The Morning Brief

HDFC Bank's Shashidhar Jagdishan is stepping down, Kotak Mahindra is searching for Ashok Vaswani's successor, and ICICI's Sandeep Bakshi has taken just a two-year extension. In this episode, Anirban Chowdhury talks to ET's Banking Editor Sangita Mehta about the wave of CEO exits hitting India's biggest banks through 2028, what really went wrong at HDFC, whether Deputy MD Kaizad Bharucha can take over given RBI's 15-year board cap, and why RBI's tenure and age rules may be quietly ending the era of the long-serving Indian bank CEO. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI is reshaping how businesses work, but the biggest shift may be how humans and technology work together. At The Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Nigel Vaz, CEO, Publicis Sapient, joins Dia Rekhi to break down the “Iron Man” approach to AI, why enterprises need to reimagine how work gets done, and where agentic AI can create real business value. Listen In You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & X Check out other interesting episodes like - Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi on How AI Can Deliver Returns, The Future of Insurance in India | Sarbvir Singh of PB Fintech, Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave & 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 latest GDP estimate shows the economy growing at 7.8%. Rajeshwari Sengupta, associate professor of economics at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research is unconvinced. She tells Anirban Chowdhury why weak job creation, subdued investment, falling import volumes and an unresponsive stock market sit uneasily beside the headline number. She also explains why a low GDP deflator is economically logical, how double deflation is supposed to improve measurement, and why India’s new producer price indices raise questions. The government may have corrected important weaknesses in the earlier GDP series. But without detailed sources, methods and historical comparisons, Sengupta argues, economists cannot independently establish what changed—or whether the new number is credible. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ET opens its World Leaders Forum podcast series with Anu Aiyengar, global chair of investment banking, J.P.Morgan. In conversation with Anirban Chowdhury, she explains why uncertainty is driving—not deterring—big-ticket deals, and why companies are buying scale, stability and resilience. She examines the risks posed by rising yields, inflation and oil, the curious leeway investors are giving AI spending, and how automation is reshaping entry-level investment-banking work. Aiyengar also makes the case for India as an under-owned market and reveals her contrarian bets on old-economy businesses, healthcare and cross-border dealmaking over the next five years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate change is making extreme weather more frequent and unpredictable. But are we making its consequences worse? Across the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, glaciers are collapsing, rainfall patterns are shifting and landslides and flash floods are becoming increasingly destructive. At the same time, roads, hotels, hydropower projects and settlements are pushing deeper into fragile landscapes. Reported by Alenjith K Johny, narrated by Anirban Chowdhury See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does one of India’s original venture capitalists see coming next? Accel’s Subrata Mitra speaks to Anirban Chowdhury about a funding market moving from exuberance to discipline—and an AI boom whose economics remain deeply uncertain. He explains why India cannot fight a trillion-dollar foundational-model battle with a fraction of that capital, and where its more credible opportunities lie. The conversation explores Accel’s interest in AI-enabled services, deeptech, spacetech and advanced manufacturing, the logic behind keeping funds relatively small, and the long process of developing investors. Mitra also shares lessons from failure, reinvention and the unpredictable journeys of successful founders. Listen In You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like -Sarvam AI on NVIDIA's Investment, Voice AI Economics, and India's AI Strategy, Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi on How AI Can Deliver Returns, The Future of Insurance in India | Sarbvir Singh of PB Fintech, Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave & 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.

HDFC Bank is staring at an unusual leadership vacuum. CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan is set to leave in October, even as India’s largest private sector bank grapples with slowing profit growth, squeezed margins and the lingering impact of its mega merger with HDFC Ltd. Who could take over — internal heavyweight Kaizad Bharucha or an outsider? And can a successor even be found in time? Anirban Chowdhury speaks to ET’s banking editor Sangita Mehta about the names in contention, a wider leadership crunch across Indian banking, what has gone wrong with HDFC Bank’s financial engine, and the challenges awaiting its next chief. Listen in You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin You can follow Sangita Mehta on her social media: Twitter and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like India’s Costly Crude Problem Who Must File Their ITR by August 31?-Sarvam AI on NVIDIA's Investment, Voice AI Economics, and India's AI Strategy, Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi on How AI Can Deliver Returns, The Future of Insurance in India | Sarbvir Singh of PB Fintech, Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave & 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.

