The Ken

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Channel • 6 Shows

Technology

Technology

Updated 2 days ago
Business

Business

Updated weekly
Careers

Careers

Updated 3 days ago

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated weekly
Business News

Business News

Updated daily
Business News

Business News

Updated weekly
Business

Business

Updated weekly
Careers

Careers

Updated 3 days ago
Technology

Technology

Updated 2 days ago

20 MAY

Why India’s ultra-rich are keeping it in the family — and out of VC funds

Family offices—the ultra-rich who used to hand over their money to VCs and wish them well—are now wondering why they ever bothered. Why did they pay someone to do what they could do themselves, on their terms? Their primary gripe? The funds are not returning money. Of course, the so-called middlemen in this scenario aren't too pleased. After all, they are losing a substantial amount of business in the process. But it all boils down to one thing – who’s running the money. Tune in. Daybreak is looking for a talented audio journalist with at least two years of experience. Check out the role here. 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.

20 May

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19 min
12 JUN

Rapido wants to make food delivery affordable. But can its restaurant-first strategy dish out profits too?

For nearly a decade, Swiggy and Zomato have fed our hunger and dominated prime real estate on our phone screens, leaving very little room for any serious challengers. Most who tried to break in got their fingers burnt before they even got started. But now, a new player has decided to throw its hat into the ring. This is a player that has some experience taking on titans, though the last time around it was in a completely different space. Rapido – the Bangalore-based startup that quietly muscled its way into India’s ride-hailing market – is all set to launch its own a food delivery platform called 'Ownly'. Sure, Rapido’s mission of zero commission, equal pricing in offline and online, and meals as low as ₹150 looks compelling,but the real question is: how will Rapido make money? Tune in. Want to attend The Ken's next event on health, fitness and wellness? Buy tickets here. Here's your chance to help us shape the conversation: https://theken.typeform.com/to/bZhqWl2g

12 Jun

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14 min
4 MAY • THE KEN PREMIUM ONLY

Bharat Shining: India’s farms are its biggest trade weapon

Despite low yields, debt, and climate change, India should be an agricultural powerhouse.In some ways, the country is on its way to attain that status. One figure tells this story: in the five years leading up to 2022, the number of Indians who couldn’t afford a healthy diet—that’s an intake of 2,330 kilocalories from six different food groups a day—went down by 16%, outpacing the global decline. India’s increasingly abundant food production doesn’t just address needs at home. It also gives the country an edge in global trade.Even though India’s share of global farm exports is just 2.2%, there are signs that this will grow. In the decade leading up to FY24, for instance, India’s farm exports more than doubled to over $48 billion. There’s incredible untapped potential. See how Brazil exported $54 billion worth of farm goods to China in 2023. India’s outbound shipments to the US, its largest trading partner, amounted to just one-tenth of that amount. The fact that India isn’t subjected to high tariffs from the US puts it in a position to develop a more favourable trade relationship in the future. So, where does India’s agriculture sector go from there? Seetharaman G explains in this week’s free edition of Make India Competitive Again. Read this edition: https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/bharat-shining-indias-farms-are-its-biggest-trade-weapon/ ( https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/bharat-shining-indias-farms-are-its-biggest-trade-weapon/ ) Subscribe to the Make India Competitive Again newsletter: https://the-ken.com/newsletters/make-india-competitive-again/ ( https://the-ken.com/newsletters/make-india-competitive-again/ ) Check out The Ken Premium on Apple Podcasts to listen to the latest edition: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/the-ken-premium/id6744577070 ( https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/the-ken-premium/id6744577070 )

4 May

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6 min
1 SEPT

Why Peyush Bansal did the opposite of every rulebook move before Lenskart's IPO

When Peyush Bansal spent more than Rs 200 crore to buy back Lenskart shares from investors at a deep discount, it wasn’t just a bold trade. It was a rare move few founders manage. He essentially clawed back equity before heading into an IPO. And this extra stake pushed him into “promoter” status, a role many startup leaders once avoided but are now racing to embrace. Why the sudden shift? What does it reveal about founders, investors, and regulators in India’s IPO boom? Tune in. 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.

1 Sept

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10 min
31 AUG

When India’s billionaires fight over legacy, who do they call?

From the very public Ambani family feud to the private struggles of the Raymond family, the transfer of wealth and power has often been messy. With over 850,000 millionaires in India, and many of them looking to transition their wealth in the next decade, there's a growing, yet largely unaddressed market for a specific type of expert: the succession coach. Part mediator, part therapist, part strategist—they do more than just advise. They keep dynasties from tearing themselves apart. Tune in. 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.

31 Aug

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13 min
28 AUG

Can Trump's tariffs push India to rewire its global trade?

