The Daily Brief
A daily podcast that dives into the biggest stories happening in the Indian markets and the global business landscape.
The RBI’s 3-front war on inflation, explained
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. The RBI’s 3-Front War on Inflation
We’ll cover:
Why food prices, crude oil and a weaker rupee are pushing inflation higher.How the RBI’s repo rate hike to 5.50% and currency measures aim to control inflation.How liquidity tightening works and the risks it poses to India’s economic growth.2. Will Tougher Pharma Rules Change Prescriptions?
We’ll cover:
What India’s pharmaceutical marketing code (UCPMP) re...The business behind Zetwerk's ₹5,000 crore IPO
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Inside Zetwerk’s ₹5,000 Crore IPO
We’ll cover:
How Zetwerk connects manufacturers, suppliers and industrial customers.Revenue growth, profit margins and the company’s cash flow challenges.How the IPO proceeds will be used to repay debt and fund future growth.2. Who Pays When It’s Too Hot to Work?
We’ll cover:
How heatwaves affect workers’ earnings, health and productivity.Why the lack of drinking water, shade and...The US is one step away from banning green cards
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. The US Is Tightening Green Card Rules
We’ll cover:
Why the US has frozen PERM applications and how it affects H-1B workers.Why Indian IT companies are reducing their dependence on US work visas.How offshoring, local hiring and AI could reshape the future of Indian IT.2. India’s Housing Boom Is Narrowing
We’ll cover:
Why ₹2–5 crore homes are seeing strong demand while affordable ho...Can ₹84,000 crore get India drilling?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Can ₹84,000 Crore Help India Find More Oil?
We’ll cover:
Why India’s domestic oil production is falling and what untapped reserves could mean.How the Samudra Manthan scheme plans to reduce exploration risks for companies.The challenges of offshore drilling, investment returns and the timeline for new oil production.
2. Why Is Rice Getting Expensive Despite Record Stocks?
We’ll cover:
How the weak monsoon could affect India...Inside India’s first household travel survey
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. India’s 25-Minute Commute
We’ll cover:
Why two-wheelers dominate India’s daily commute while mass transit serves only a small share of workers.What the 25-minute commute really says about Indian cities, jobs and transport costs.How mobility constraints affect women, students and rural households.
2. Why Are Cancer Drugs Marked Up 10x?
We’ll cover:
How India regulates the prices of scheduled and non-scheduled medicines.Why...The Chinese whispers in India’s EV batteries
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. India’s EV Battery Problem
We’ll cover:
Why making battery cells is much harder than assembling battery packsHow China’s dominance and tighter technology-transfer rules are affecting IndiaHow JSW, Tata, Reliance and Ola are trying different ways to reduce dependence on China
2. Why Airlines Want Cheaper Fuel
We’ll cover:
Why ATF prices have risen sharply despite India refining enough fuel domesticallyWhy the government’s earlier ₹10,00...Does Indian steel really need so much protection?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Indian Steel: Too Much Protection?
We’ll cover:
Why Indian steel is cheaper to produce but still sells at a premiumHow iron ore export duties and import barriers support steelmakersWhat could happen if steel protection is gradually reduced2. India Finalises CAFE 3 Norms
We’ll cover:
Why Maruti’s proposed small-car concession was droppedHow the new weight-based formula affects Maruti, Mahindra and ToyotaHow EVs, hybrids, CNG and compliance...Why isn't gas connection enough in India?
In today’s episode of The Daily Brief, we take a deep dive into one key story and cover another story shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Why LPG Connections Aren’t Enough
We’ll cover:
- Why many Ujjwala households still rely on firewood despite having LPG connections
- How refill costs, informal LPG access and migrant challenges affect usage
- Why making clean cooking affordable is becoming an increasingly expensive policy challenge
2. Why Airlines Resist Navi Mumbai
- Why Mumbai’s T1 redevelopment could push int...