Subhash Chandra’s latest insolvency battle has produced a startling equation: ₹22,006 crore in admitted claims against just ₹6.25 crore for creditors. But the headline hides a more complicated story. These claims largely arise from personal guarantees for corporate borrowings, even as major lenders question the repayment plan, creditor voting and what happened to Chandra’s once-vast personal wealth. Meanwhile, Zee is rebuilding after the collapse of its Sony merger, and its promoters are seeking to increase their stake again. Anirban Chowdhury talks to Shiram Subramanian, founder and MD of InGovern about the Essel debt crisis, the controversial NCLT order and what a promoter’s personal guarantee is really worth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ET’s Swathi Moorthy cannot code. Yet she has built four web applications using AI. That is the seductive promise of vibe coding: describe what you want and let the machine build it. The reality involves muddled prompts, unreliable advice, stubborn bugs, confusing backends, hosting headaches and subscription bills. In this episode, Moorthy joins Anirban Chowdhury to explain how a non-coder can create and publish an app, which tools make it easiest, and where human expertise remains indispensable. It is a candid account of what AI has democratised and what it still cannot do on its own for ordinary aspiring app builders. Listen in You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like India’s Costly Crude Problem Who Must File Their ITR by August 31?-Sarvam AI on NVIDIA's Investment, Voice AI Economics, and India's AI Strategy, Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi on How AI Can Deliver Returns, The Future of Insurance in India | Sarbvir Singh of PB Fintech, Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave & 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.

Trilegal began as an outsider in a legal industry dominated by closely held, family-run firms. More than two decades later, it has become one of India’s largest law firms—and part of the establishment it once challenged. Partners Nishant Parikh and Sridhar Gorthi talk to ET’s Vinod Mahanta and Maulik Vyas about the model behind that rise, the founder-rainmaker trap holding back midsized firms, competition from global firms and the Big Four, and why AI could reshape both fees and the traditional associate pyramid. They also confront two deeper questions: whether elite credentials still determine who enters corporate law, and whether Trilegal’s founders can truly surrender power when success arrives. Tune in You can follow Maulik Vyas on his social media  X and Linkedin You can follow Vinod Mahanta on his social media: X and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like India’s Costly Crude Problem Who Must File Their ITR by August 31?-Sarvam AI on NVIDIA's Investment, Voice AI Economics, and India's AI Strategy, Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi on How AI Can Deliver Returns, The Future of Insurance in India | Sarbvir Singh of PB Fintech, Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave & 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.

Love can arrive at any age. But when it arrives after 60, it often comes with decades of accumulated wealth, grown-up children and expectations about inheritance. As more Indians seek companionship, remarry or choose live-in relationships later in life, families are confronting difficult questions around homes, wills, trusts and succession. Based on Lijee Philip’s report, this episode explores India’s emerging world of silver romance—and the financial negotiations that accompany it. Can older Indians build a new life without unsettling the families and fortunes built in the old one? And can love and inheritance peacefully coexist? Lijee Philp reports, Anirban Chowdhury narrates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brent above $90 doesn’t tell the full story of India’s oil bill. Tight physical supplies have pushed some Gulf crude to a hefty premium, while the Russian discounts that helped Indian refiners after the Ukraine war have largely vanished. Disruptions in West Asia have also forced India to source more oil from farther-flung suppliers, adding freight costs. Anirban Chowdhury speaks to ICRA’s, senior VP and Co-Group Chair Prashant Vasisht about why the physical crude market has diverged from benchmark prices, what it means for refinery and marketing margins, whether consumers could eventually feel the pain, and what could bring India’s crude costs down. Listen in See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India’s tax calendar looks different this year. While most salaried taxpayers wrapped up their returns by July 31, taxpayers with certain business or professional income have until August 31. But who exactly qualifies? What happens if you earn a salary alongside income from F&O trading, consulting, freelancing or content creation? Which ITR should you file, and how is F&O turnover calculated? In this episode of The Morning Brief, ET Wealth’s Preeti K talks to with Aarti Raote, Partner, Deloitte about ITR-3 versus ITR-4, presumptive taxation, reconciling AIS and brokerage statements, and the expensive mistakes taxpayers should avoid before the deadline. Listen in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Indian professionals chasing a US green card, even the fast lane is getting harder. Approval rates for EB-1A — the category reserved for people with extraordinary ability — have fallen sharply, from 49% to 35% in a year. That compounds an already punishing green-card backlog for Indians on H-1B visas, many of whom face waits stretching decades. So what is driving the tougher scrutiny? Can legal challenges change the trajectory? And are Canada, the UK or the investment-linked EB-5 route credible alternatives? On The Morning Brief Swathi Moorthy joins Anirban Chowdhury to unpack America’s tightening immigration maze. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For 75 days, an Indian oil tanker captain and his 23-member crew were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz as war raged around them. Missiles flew overhead. Explosions shook the ship. Supplies dwindled, families waited anxiously and the crew faced pressure to carry out a risky cargo transfer. Through it all, the tanker remained loaded with 110,000 tonnes of cargo. This episode is a first-hand account of life aboard a merchant vessel caught in a conflict it had no part in — and of the seafarers who keep global trade moving while remaining largely invisible, unarmed and vulnerable. Raman Kapoor’s first person account, narrated by Anirban Chowdhury See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

N Chandrasekaran’s decision not to seek another term as Tata Sons chairman brings an extraordinary year of tensions inside the Tata Group to a head. Behind the succession question lies a deeper struggle over how Tata Trusts exercises control over Tata Sons, how much capital the group should commit to businesses such as Air India, digital and semiconductors, whether Tata Sons should remain private, and how the Shapoorji Pallonji Group gets liquidity from its stake. Anirban Chowdhury speaks to governance experts Amit Tandon, founder and MD IiAS and Shriram Subramanian, founder and MD, InGovern about what Chandra leaves behind and the problems awaiting Tata’s next chairman. Listen in You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like - Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi on How AI Can Deliver Returns, The Future of Insurance in India | Sarbvir Singh of PB Fintech, Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave & 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.

Sarvam AI began with an ambitious proposition: build foundational AI models in India. It must now prove that those models can support a viable business. Co-founder Pratyush Kumar explains to Himanshi Lohchab the company’s expansion into compute, inference, customised models and enterprise applications, while Peak XV Partners MD Rajan Anandan lays out the investment case. They discuss NVIDIA’s backing, the economics of voice AI, Sarvam’s enterprise adoption and why specialised models could be cheaper than global frontier systems. The conversation also confronts the capital required to remain competitive, India’s weak R&D spending and the central question facing Sarvam: can technical capability translate into durable revenue? Tune in. You can follow Himanshi Lohchab on her social media: X and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like - Cognizant’s Surya Gummadi on How AI Can Deliver Returns, The Future of Insurance in India | Sarbvir Singh of PB Fintech, Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave & 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.

Indian exporters are facing a fresh shipping squeeze. Congestion at major transhipment hubs such as Singapore and Colombo is delaying cargo, disrupting schedules and pushing up costs, just as global trade routes are being reshaped by geopolitical tensions and shifting freight demand. But the disruption exposes a deeper weakness in India’s export infrastructure. Despite its vast coastline — and the arrival of the Vizhinjam transhipment port — much of India’s cargo still relies on overseas hubs before heading to global markets. Anirban Chowdhury speaks to ET’s Twesh Mishra about what’s causing the jam, what exporters are losing, and whether India can finally bring its transhipment business home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LinkedIn CEO Dan Shapero says the platform’s data points to a more complicated story. In this Corner Office Conversation, Shapero joins Anirban Chowdhury and Dia Rekhi to discuss why hiring has slowed, how AI is rewriting skills, and why India is seeing a surge in AI roles, R&D hiring and new founders. He also explains LinkedIn’s fast-growing AI Hiring Assistant, the possibility of recruiters’ AI agents talking to jobseekers’ agents, the platform’s crackdown on “AI slop,” and why LinkedIn wants to remain a trusted professional network. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin You can follow Dia Rekhi on social media: Linkedin & X 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 humble autorickshaw is getting its biggest reinvention in decades. Electric three-wheelers are surging because the economics work: lower running costs, less maintenance and better predictability for drivers and fleets. But the real disruption goes deeper. As Bajaj Auto defends its turf and Mahindra, TVS and others push harder, competition is shifting from price and mileage to range, comfort, software, financing, service and uptime. Lijee Philip reports, Anirban Chowdhury narrates how electrification is rewriting the rules of India’s three-wheeler industry—and why the winners may be those who rethink the autorickshaw itself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.