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Channel • 6 Shows

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Updated 20 Jan
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17/06/2025 • THE KEN PREMIUM ONLY

What they don’t teach you about M&As in B-school

2024 was a record-breaking year for mergers and acquisitions in India, and the government seems to want to speed up the frenzy. One of the proposals put forward by the finance minister was an overhaul of M&A regulations. She wants to introduce fast-track mergers for a range of companies, including unlisted firms and fellow subsidiaries. But lethargy isn’t really the biggest problem afflicting Indian M&As. In fact, forcing these deals to move faster may worsen other fundamental problems. There are recent examples that show us how this can play out, such as Jet Airways’ failed revival under the Jalan Kalrock consortium. Meanwhile, there are other incentive structures that can ensure M&As deliver great results. Raghav Maggo explains what India’s M&A landscape needs in this week’s edition of Make India Competitive Again, as read by Brady Ng. Subscribe to the Make India Competitive Again newsletter: https://the-ken.com/newsletters/make-india-competitive-again/ Download our app and subscribe to The Ken to access our latest releases: iOS: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-ken/id1282944688 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ken.core&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1 Or subscribe to The Ken Premium on Apple Podcasts to access our latest releases: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-india-competitive-again-premium/id1810672381

17/06/2025

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11 min
14 JAN • THE KEN PREMIUM ONLY

Infosys and Cognizant's message to Microsoft: Thanks, but we found better AI

“Everyone is ignoring the 800 pound gorilla in the room. The truth is that the tool doesn’t matter unless the IT company adopting them cannot translate it into increased revenue or reduced cost. And that’s the problem” That’s Sidu Ponappa, our first guest on Zero Shot. Sidu is CEO and co-founder of Realfast, a company that uses AI to accelerate Salesforce implementations. Today’s Zero Shot episode is about a simple question – why are India’s IT majors bypassing Microsoft’s Copilot and instead adopting other tools. Infosys just announced an org wide roll-out of Devin. Cognizant has picked Lovable for its 350,000 employees, becoming their largest enterprise customer. Where is Microsoft, which had its early advantage? That’s the question we posed in our discussion, and well, Sidu went beyond to second and third order effects, beyond the tools themselves. And we have something exciting – we want to hear from you about what kind of tools are used in your organisation. If you work in Indian IT (or know someone who does), let us know. Tell us. The poll is below. Oh, also in our second segment, Brady looks at the IPOs of two “AI Tigers” in Hong Kong: Minimax and Zhipu. Often (incorrectly) labeled as China’s responses to OpenAI, these two companies’ listings inadvertently became a source of unease among some AI companies—there is a deadline for their path to public markets. If OpenAI and Anthropic gain ticker codes, these firms will be black holes for liquidity, and any other AI company that goes public after these events aren’t going to be welcomed as warmly by investors. This means AI companies need to make a choice: go public as soon as possible, or expect to stay private for a very, very long time. Take our poll: What AI tools do you use at work? Zeus, the mascot of Zero Shot, was generated using AI. Everything else is made by humans, just like all articles, columns, newsletters, and other podcasts created by The Ken. Write to us with comments, critiques, suggestions, or just to say hi: zeroshot@the-ken.com. We respond to everyone who contacts us.

14 Jan

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1h 2m
29/12/2025

When private equity acquires schools, the price may be quality education

Private equity is reshaping India’s schools. A relaxed New Education Policy and rising demand for international curricula have opened the doors for global operators to buy up chains across the country. The promise is scale, better infrastructure, and tighter governance. But the reality looks a little different—lean budgets, shrinking salary hikes, and a growing focus on cost-cutting. And the fallout? Increasing staff attrition, decreasing academic quality, and schools trading their founder-led ethos for a standardised model. Tune in. *Disclosure: The writer comes from a family that previously owned a school acquired partially by International Schools Partnership (ISP) **This episode was originally published on September 16th 2025Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

29/12/2025

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12 min
23/12/2025

Career forecast 2026: Pyramid collapse, hiring woes, and being human in an AI world

We started 90,000 Hours because we believe careers are at an inflection point. Nothing seems to be certain anymore as old rules are actively being thrown out of the window. As we wrap up five months of this podcast, our reporting and stories reflected just that. We have covered everything from how the American dream has shifted to how traditional networking has upended. Across all these episodes, some themes showed up time and again. And before heading into 2026, we ask: — What will replace the pyramid structure in organisations? — What will the assessment of AI-led productivity look like? — How to get hired when hiring is broken? Have thoughts on the episode? You can take this short survey or write to us at rahel@the-ken.com and vidhatri@the-ken.com. Credits: Written and produced by Rahel Philipose, Vidhatri RaoEdited by Rajiv CN

