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Channel • 7 Shows

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Updated weekly
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Updated daily
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Updated 22 Mar
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Updated 26 Jan
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Monthly
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Technology

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04/01/2023

How cooking-oil companies have been misleading consumers in India

The packaged-food market is rapidly growing in India and along with it so is the edible oil market. It was estimated to be worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crores by the the end of March 2021. Meanwhile, oil companies have been using the media and sneaky branding techniques for decades to tell consumers that their products are healthy. But are they? Tune in to find out.

04/01/2023

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12 min
11/08/2024

Coaching giant Allen Career Institute's Kota stronghold may soon become history

Every year, nearly three lakh students flock to the city of Kota in Rajasthan, the coaching capital of the country. Almost half of them enroll themselves at Allen Career Institute, a 36 year-old pioneering coaching centre that was last valued at over 1 billion dollars. Lately, Kota’s reputation has been under question because of the frequent student suicides. This has obviously affected the number of students coming in and for the first time in its history, the coaching giant Allen is seeing a fall in its admissions. And its no small dip. Admissions have dropped by over 35% to around 80,000. But here’s the interesting part. This isn't restricted to Allen institute in kota alone. Its happening in other cities too. Actually two years ago, VCl investment firm Bodhi Tree Systems came into the picture and Allen began expanding the number of campuses outside Kota. Now, in total, there are over 200 of them and at least, one-third are new. The company’s CEO Nitin Kukreja told The Ken that Allen entered 16 new cities like Patna and Lucknow last year alone. A senior teacher at Allen Kota told us that for a centre to be profitable, it needs at least 4,000–5,000 student enrolments. But right now, Allen is not even seeing half of this. At least half a dozen senior Allen staffers and competitors told The Ken that a big chunk of these new centers are losing money. Staff pays have taken a hit but Allen is also hiring staff in new cities with a possible plan of shifting base out of Kota. In today’s episode we take a look at what’s happening inside one of the country’s latest test prep giants. Tune into to Two by Two's latest episode, 'Delhi pricked the Bengaluru bubble' here

11/08/2024

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10 min
27/01/2025

From luxury cars to lunch with celebs — wealth managers are going all out to woo the ultra-rich

Welcome to the world of luxury-lifestyle management, where firms like RedBeryl, Indulge Global, and Quintessentially play the role of concierge for their ultra-wealthy clients, making the impossible possible. Now this sort of thing has become even easier for the rich. Because their wealth managers are also taking care of some of these requests. It isn’t a one -off thing. Companies like RedBeryl, Indulge GLobal, Quintessential – all of which play the role of concierge for their ultra wealthy clients – are increasingly partnering with wealth managers to edge out competition and increase their clientele. In today’s episode, we dive into how wealth managers are finding new ways to delight the ultra-rich. Tune in Daybreak is now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode! 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.

27/01/2025

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11 min
11/01/2023

The antitrust case that forced Google to approach India’s top court

Last year, the CCI found Google guilty in two of the four antitrust cases against the tech giant. In one of the cases that involves Google's dominance in the Android OS market, the CCI has asked it to pay a fine of $161 million dollars. Google approached the NCLAT contesting CCI's order, asking the tribunal to squash it but NCLAT declined. Now, Google has moved the country's top court. What is the Android OS case all about? Tune in to find out.

11/01/2023

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11 min
10/01/2023

Why occupancy at the country’s largest multiplex chain is declining

PVR, the country’s largest multiplex chain, made up for the pandemic-induced revenue loss by raising the prices of tickets and food and beverages. But it saw its occupancy fall to the lowest levels in a decade even after movie theatres reopened at full capacity. What is keeping India's theatres empty? Tune in to find out.

10/01/2023

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10 min
07/12/2022

How Apple is winning India

In the year that ended in March 2022, Apple saw its India revenue shoot up to an all-time high by 45%. But for the longest time Apple's growth in India was sluggish. What's making Apple's fortunes in India turn around so drastically? Tune in to find out. For more on this, read this report by Soumyajit Saha: Indians’ love for the iPhone is stronger than ever. But Apple retailers are not happy

07/12/2022

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11 min
11/02/2025

What does it take to sell makeup to men?

It’s 2025 and the idea of “masculinity” has undergone a complete overhaul. You see, after several product life cycles, the men’s grooming business has reached a stage where brands aren’t just formulating shampoos and body washes exclusively for men. They are also coming up with compacts and concealers, and a bunch of other makeup products targeted at men. In fact, in the last decade or so, India has actually become the biggest market in the Asia Pacific region for beauty products for men. And yet, nothing much has changed about how these brands pitch their products to men. 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. We are now on WhatsApp at +918971108379. Text us and tell us what you thought of the episode!

11/02/2025

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11 min
4 DAYS AGO

Your retirement may not survive its first bad year. This number could help

Market shocks hit retirees harder than anyone else. For those just retired or on the verge of it, a sharp early drop in portfolio value can cause damage that compounds quietly over decades, long after markets recover. The American war in Iran is the latest trigger. And it may not be the last. The good news: careful planning can offset the risk. A concept called the safe withdrawal rate, used correctly, can be the difference between a corpus that lasts 30 years and one that runs out in 20. 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.

4 days ago

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10 min
25/07/2024

Gen Zs are powering astrology’s billion dollar glow up. Has science left the building?

The global astrology market today is worth nearly $13 billion. In India alone, the online astrology market is estimated around $100 million and is expected to grow ten times in the next five years or so. But this isn’t astrology as we’ve known it. In the last few years, astrology has had a facelift and it’s largely thanks to Gen Z. They have rediscovered it and turned it into a full blown cultural moment. Meme pages, Astro Twitter, mercury retrograde—astrology has become a pop culture phenomenon, not just here in India but across the world. New-age astrology apps like Co Star and Pattern give you the option of checking whether your “vibes” match with your friend or love interest. It's like modern-day kundli matching. And Gen Zs are here for it and more. They’re also using astrology apps to check what stocks to put their money on, for their appraisal season—basically, anytime they have to make a decision, big or small. We wanted to know why the Gen Z, a generation that’s been recognised for its hyper-awareness about things like climate change, politics, governance is embracing astrology so passionately despite all of its very well documented flaws as a pseudoscience. Also, how are astrology app makers are responding to this trend? To find out, we spoke to two Gen Zs—Misha Verma, a 22 year-old 2D animator from Bengaluru and Khushi Singh, a 23 year-old UI/UX designer from New Delhi who part times as a tarot reader, the founder of an AI-powered astrology app called Melooha, Vikram Labhe, and Nakul Shenoy, a mentalist based out of Bengaluru. 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.

25/07/2024

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42 min
31/07/2025

US consumers may not notice the ‘Made in India’ tag, but after Trump's tariffs, their wallets will

A 25% tariff on Indian textiles maybe a blow to India’s exports but that’s only half the story. The latest trade move by Donald Trump could hit closer to home for American consumers. India is the third-largest supplier of apparel and home textiles to the U.S. after China and Vietnam. Both countries already face heavy tariffs from the US. Together, China, Vietnam, and India account for nearly 60% of American clothing imports. So what happens when all three get taxed? In this episode, we examine the possible ripple effects on American retailers, sustainable fashion, small brands along with the average Target shopper. Meanwhile, India isn’t sitting quietly. It’s already diversifying into Europe, Africa, and other regions. Is this really about bringing back American jobs? Or will U.S. consumers be made to foot the bill? 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.

31/07/2025

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10 min

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