The Ken

•

Channel • 6 Shows

Business News

Business News

Updated daily
Business News

Business News

Updated weekly
Technology

Technology

Updated weekly
Business

Business

Updated weekly
Careers

Careers

Updated 20 Jan
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Monthly

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

•

12 min
01/04/2024

Online shopping is no fun without free returns. But Myntra, Ajio hate them

The entire logic of buying online instead of going to a store rests on e-commerce companies making it easy to return stuff. What if it doesnt fit me? What if it is damaged? Just ask for a return and someone comes to your doorstep and picks it up. However, as it turns out, e-commerce companies hate returns because reverse logistics are a costly affair for them. Now, the likes of Ajio and Myntra are changing their return policies. Some are even blocking some customer accounts. But are customers ready to give it up yet? 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.

01/04/2024

•

10 min
30/12/2025

How surging property prices are turning dream homes into pipe dreams

Property prices across Indian cities have gone through the roof, up by nearly 30% in the last two years. This along with ever increasing rent and general cost of living has made planning for the future quite challenging for those in their 20s and 30s. So has the idea of home ownership changed among the younger generations, like in many Western countries where more and more people are choosing to rent rather than buy? Or are we still attached to the idea of owning a home? And what’s behind these record-breaking property prices anyway? Tune in to find out. 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.

30/12/2025

•

33 min
11/04/2025

‘Boys will be boys’ — Trump, tariffs and the dismantling of global trade

In this episode, we talk about the global trade war that stopped before it started. First, we talk about US President Donald Trump's decision to reverse the "reciprocal tariffs" on almost every country in the world, except one. Next, we talk about why India had little choice but to offer concession after concession to the US. Finally, we unpack the long term and short term impact of the tariffs on the Indian economy. Check out the newsletters and podcasts mentioned in this episode: The latest edition of The Nutgraf by Praveen Gopal Krishnan — India is the mark Two by Two feat Mohit Satyanand — Are Trump's tariffs a crisis or an opportunity for India?

11/04/2025

•

15 min
13/07/2025

Why IIMs are betting big on bachelor's degrees

Until recently, the prospect of an IIM offering a standalone undergraduate degree seemed unlikely. Traditionally known for their elite postgraduate programs, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have long been synonymous with MBA excellence. That image is now undergoing a significant shift. IIM Sirmaur is among the many who have introduced a bachelor’s program. IIM Kozhikode and IIM Sambalpur have followed suit. IIM Bangalore and IIM Lucknow are also preparing to launch similar courses. After decades of focusing solely on postgraduate education, the IIMs are moving into new academic territory. What’s driving this transformation? And why now? Tune in. To apply to The Ken’s podcast team, click 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.

13/07/2025

•

11 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

•

9 min
20/10/2025

If AI is really changing everything… where’s the evidence?

Is the AI revolution already running out of steam? Despite years of hype about a world transformed by smart tools and endless innovation, the data tells a quieter story. The growth is flat, the excitement is fading, and there have been fewer breakthroughs than expected. Has AI already peaked or are we just looking in the wrong places? In today's episode, we dive into one of The Ken’s most thought-provoking essays by Praveen Gopala Krishnan, 'What does an AI bubble burst look like?'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.

20/10/2025

•

13 min
27/11/2024

How regional jewellery brands are trying to beat Tanishq at its own game

For more than two decades, India’s jewellery industry has been dominated by one name and one name only – Tanishq. The Titan-owned brand has managed to become the go-to jewellery store for people across the country. Some may even call it the gold standard, literally. But since last year, things have been changing. Tanishq’s dominance is being challenged. Not by some massive international player or any other pan-India brand. Nope. Instead, it is regional players that are starting to dim Tanishq’s shine. You may have noticed all the Malabar Gold and Kalyan Jewellers ads and billboards that have popped up in the last year or so. Both are regional brands that have really been giving Tanishq a run for its money. The funny thing is all of these regional brands have risen to the top by doing exactly what Tanishq does best. They are literally hijacking Tanishq’s own playbook. And in the process, what was once Titan’s exclusive territory, with its 8% market share in a sea of unorganised competition, is now getting crowded. Tune in. **This episode was first published on August 20, 2024 Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here 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.

27/11/2024

•

17 min
16/01/2023

How some edtechs are forcing tutors to drive sales

With the funding crunch and slow growth, edtechs like Unacademy and Vedantu are giving teachers monthly targets to sell online courses to students. Not meeting sales targets is reason enough for edtechs to fire teachers as part of cost-cutting exercises. Tune in to find out how teachers are being forced to become the new sales force in some edtech companies.

16/01/2023

•

12 min
11/11/2025

Why VLCC is still opening weight-loss clinics in the Ozempic era

When Ozempic began changing how the world lost weight, most slimming companies panicked. But VLCC didn’t. Backed by Carlyle, it’s opening more clinics than ever before. Because to Carlyle, Ozempic isn’t a threat—it’s just another doorway into India’s beauty economy. In this episode, we look at how VLCC’s new owners are turning an existential challenge into expansion, why its products are taking a back seat to real estate, and what the future of India’s weight-loss industry looks like in the age of GLP-1 drugs. Tune in.

11/11/2025

•

13 min

All of The Ken's free and premium podcasts in a single channel