23/12/2025

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29 min
09/06/2025

Starlink’s deal with Jio-Airtel is more optics than real partnership

Elon Musk’s Starlink is just months away from launching in India. Amazon’s Kuiper will follow in 2026. The satcom green light is finally here — the regulator’s long-awaited guidelines are out, and the Department of Telecom has drawn up its strict new rulebook. Surprisingly, the satellite players aren’t blinking. Even more surprising? After years of resistance, Jio and Airtel have suddenly struck deals with Starlink. But here’s the twist: behind the scenes, neither telco seems eager to actually sell Starlink terminals. So why the sudden handshake? And what’s really going on under all this satellite sparkle? Tune in to find out how India’s broadband future is being reshaped. Tell us what you thought of this episode. You can text us your feedback on WhatsApp at +918971108379 Apply here to join The Ken as a product designer Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

09/06/2025

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12 min
25/07/2023

Credit-on-UPI is going to change credit card economics forever

The fintech sector has been buzzing after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) permitted credit lines on UPI a few months ago. From what we know so far, banks are likely to gain the most out of it. But a credit line-backed UPI product will also change how customers use credit. While they might continue to choose credit cards for high-value purchases, for smaller purchases like groceries and clothes, they could very well start looking at the new product. The whole rewards system which had been helping issuers draw huge numbers of credit-card users, is going to change with it. In fact, it may even come to and end. Tune in. RecommendationThe Indian credit market is ripe for disruption againFree airport lounge access helped sell more credit cards. Now its come to bite banks Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

25/07/2023

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10 min
12/11/2025 • THE KEN PREMIUM ONLY

‘Made by humans’, Perplexity says the quiet part out loud, AI in courtrooms

Welcome back to Zero Shot, The Ken’s weekly discussion where Brady, Praveen, and Rohin go beyond the headlines to probe the major shake-ups in artificial intelligence. This week, Brady notices how media producers and creators emphasising how their work is “made by humans”. This type of disclaimer looks like the beginning of a bifurcation of content into AI-generated output and “handcrafted” media. Take a few steps further and there are consequences for education, contractual agreements, and legal disputes. Rohin looked at Perplexity’s snapback after Amazon sued it over making agentic shopping available via the Comet browser, enabling automation that places orders on behalf of users. For consumers, the question to consider is: would you hand over your credentials to an AI agent and let it represent you, while you shoulder all legal liability for its actions? Finally, Praveen presented AI’s first major use case in the Global South. Tools and platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Adalat AI are speeding up research, stenography, and other tasks in the legal arena, making it possible for court proceedings to move faster. India isn’t alone in this; court systems in other parts of the world such as Brazil and China are using artificial intelligence in their own ways too. Zero Shot’s cover art is generated using AI. Everything else is made by humans. We appreciate your critiques, suggestions, and ideas. Send them to zeroshot@the-ken.com, or write in just to say hi. If you’d like to sponsor Zero Shot, let’s talk. Additional Reading Pluribus: “This show was made by humans”https://bsky.app/profile/thespaceshipper.com/post/3m54is34d5c2l Rosalía on Lux: “It’s all human—very much human”https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/arts/music/rosalia-lux-interview.html This year’s Coca-Cola holiday ad exposes one of the biggest problems with AI-generated videohttps://www.businessinsider.com/coca-cola-ai-holiday-ad-glitches-highlight-ai-shortcomings-2025-11 Chinese court again rules AI-generated images are eligible for copyright protectionhttps://www.chinaiplawupdate.com/2025/03/chinese-court-again-rules-there-is-copyright-in-ai-generated-images/ Bullying is not innovationhttps://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/bullying-is-not-innovation Norway tests show Chinese-made electric buses can be halted remotely by manufacturerhttps://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/norway-tests-chinese-made-electric-bus-yutong-halted-remotely-5448366 4,000 Indian courts have done away with typing. An AI revolution is onhttps://theprint.in/ground-reports/4000-indian-courts-have-done-away-with-typing-an-ai-revolution-is-on/2770297/ Petition in Supreme Court says GenAI in judiciary may lead to fake case lawshttps://www.thehindu.com/news/national/petition-in-supreme-court-says-genai-in-judiciary-may-cause-hallucinations-lead-to-fake-case-laws/article70262821.ece

12/11/2025

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50 min
29/05/2024

How Wakefit and other new-age mattress companies are selling you sleep

New-age D2C mattress brands like Wakefit and The Sleep Company have successfully made orthopaedic mattresses into a mass product. They are changing the landscape of the mattress market in India with their innovative science and tech based approach and clever marketing techniques. Wakefit, for example, literally offers a “sleep internship" where all you have to do is "sleep for 9 hours everyday for a hundred days and earn up to 10 lakh rupees." It's come to a point where even older and bigger mattress makers have had to adapt these changes and start selling these orthopedic mattresses. But is this really about the science or more about the selling? Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.