On August 27, 2025, U.S. tariffs on Indian exports doubled to 50%, slamming nearly $60 billion worth of goods from textiles and gems to furniture and leather. Industry groups warn shipments to America could plunge by more than 40%, with job losses running into the hundreds of thousands. But behind the headlines lies a deeper story. For decades, Indian exporters leaned on the predictability of the U.S. market. But it was a comfort trap that left them dangerously exposed. Now, that comfort has snapped. Factories are idling, the rupee is weakening, and growth forecasts are being cut. And yet, this shock could also be the push India needs to diversify and build resilience into its export ecosystem. Can a crisis this severe become the catalyst for transformation? Tune in. More on Trump's tariffs:1. US consumers may not notice the ‘Made in India’ tag, but after Trump's tariffs, their wallets will2. Biden said 'please' till 2024. Trump's saying 'penalty' in 2025 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.

28 Aug

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15 min
9 MAY

How a Bangalore biotech quietly built a blindness breakthrough in under $10 million

Eyestem, a 14-member biotech startup from Bengaluru is turning heads in global pharma circles. With just $10 million and a modest 1,200 sq ft office, it has developed a promising cell therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—a condition that leads to blindness and has no cure. Early trial results are not only encouraging, they’re outperforming billion-dollar competitors in the West. But this isn’t just about scientific innovation. It’s about doing more with less. Eyestem’s founders set out with a bold goal: to build a cutting-edge treatment that’s actually affordable, especially for Indian patients. Think world-class therapy in under $10,000. In the current world of cell and gene therapies, where treatments often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and remain out of reach for most, it is next to impossible. How did Eyestem achieve this and what does this means for the future of biotech in India? Tune in. If you have any thoughts or questions about this episode, send them to us as texts or voice notes on Daybreak’s WhatsApp at +918971108379. 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.

9 May

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10 min
13 MAR

Will Starlink in India pull off what giants Airtel and Jio couldn't?

In this episode we fill you in on some of the biggest business and tech stories from The Ken newsroom. We will talk about Reliance and Airtel’s latest deal with Space X’s Starlink Internet; how Dhan, the stock broking underdog, is defying all odds; and finally, we discuss the market for treating farmed animals humanely. Stay tuned Check out the stories and podcasts we mentioned in this episode: Dhan is the stock-broking underdog that Chryscapital and Hornbill are after. But why?How big is the market for treating farmed animals humanely?

13 Mar

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17 min
11 MAR

SUVs are taking over India — one accident, one parking spot at a time

After years of being associated with powerful politicians and menacing goons thanks to Bollywood films, SUVs are now undergoing a makeover. At car dealerships across the country, they are now being positioned as the ultimate family car — a fortress that can keep your loved ones safe on treacherous Indian roads. The word on the street, according to multiple sales executives and industry insiders, is that Indian carmakers are deliberately positioning these vehicles as rolling citadels. And it's working. SUVs are now outshining hatchbacks in annual sales. But this love for SUVs among buyers is like the inexplicable craze around skinny jeans—no one likes them except the manufacturers and the ones in them. Simply put, more SUVs on the road mean more worry for everyone else. Tune in. 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. The Ken is hosting its first live subscriber event! Join two long-term and contrarian CEOs, Nithin Kamath of Zerodha and Deepak Shenoy of Capitalmind, as they discuss the mental models, decision making frameworks, and potential outcomes related to a very real possibility: an extended stock market winter that lasts 24 months or more. Click here to buy your tickets.

11 Mar

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12 min
11 MAY • THE KEN PREMIUM ONLY

100 mn diabetics. Still no country for insulin

India had as estimated 101 million diabetics in 2023, with another 136 million people in pre-diabetic state. Among them, 11 million people are on insulin therapy. It’s a market worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore with Novo Nordisk as the leader, controlling 60%. Two other MNCs—Sanofi and Eli Lilly—control another 25%. All three companies are phasing out their insulin products in the country. One pair of entities stand to benefit from those departures: the Bengaluru-based Biocon Group and its new commercial partner, Eris Lifesciences. Even though Biocon is India’s largest pharmaceutical company, it never had more than 10% share of the country’s insulin market. The MNCs consistently kept Biocon’s influence in India in check, so the firm took its insulin business overseas, to countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, and the United States. But the vacuum at home will change things for Biocon-Eris very soon. Seema Singh and Sudeshna Ray cover this development in this week’s edition of Make India Competitive Again. Read this edition: https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/100-mn-diabetics-still-no-country-for-insulin/ ( https://the-ken.com/newsletter/make-india-competitive-again/100-mn-diabetics-still-no-country-for-insulin/ )Subscribe to the Make India Competitive Again Newsletter: https://the-ken.com/newsletters/make-india-competitive-again/ ( https://the-ken.com/newsletters/make-india-competitive-again/ ) Download our app and subscribe to The Ken: * iOS: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-ken/id1282944688 ( 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 ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ken.core&hl=en&gl=US&pli=1 )

11 May

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9 min

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
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
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
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, the show features conversations with the people creating, breaking, and rewriting the way we work.

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CAREERS
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