The Morning Brief

Four Economists on ‘Will The Rupee Cross 100 To The Dollar? 02.06.2026 21λ

The rupee has briefly touched an all-time low of 96.96 in May. Is the psychological 100-to-the-dollar mark now inevitable? In this episode of The Morning Brief, Rozebud Gonsalves speaks to economists from leading financial institutions–Gaura Sengupta, chief economist at IDFC First Bank, Kanika Pasricha, chief economic advisor, Union Bank of India, Madhavi Arora, chief economist, Emkay Global Financial Services and Dhiraj Nim, economist and FX Strategist, ANZ–about where the rupee is headed, the role of oil prices, tariffs, geopolitics and capital flows, who benefits from a weaker currency, and whether the RBI can slow the slide. Most importantly, is this depreciation a warning sign or simply the cost of India's integration with a changing global economy? Listen in.You can follow Rozebud Gonsalves on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

Jio Studios’ Dream To Be Part of a Global $100B Industry 01.06.2026 31λ

What does it take to back India's highest-grossing films three years in a row? Host Anirban Chowdhury and ET’s film journalist and critic Rajesh N Naidu talk to Jyoti Deshpande, President - Jio Studios, Media & Content Business -Reliance Industries Ltd, who pulls back the curtain on how she green-lights films, why she rejects 98 out of every 100 ideas, and what Indian cinema needs to do to crack the global market. From Stree 1 to Stree 2, Laapataa Ladies to Dhurandhar Jyoti reveals the method behind the madness. She shares Mukesh Ambani's first principles that shaped JioStudios' rise, why she bets on the filmmaker's conviction over star power, and how Indian studios must think about vertical integration, regional crossover, and eventually competing with Hollywood.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

ET Deep Dive: Operation Octopus 31.05.2026 15λ

Operation Octopus is Hyderabad Police’s ambitious multi-phase crackdown on the infrastructure behind cyber fraud — not just the small fish, but the entire ecosystem. From mule accounts and rogue bank employees to ghost SIMs and crypto networks, each phase peels back a new layer of a sprawling criminal enterprise spanning multiple states and international actors. Commissioner VC Sajjanar estimates four hundred crore rupees is lost annually in Hyderabad alone. Yet kingpins remain at large.  Based on Shilpa Ranipeta’s ground investigation, Anirban Chowdhury narrates how a single Facebook scam unravelled into one of India’s most complex cybercrime investigations.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like: ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

Why Doesn't India Know What To Do With Its Stray Dogs? 29.05.2026 34λ

India has 80 million stray dogs and accounts for 30 percent of the world's rabies deaths. The Supreme Court's latest judgment proposes capturing and relocating strays from schools, hospitals, religious and tourism sites  but the experts on this episode argue it may do more harm than the problem it set out to solve. Host Anirban Chowdhury sits down with Gauri Maulekhi, Trustee of People for Animals, Alokparna Sengupta, Managing Director of Humane World for Animals India, and Luke Gamble, Founder and CEO of Mission Rabies, on why India's animal birth control programme collapsed despite 25 years of policy, what Malawi's rabies elimination model teaches us about structural solutions, and whether a judgment meant to protect citizens is quietly pushing India toward a less humane future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Physical AI Is Here. So Are The Data Collection Risks 28.05.2026 11λ

Physical AI is being seen as the next frontier of artificial intelligence. Not AI that lives on screens. But AI that can navigate and operate in the real world — from humanoid robots and warehouses to factories and homes. But these systems need enormous amounts of real-world human activity data to learn movement and physical tasks. And increasingly, India is emerging as a low-cost training ground for that data collection. In this episode, Host Anirban Chowdhury talks to ET’s Puran Choudhary and Disha Acharya on wearable cameras, AI data pipelines, privacy risks, regulatory gaps and the hidden human layer powering the next AI boom.Listen inYou can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

Cockroach Janta Party: Did a Meme Just Become a Movement? 26.05.2026 29λ

 When the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant called young professionals “cockroaches,” he likely didn’t anticipate a political uprising on social media. Host Dia Rekhi speaks to Sudhanshu Kaushik,president and CEO of the Centre for Youth Policy and Political commentator and Visiting Fellow - India Foundation Rajat Sethi, about the party— a meme-turned-movement that amassed 20 million followers, outpaced the BJP on Instagram, and triggered a government crackdown. Is this genuine youth disillusionment or chronically-online noise? And what does it signal for India’s political future? Listen inYou can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & XCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

ET Deep Dive: How PE Firms Are Taking Over Heathcare in Kerala 24.05.2026 12λ

Kerala has long been India’s healthcare model — high literacy, strong outcomes, a diaspora that pays for quality care. Now, private equity giants KKR and Blackstone are betting big on it, pumping nearly $900 million into the state’s hospitals in just two years. For global funds, the logic is simple: chronic disease, ageing patients, NRI money. For doctors like Charlie Cherian, who spent decades building a community hospital from scratch, the math is more personal. Can independent, affordable, doctor-run hospitals survive the corporate onslaught? And what happens to patients when healthcare becomes just another asset class? Reported by Alenjith K Johny, narrated for audio by Anirban ChowdhurySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corner Office Conversation: HP India MD Ipsita Dasgupta on AI PCs & Creator Economy 22.05.2026 27λ

HP’s MD and SVP for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Ipsita Dasgupta joins ET’s Anirban Chowdhury in the latest Corner Office Conversation to discuss why India’s PC story is still in its early stages — and how AI PCs, creators, SMEs and students could drive the next wave of growth. She explains why HP sees “a PC in every child’s hands” as a national opportunity, how AI-powered computing could change productivity for enterprises and creators alike, and why India may emerge as a critical manufacturing and innovation hub in the global tech supply chain. She also speaks candidly about women in leadership, risk-taking, workplace culture and building communities that help women succeed in tech.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinListen in to the episode of 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  G.V. Prasad, Co-Chairman and Managing Director Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, Corner Office Conversation with Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Peak XV & Surge and much more. Catch the latest episode of “Corner Office Conversation” on: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts,and wherever you get your podcasts from.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TCS Nashik, NCW's Findings & The POSH Failure 21.05.2026 22λ

The TCS Nashik case has become one of the most disturbing workplace harassment scandals in India’s recent corporate history. The NCW’s findings point to systemic intimidation, leadership failure, weak POSH implementation and a culture of silence inside a major listed company. In this episode, Anirban Chowdhury speaks to Aparna Mittal, Founder of Samāna Centre for Gender, Policy and Law, about governance deficits, fear-driven workplaces, misuse of authority, whistleblower failures and why younger employees remain especially vulnerable.  Listen in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

Mangonomics 19.05.2026 31λ

India grows 40% of the world’s mangoes. Yet exports less than 1%. So where does the rest go? In this episode of The Morning Brief, Anirban Chowdhury and Forum Gandhi talk to T Damodaran, Director, ICAR-CISH, Jyotsna Kaur Habibullah, founder of Lucknow Mango Festival, Kaushal Khakhar,  CEO, Kay Bee Exports and mango farmers to unpack the hidden economics of India’s favourite fruit — from climate change destroying flowering cycles and farmers battling middlemen, to irradiation rules, export bottlenecks and fake Alphonsos flooding markets. The episode travels from Ratnagiri orchards to American supermarket shelves, from mango diplomacy to mango kombucha. At stake is far more than a summer delicacy. Listen onSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corner Office Conversation: Dara Khosrowshahi—India To Be Uber’s No. 1 Market 18.05.2026 26λ

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says India could become Uber’s largest market globally over the next decade and on whether he is open to a partnership with Travis Kalanick. In this conversation with ET’s editor, ETtech.com, editor-startups, emerging business, new economy Samidha Sharma and Pranav Mukul, he explains Uber’s India strategy across AI, EVs, bike taxis, logistics, and autonomous driving. He discusses the company’s new partnership with the Adani Group, why India’s engineering talent is central to Uber’s AI stack, and how the company sees itself evolving into a broader logistics and work platform. The discussion also covers competition, quick commerce, public transport integration, and whether AI will augment workers or eventually replace them. Listen inSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Quantum City 17.05.2026 12λ

Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh's under-construction capital, is still a landscape of earthmovers and iron poles — but its Quantum Valley is already drawing scientists and engineers from across India and abroad. Young engineers have left metro jobs, postdoctoral researchers have returned from the US, and retired scientists are converging on this unfinished city to work on quantum computing — technology that promises to transform drug discovery, artificial intelligence and beyond. Built around nine theme-based precincts, Amaravati is Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's grand vision. Quantum Valley is its economic anchor — and its earliest settlers are already betting their careers on it. Nidhi Sharma reports and narrates.You can follow our host Nidhi Sharma on her social media: Twitter & LinkedinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can Bollywood's Big Boys Play The Microdrama Game? 15.05.2026 21λ

India's biggest production houses are moving into micro-drama — but entering a format is very different from mastering it. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury, ET's in house film journalist and critic Rajesh Naidu and AI-native micro drama platform Dashverse founder Sanidhya Narain examine three defining tensions in the micro-drama space: whether the format can genuinely serve as an IP testing ground for films and series, whether legacy studios have the structural DNA to compete in a high-volume, low-cost game, and whether China's ad-dominant revenue model can work in India's marketListen in:You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

Can Modi Halt India’s Gold Rush? 14.05.2026 25λ

When a Prime Minister asks a billion people to stop buying gold, something has already broken. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury sits down with Suvankar Sen, MD and CEO of Senco Gold, Atmadip Ray, Senior Editor at The Economic Times, and Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist at Bank of Baroda — on what actually happened to consumer demand the moment Modi spoke, why India's ₹16 lakh crore gold loan market is now under RBI's scanner, and whether a rupee at 95, a crude bill of $123 billion and a $38 billion drop in forex reserves adds up to a crisis — or careful management. The numbers are stark. The question is whether the policy response is early enough.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

Parachute to Popcorn: Marico CEO on Acquisitions, Ambition & Attrition 12.05.2026 18λ

Marico went on a shopping spree — three deals, 700 crores, three weeks. But is it swiftly reinventing itself for the TikTok generation, or a legacy FMCG giant papering over a slowing core with shiny digital acquisitions? MD and CEO Saugata Gupta makes his case to host and ET’s FMCG editor Ratna Bhushan — a 28-year-old average workforce, founders left to run free, and a digital business he promises will hit teens EBITDA by 2030. He also gets unusually candid about the bloodbath in FMCG boardrooms, why CEO tenures are shrinking globally, and what it really takes to build a succession plan that outlasts the boss. Listen in:You can follow Ratna Bhushan on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

The Chinese Cancer Fix 10.05.2026 13λ

A quiet revolution is underway in Indian oncology. Chinese-origin cancer drugs, brought to India through a growing number of pharma partnerships, are dramatically cutting the cost of immunotherapy — making treatment accessible to patients who previously had no options. Doctors are prescribing them, patients are responding well, and Indian companies — from Glenmark to Dr Reddy’s to Intas — are signing billion-dollar deals to expand access further. Western immunotherapy can cost up to five lakh rupees per session. Chinese-origin alternatives are bringing that down to fifty thousand. This episode explores how the India-China pharma axis is reshaping who gets treated, and how.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mythos and the New AI Cyber Panic 08.05.2026 19λ

When an AI system can autonomously find and exploit vulnerabilities at scale — who controls the risk? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury sits down with Gary Marcus, AI expert, scientist and author to examine Anthropic's Mythos — a frontier AI system built for defensive cybersecurity that has rattled governments, central banks, and security researchers worldwide. The conversation unpacks why the dual-use dilemma at Mythos's core is so difficult to resolve, how India's financial and digital infrastructure sits squarely in the line of fire, and what RBI, MeitY, and Indian banks are quietly preparing for. From Anthropic's Project Glasswing to the limits of regulatory readiness, the episode probes whether the institutions meant to protect us are moving fast enough — and whether a defensive tool, in the wrong hands, is a defensive tool at all.Listen in:You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like:ET Deep Dive: Swipe Left on Reality,India wants manufacturing at 25% of GDP — will AI in factories help?, Tanay Kothari Wants To Kill The Keyboard, From Doer to Director: The LinkedIn Playbook for the AI Agea, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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 Biggest Trade Partner Is China. Now what? 07.05.2026 18λ

China just surpassed the US as India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade hitting $151 billion and a trade deficit that has ballooned to an all-time high of $112 billion. Beijing has also rolled out sweeping new supply chain rules that could penalise companies moving manufacturing out. So what does this mean for India? John Quelch, American President, Executive Vice Chancellor and Distinguished Professor of Social Science, Duke Kunshan University argues the deficit isn't the real story. China plays a long, calculated game — on tariffs, on technology, on geopolitics. India needs to learn to read that game, not react to it. From the Trump-Xi summit to robots, rare earths, and the untapped potential of two ancient civilisations — this conversation reframes everythingListen in:You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like: How Will a Volatile ₹ Impact You in 2026?, How Quick Commerce is Triggering a Health Crisis for Gen Z, Two Women Fought to Change India's Maternity Laws...and Succeeded, Can India Truly End Naxalism?, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.

Polls on my Pod: Bengal Flips, Vijay Disrupts, Kerala Resets 04.05.2026 25λ

A political script has been torn up across India’s key states. Tamil Nadu sees actor Vijay’s TVK disrupt decades of Dravidian dominance. West Bengal delivers a stunning power shift as BJP ends a 15-year Trinamool rule. Assam doubles down on continuity, handing Himanta Biswa Sarma a third term and deepening BJP’s hold. And Kerala returns to its classic anti-incumbency cycle, giving Congress a crucial win. In this episode of Polls on My Pod, Nidhi Sharma and ET's Dia Rekhi, Kumar Anshuman and CL Manoj decode the deeper story—fracturing vote banks, new social coalitions, and what these mandates signal for national politics ahead. Listen in:See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How Guneet Monga Rewrote Bollywood's Rules and Won an Oscar Doing It 04.05.2026 42λ

She grew up navigating a war zone of a family home, arrived in Bombay with ₹50 lakhs borrowed from a neighbour, and watched her debut film get pulled from theatres the morning after India lost the cricket World Cup. That's where most stories end. Guneet Monga's was just beginning. In this candid, far-ranging conversation with ET’s Anirban Chowdhury and in-house film journalist and critic Rajesh N Naidu, the Oscar-winning producer and CEO of Sikhya Entertainment traces a 20-year journey defined by jugaad, grit, and an unshakeable belief in the power of story. From Gangs of Wasseypur to The Lunchbox, Kill to Women in Film India — this is the real education they don't teach at film school.You can follow Rajesh Naidu on: X and Linkedin & Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and LinkedinCheck out other interesting episodes like: How Will a Volatile ₹ Impact You in 2026?, How Quick Commerce is Triggering a Health Crisis for Gen Z, Two Women Fought to Change India's Maternity Laws...and Succeeded, Can India Truly End Naxalism?, Semaglutide Goes Generic: Big Pharma’s Moat Breaks  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.