29/05/2024

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9 min
17/08/2025 • THE KEN PREMIUM ONLY

Tejas Networks’ diving share price is a Mayday signal. Is DoT’s antenna working?

India’s stock market seldom tends to influence the workings of its federal bureaucracy. But for the country’s telecom mandarins, who have just floated a new draft national policy for the sector, the investor response to one listed company could be the canary in the coal mine. At Rs 9,800 crore, the market value of Tejas Networks, a Tata-owned maker of telecom equipment, is now half the peak it reached 10 months ago. What’s odd is that Tejas Networks is now worth only a little more than its revenue. At the heart of investor frustration, and perhaps even fear, is the big pile of payments the company is yet to receive from its customers, including the government (the owner of telco BSNL). It’s striking, then, that the draft telecom policy includes a plan to handhold 500 startups and MSMEs working on emerging telecom technologies. But what’s truly conspicuous in the policy is what’s not in it. The Ken’s Seema Singh explains in this edition of Make India Competitive Again, as narrated by Seetharaman G. Read this edition as a newsletter: https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/tejas-networks-diving-share-price-is-a-mayday-signal-is-dots-antenna-working/ ( https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/tejas-networks-diving-share-price-is-a-mayday-signal-is-dots-antenna-working/ )

17/08/2025

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7 min
20/07/2025 • THE KEN PREMIUM ONLY

The hidden costs of superstar family businesses

Two of India’s most prominent family business groups are in a fight. They’re both after a majority share of Chinese electronics company Haier’s India arm. In one corner of the ring is Reliance, which recently launched its own electronics brand, Wyzr. In the other is the Bharti group, which has never sold consumer electronics. But this is a space where fortunes are being made, so it makes sense to have a hand in it. Bharti appears to be in the lead, given it has teamed up with private-equity firm Warburg Pincus. They’re after a 49% stake and could pay $720 million for it. The Bharti group already operates in a range of sectors—telecom and infrastructure, insurance, real estate, hospitality, agriculture, food, and space communication. Its planned addition of electronics to the mix is just the latest episode in the increasing business concentration in India. For the last quarter of a century, 25 family business groups have accounted for 15–20% of India’s GDP. This has largely remained unchanged, and likely won’t change anytime soon. Seema Singh explores why in this edition of Make India Competitive Again, as read by Brady Ng. Read this edition as a newsletter: https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/the-hidden-costs-of-superstar-family-businesses/ ( https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/the-hidden-costs-of-superstar-family-businesses/ )

20/07/2025

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12 min

The audio edition of The Ken’s Make India Competitive Again newsletter, spearheaded by Seetharaman G. Every Wednesday, our editors and reporters read the latest edition and chronicle what India is doing, will do, and should do—to not just survive but thrive in the chaos unleashed by Donald Trump.

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BUSINESS NEWS
You’ll spend 90,000 hours at work in your lifetime. How do you make that time count? 90,000 Hours is a weekly podcast from the newsroom of The Ken that helps you navigate today’s changing world of work, where the traditional 40-year career is gone, entry-level jobs are being replaced by artificial intelligence, and staying relevant means constantly reinventing yourself. Hosted by Rahel Philipose and Vidhatri Rao, the show features conversations with the people creating, breaking, and rewriting the way we work.

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CAREERS
The Two by Two podcast is a premium business podcast from The Ken that investigates, discusses and breaks down the most important business stories around you. Hosted from The Ken's newsroom by business journalists Rohin Dharmakumar and Praveen Gopal Krishnan, Two by Two will feature guests and experts from across the industry and academia to talk about issues no one else is talking about.

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BUSINESS
Join Brady Ng, Praveen Gopal Krishnan, and Rohin Dharmakumar of The Ken as they discuss the big ideas in artificial intelligence. You’ll get the macro view, explore their experiments in practical applications, go deeper than the news coverage you’ve seen, and hear about the implications of the latest developments. Nothing is off the table.

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TECHNOLOGY
First Principles is a weekly interview podcast comprising authentic, candid, and insightful conversations between some of India’s most accomplished founders and business leaders, and Rohin Dharmakumar, The Ken’s CEO & co-founder. From personal philosophies, mental models and decision making frameworks, to reading habits, parenting styles or personal interests, each episode will delve into what makes each of these leaders unique.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP