency. Tejashwi Yadav is going beyond RJD's traditional Muslim Yadav votebank, while political strategist turned challenger Prashant Kishor is out to disrupt the traditional equations. On the ground, caste remains the central axis of Bihar’s politics from the Yadav, Muslim bloc to Kurmis, Kushwahas, and the Extremely Backward Classes, every community holds the key to a few crucial seats. Adding to the churn is the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, which has seen millions struck off and added back to the voter rolls, sparking controversy and court hearings. In this episode, Host Nidhi Sharma talks to ET’s Kumar Anshuman and Anubhuti Vishnoi to decode the political map of Bihar with ground reports, data, and insights from shifting alliances and freebies to law-and-order issues and the two-phase polling strategy. This is the battle that could redefine Bihar’s political future.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Anubhuti Vishnoi on her Linkedin, Twitter profiles and read her Newspaper Articles.  You can follow Kumar Anshuman on his Linkedin profile 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. CREDITS: IndiaTV, NDTV, NDTV ShortsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if binge-watching your favorite show took less time than making a cup of coffee? Welcome to micro dramas: Bite-sized, 90-second stories turning our scrolling habits into a global entertainment phenomenon. Born in China as duanju, this $7-billion industry blends romance, revenge, and slick and yet inexpensive production to redefine how stories are told, sold, and streamed. Host Dia Rekhi speaks to Wenwen Han, founder of the Short Drama Alliance, who takes us inside China’s micro drama factory, where 100 new shows drop every day. ET’s Rajesh Naidu decodes India’s fast-rising market powered by homegrown apps like Cuckoo TV and Flick TV.  Is this the future of storytelling or just another digital fad? Tune In.You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & Twitter 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. CREDITS: DramaBox - Stream Drama Shorts, Story TVSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In its boldest liberalization push in years, the RBI has announced 22 deregulatory measures in a single day, the highest in its modern history. Among other things, banks can now finance corporate takeovers, investors can pledge more equity for credit, and companies can borrow up to a billion dollars abroad without prior approval. The central bank isn’t cutting interest rates, it’s cutting red tape. But as the guardrails come off, critical questions arise. What’s driving this hyper-liberal shift under Governor Sanjay Malhotra? Is this a decisive step to deepen capital markets and attract dollars or does it sow the seeds of new financial risks? And how ready is the banking sector to take on these new risks? Host Anirban Chowdhury sits down with ET’s Associate Editor Sugata Ghosh to decode the strategy, the stakes, and the risks behind RBI’s most aggressive financial deregulation drive in years.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Sugata Ghosh on his 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.

The future of India’s most ambitious overseas port project hangs in the balance. With the US reinstating its sanctions for Iran’s Chabahar Port, India faces a strategic dilemma: risk Washington’s ire or abandon years of investment, regional influence, and its only land route to Afghanistan that bypasses Pakistan. In this episode, Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to ET’s P Manoj and Arun Gupta, former Managing Director of India Ports Global to break down how Chabahar went from a symbol of India’s westward ambitions to a geopolitical tightrope with ports dismantled, directors resigning, legal opinions sought, and China waiting in the wings. What does this mean for India’s trade corridors, its ties with Iran, and its standing in West Asia?You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen 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.

Vineet Nayar, the former HCL Technologies CEO who once flipped corporate hierarchies on their head is now reimagining classrooms at scale through Sampark Foundation. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury and ET’s tech reporter Beena Parmar talk to Nayar on the big questions: Is AI truly disrupting India’s $100-billion IT industry, or is it just cost-cutting in a new avatar? Why does India lead in public digital innovation yet falter at building breakthrough global products? And can the education system shift from producing knowledge workers to nurturing real problem solvers? Drawing on career-defining inflection points, Nayar reflects on the future of technology and education in India. From layoffs and AI hype to policy and innovation gaps, the conversation offers candid insights into how crises can be converted into opportunities and how both boardrooms and classrooms must evolve to keep pace. 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.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.

Tata Capital is about to drop 2025’s biggest IPO. In this episode of The Morning Brief, we bring you exclusive comments from Rajiv Sabharwal, MD & CEO of Tata Capital on the company’s plan around its ₹15,512 crore markets debut. Host Dia Rekhi also speaks to Tarun Singh, MD of Highbrow Securities and IPO expert, to unpack the company’s landmark listing set to be among India’s largest ever. The conversation explores the strategy behind expanding retail participation, the challenges from the merger with the vehicle financing arm, valuation pressures, and fundraising strategies.Tune in: You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & TwitterYou can follow Sangita Mehta on her social media: Twitter and Linkedin 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.

Elizabeth Reid is one of Google’s most powerful women. She also has one of its most challenging jobs. At a time when AI is reshaping how people seek information, as standalone LLMs become their foremost information sources, friends and therapists, Reid, Head of Search, has to constantly grapple with the challenge that it’s no longer the only answer to all the world’s questions And yet, Google’s search clicks are up and more qualified, people are asking detailed questions and, as she insists, the story of the blue link is far from over. In this episode, she talks to host Anirban Chowdhury about why Google isn’t facing an innovators’ dilemma yet, although it is trying to constantly improve the search experience, how Google and its searchers now talk differently to each other, whether there is a gap in gauging their intent and setting context, if agentic AI is truly an innovation worth chasing. She also talks about why the tech behemoth’s latest innovations must come to India weeks after the US, compared to two years earlier and how, soon, some of them might come to India first.   Tune in. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinListen 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.

A quiet race is on to give India its own AI voice. From call-centre automation to defence and legal systems, Abhishek Upperwal of Soket Labs and journalist Swathi Radhakrishnan tell us why AI trained only on Western, English-heavy data cannot meet India’s needs. Translation isn’t enough; models must “think” in Hindi, Tamil or Marathi to capture nuance and reduce bias. The government’s IndiaAI mission, with nearly ₹10,000 crore in funding, is catalysing startups to build these Indic models. But their biggest bottleneck is data. Only a sliver of the world’s open datasets are in Indian languages, and even public archives like Doordarshan take time to unlock. Startups are scrambling crowdsourcing voices, licensing publishing-house content, generating synthetic text and negotiating with ministries to reach the 15–20 trillion high-quality tokens needed for a world-class foundation model. In this episode Host Anirban Chowdhury, ET’s Swathi Moorthy and Soket AI’s, founder, Abhishek Upperwal try to answer the following questions: What makes sovereign, Indic-first AI critical for India’s economy and security? How are innovators overcoming the huge shortage of quality language data? Can low-cost, DeepSeek-style methods help India build frugal yet powerful models? Where will the commercial payoffs voice AI, regional apps, enterprise tools arrive first?  Tune in.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Swathi Moorthy on her social media: Twitter and LinkedIn and also read Newspaper ArticleListen 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.

What happens when gold, long seen as a timeless store of value, begins to redefine its place in global finance? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by ET’s banking editor Sangita Mehta and Ritesh Jain, founder of Pinetree Macro and a leading voice in global wealth and finance, to explore the forces behind gold’s resurgence from central banks shifting reserves away from the dollar to the rise of dual trade settlement systems splitting along geopolitical lines. With prices recently hitting a record high of $3,791 an ounce more than double since the Russia-Ukraine war and India now the sixth-largest holder of gold after China, the conversation probes what this surge really signals. As economic paradigms shift, the discussion raises a pressing question: is gold moving from commodity to cornerstone in the architecture of global trade and policy?Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Sangita Mehta on her social media: Twitter and LinkedinCheck 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.