Is India's finance boom outrunning its real economy?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. India’s Macro Report Card
We’ll cover:
●Why private investment remains weak despite cleaner corporate balance sheets
●How household savings are shifting towards financial markets while debt rises
●Why India’s growth may be more fragile than headline GDP numbers suggest
2. Can You Put a Score on a Hospital?
We’ll cover:
●What India’s proposed hospital quality framework could measure
●Why comparing hospitals re...
Inox Clean’s second attempt at a first impression
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Inox Clean Energy’s ₹10,000 Crore IPO
We’ll cover:
●How Inox Clean makes money from renewable power and solar manufacturing
●Why acquisitions and group companies are central to its growth
●What its ₹10,000 crore IPO will fund and the key risks investors need to understand
2. Why Sanctioned Tankers Are Taking Russia’s Flag
We’ll cover:
●How the Russia-linked shadow fleet grew
●Why a ship’s flag matters for...
The agro-mutual fund that crashed and burned
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Growpital’s Alleged Investment Fraud
We’ll cover:
●Growpital raised ₹193 crore from over 5,200 investors.
●A claimed ₹62 crore revenue from a 75-acre jeera farm was far above SEBI’s estimated maximum of around ₹30 lakh.
●Nearly ₹96 crore was traced through layers of entities to the promoters.
●SEBI has ordered refunds with 12% annual interest and imposed bans and penalties.
2. Indian Railways’ New Financing Model
We’ll cover:
●Six freight corridors wi...
The Indian states that solar is forgetting
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. The Indian states solar is forgetting
We’ll cover:
●Why India’s solar boom is concentrated in six states
●Why coal-rich states struggle to diversify their economies
●Why green jobs may not replace coal-linked livelihoods
2. Why power plants run short on coal
We’ll cover:
●Why coal can be available at mines but not at power plants
●Where bottlenecks emerge across India’s coal supply chain
The ebbs and flows of India’s irrigation story
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. India’s Irrigation Story
We’ll cover:
●How irrigation made India less dependent on the monsoon
●Why tubewells and subsidised power drove groundwater overuse
●How drip irrigation and solar pumps are changing water use
2. Why India Imports Teak
We’ll cover:
●Why India imports most of its teak logs
●Why farmers hesitate to grow teak commercially
●Maharashtra’s attempt to ease teak harvesting rules and w...
What happens when insurance commissions are cut?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Insurance Commissions: What Is IRDAI Changing?
We’ll cover:
●Why IRDAI wants to cut insurance commissions
●How the changes could affect insurers, distributors and banks
●Whether lower commissions could actually make insurance cheaper and improve coverage
2. How Much Does a Country Name Affect Its Credit Rating?
We’ll cover:
●What determines a sovereign credit rating
●Why countries with similar fiscal numbers can receive different rating...
Sunday joys, Monday blues for the hotel business
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. India’s Hotels Have a Monday Problem
We’ll cover:
●Why leisure hotels charge more than business hotels
●Why hotel companies are acquiring existing resorts instead of building new ones
●How hotels are tackling the weekday occupancy problem
2. Why Telecom Plans Are Still Bundled
We’ll cover:
●Why TRAI is pushing for cheaper voice-only recharge plans
●Why telecom companies worry about revenue cannibalisation
●What the new ru...
A not-so-festive season for electronic appliances
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Why Electronics Prices Are Rising
We’ll cover:
●Why AC, refrigerator and TV prices are rising
●How commodity prices, chips and the rupee affect appliance costs
●Why a bigger festive discount may not mean a better deal
2. India’s Jute Industry Makes a Comeback
We’ll cover:
●Why India’s jute industry is expected to rebound
●How MSP, raw-jute prices and government procurement shape the industry
India's textile waste problem
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. India’s Textile Waste Problem
We’ll cover:
●India generates 7,073 kilotonnes of textile waste every year
●Why recycling clean factory scraps is easier than recycling used clothes
●How the lack of textile EPR and segregation is holding back circularity
2. India’s Telecom Hardware Problem
We’ll cover:
●Why India remains dependent on China for critical telecom hardware
●Inside the ₹5,500 crore Gwalior Telecom Manufacturing Zone
●Can Gwalior h...
How private is India’s private nuclear push?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. How Private is India’s Private Nuclear Push?
We’ll cover:
● How private companies already participate in India’s nuclear sector
● The different roles companies can play—from contractors to financiers and technology partners
● Why private ownership and operation of nuclear plants is still largely theoretical despite the SHANTI Act
2. A Crisis in India’s Tea Industry
We’ll cover:
● Why rising tea prices are masking deeper pro...
India’s untapped pool of copper
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. India’s Untapped Copper Pool
We’ll cover:
●How much copper India already has in use
●Why copper scrap cannot immediately solve the supply gap
●India’s recycling, refining and scrap-import challenges
2. Why Indian Industry Still Needs Coal
We’ll cover:
●Why cleaner electricity doesn't automatically mean less industrial coal use
●The challenge of decarbonising steel production
●What India’s upcoming industrial investments mean for coa...
The fragile compromises of the BRICS summit
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. The BRICS Summit: What Was Actually Achieved?
We’ll cover:
●Why BRICS is struggling to build an alternative to the US dollar
●The challenges around local-currency payments and a BRICS currency
●What the summit revealed about tensions between India, China, Russia, Iran and the UAE
2. UK Recognises India’s Carbon Market
We’ll cover:
●How the UK’s CBAM affects Indian exporters
●Why India’s carbon credi...
How India's elder-care industry works
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. How India’s elder-care industry works
We’ll cover:
●Why India’s ageing population is driving demand for organised elder care
●How senior housing, home care and assisted living businesses work
●Why affordability, caregiver shortages and limited coverage remain challenges
2. India’s new internet gateway
We’ll cover:
●Why data centres and submarine cables are increasingly being built close together
●How Andhra Pradesh is using incentives to...
Is America’s $40 trillion debt a problem?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Is America’s $40 Trillion Debt a Problem?
We’ll cover:
●Why the $40 trillion debt figure can be misleading
●Rising US interest costs and the growing burden of refinancing debt
●What could signal a real US debt crisis
2. India Gets Closer to Satellite Internet
We’ll cover:
●India’s proposed satellite spectrum pricing
●Where satellite internet can compete with fibre and mobile networks
●Starlink, Jio and Airt...
Why is India paying more for floating solar?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Floating Solar: Why Is India Paying More?
We’ll cover:
●Why India is turning to floating solar despite its higher costs
●How floating solar can help with land, grid and water constraints
●Whether the 25% cost premium can be justified and where floating solar makes the most sense
2. India’s First Tokenised Bond
We’ll cover:
●What tokenised bonds actually change in the existing financial system
●Why at...
SECI wants to make India’s industries electric
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. SECI’s Industrial Electrification Push
We’ll cover:
●Why industrial heat is a major decarbonisation challenge for India.
●How SECI’s demand aggregation model could make renewable power cheaper and easier for smaller factories to access.
●Why electrifying industrial heat will require more than just cheap green electricity.
2. Auto Ancillaries Look Beyond Cars
We’ll cover:
●Why companies such as RACL Geartech, Sansera, Sundram Fasteners and Bharat...
When AI starts spending your money
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. When AI Starts Spending Your Money
We’ll cover:
●How AI agents could make purchases and payments for you
●How UPI Circle, Reserve Pay and the proposed UAP could enable agentic payments
●The risks around AI mistakes, fraud, consent and who bears the loss
2. How Pure Is Your Silver?
We’ll cover:
●What the 925 silver mark and BIS hallmark actually mean
●How HUID makes silver jewel...
The logic behind ISRO and DRDO’s tech transfers
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. ISRO & DRDO’s Tech Transfer Push
We’ll cover:
●Why ISRO and DRDO transfer mature technologies to private companies
●How companies are selected and what they actually receive
●The challenges around manufacturing, demand, defence orders and scaling up
2. India’s New CCTV Security Rules
We’ll cover:
●What India’s new CCTV security requirements mean
●Why the government is focusing on chips and firmware
●How the rul...
Indian homebuyers get a much needed painkiller
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Indian Homebuyers Get a Legal Relief
We’ll cover:
●How Noida’s real estate bubble left thousands of homes stalled
●Why bankrupt developers created a clash between homebuyers, banks and authorities
●Why the Supreme Court’s Granite Gate ruling matters for homebuyers across India
2. Is India Ending EV Subsidies Too Soon?
We’ll cover:
●Why India is gradually reducing EV purchase subsidies
●How two-wheelers, cars, buses a...
Why governments are suing Meta for $18 billion
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a deep dive and another story for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
1. Why Governments Are Suing Meta for $18 Billion
We’ll cover:
●How social media evolved into an attention-driven business built around keeping users engaged.
●What research says about social media’s impact on children and teenagers — and why the evidence remains mixed.
●Why governments are now targeting features such as infinite scroll, autoplay and notifications, and what Meta’s $18 billion settlement means.
2. The Fraud Behind Trafiksol’s IPO
We’ll cov...
A self-purge inside the world’s largest nickel player
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover a story and a chart for the day shaping Indian and global markets:
Indonesia’s Resource Gamble Indonesia is tightening control over its vast reserves of nickel, palm oil and coal through mining quotas, higher royalties, state-run commodity trading and large-scale seizures. The crackdown is aimed at keeping more resource wealth within the country, but it could also disrupt global supply chains. For India, the biggest risks are higher nickel, palm oil and coal costs, especially given its heavy dependence on Indonesian nickel.
We’ll cover:
...What is eating into Indian QSR’s lunch?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover two major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:
00:04 Intro
00:28 QSRs under pressure
13:57 The parmesan loan
21:17 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
What a government audit found in India’s EV subsidy scheme?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover two major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:
00:04 Intro
00:30 FAME under the scanner
12:44 Fragrance giants under scrutiny
19:12 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
How do you manufacture a medicine that keeps changing?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover two major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:
00:04 Intro
00:54 The future of cancer vaccines
13:14 Meghalaya vs Uranium mining
19:15 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
The split personalities of Indian FMCG
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover two major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:
00:04 Intro
01:11 FMCG’s two speed growth
13:55 Why NPAs are so low
19:55 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
SEBI finds fraud in the cloud
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover two major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:
00:04 Intro
00:30 Smoke and Servers
13:19 Beyond the commission cap
20:10 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
India can’t find a sweet spot for its sugar policy
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover two major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:
00:04 Intro
00:32 India’s sugar problem
13:05 The case for hydrogen trains
16:45 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
Can a “miracle drug” change how we work?
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we cover two major stories shaping the Indian economy and global markets:
00:04 Intro
00:32 Do GLP-1s boost productivity?
12:03 Taking bonds to retail
20:19 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
The areca nut with an identity crisis
In today’s episode of The Daily Brief, we ask: why is India's humble supari causing a massive customs headache?
00:04 Intro
00:22 The supari smuggling game
12:22 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
Indian auto: an export boom and a supply crunch
In today’s episode of The Daily Brief, we ask: how did India’s four-wheelers fare in Q1 amid booming exports and supply constraints?
00:04 Intro
00:26 Auto’s export boom
14:39 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
Indian urea makers will make lesser money now
In today’s episode of The Daily Brief, we unpack why Indian urea makers will now make less money.
00:04 Intro
00:24 A tighter urea formula
11:49 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
A 40-year old battle over India’s minerals hits a climax
In today's episode of The Daily Brief, we unpack the explosive 40-year battle over who gets to control and tax India's mineral wealth.
00:04 Intro
00:24 Centre vs States over minerals
14:49 Tidbits
We also send out a crisp and short daily newsletter for The Daily Brief. Put your email here and we'll make you smart every day: https://thedailybriefing.substack.com/
Note: This content is for informational purposes only. None of the stocks, brands, or products mentioned are recommendations or endorsements.
