Global Indian Times Podcast

Global Indian Times

Unique stories about Indians and India www.globalindiantimes.com

  1. 3d ago

    All Company Mergers are Purchases says Harvard Professor Nitin Nohria

    (Photo: Nitin Nohria. Courtesy TheCEObook) Extract from the Podcast Pacing in front of a whiteboard in his office at Baker Library, Nohria added it was less important whether Endeavor merged with William Morris, ICM or United Talent. It was more important to accept that mergers do not exist – all mergers are purchases, with one company swallowing the other. The rest is spin. Emanuel quotes Nohria: “There will be a ferocious power struggle in the early days...People don’t like to cede control...You have to squelch that resistance early, with blunt force, before it unsettles the rank and file.” In 2025, Nohria established a charitable trust which initially supports his daughter’s career in medicine. At the end of the trust’s term, the remaining assets will provide fellowships to students at MIT’s Sloan School. Nohria’s PhD at MIT was funded by a fellowship. “MIT Sloan truly opened the doorway for me to have the life that I’ve had,” Nohria told the Sloan publication. The amount contributed by Nohria to the trust was not disclosed. In September, Nohria also published a book, The CEO: The Role, The Reality, The Responsibility. It is based on Nohria’s studies of hundreds of CEOs who attended a workshop at the Harvard Business School. The book has been praised by Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, among others. Nohria writes about how effective executives “set an agenda, allocate time, communicate priorities, drive change, and carry the full weight of the role.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com

  2. Sep 12

    Vijay’s Election as Chief Minister Confirms Power in Tamil Nadu Flows from a Cinema Screen

    (Photo: Joseph Vijay, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. Courtesy TVK party.) By Anand Kurian, Shirish Kavadi and M Guruprasad September 12, 2026 Extracts from the podcast: In Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state of roughly 80 million people, Tamil cinema did not simply produce the occasional politician. It is the crucial launching pad for politicians, including Chief Ministers. They include C. N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhi, both popular writers and screenwriters, and film stars M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and J. Jayalalithaa. In May 2026, actor C. Joseph Vijay, founder of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (Tamil Victory Party), TVK, took over as Chief Minister after the state assembly election. However, the rule of film stars was not entirely benign. They faced widespread allegations of corruption and nepotism. Leader worship and dynastic succession weakened internal party democracy and civil liberties. The death of Jayalalithaa exposed how she had assumed total power in the AIADMK, leaving no clear heir. Similar concentration of power was evident during Karunanidhi’s long dominance of the DMK and, since 2021, after his son M.K. Stalin became Chief Minister. Alby Anand Kurian is senior faculty and Director of Post Graduate Programmes in International Business & Strategy, as well as Business & Management, at the University of Exeter, UK. His book, ‘The Peddler of Soaps’, was on the India Today best-seller list. Shirish N. Kavadi is a historian, academic and independent researcher based in Pune. His work focuses on the history and politics of health, medicine and philanthropy in India. He has taught and published widely on healthcare, social policy and development. M. Guruprasad is Associate Professor and Director of Student Research at Universal AI University, specializing in economics, marketing and research methodology. A prolific scholar, he has authored seven books and more than 200 articles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com

  3. Aug 21

    Are Indians, Who Use Electronic Payment Systems, Protected from Theft

    By Sunil Mani August 21, 2026 SUMMARY When a consumer in India buys a toothpaste on Flipkart, or sweets at a local store, or bananas from a street vendor, or pays for an Uber ride, she pays by scanning a QR code, sent by the vendor, via her Google Pay App on her cell phone. To protect themselves, consumers are expected to use a security PIN. The vendor receives immediate confirmation from their bank that the payment was received, assuming there are enough funds in the customer’s bank account which is linked to her App. Once approved by the sender’s bank, the funds move directly to the recipient’s bank account. Google Pay, PhonePe and other apps also enable consumers to receive electronic payments from employers, banks, and government programs. These platforms replace similar transactions made in the past using cash and checks. There is hence an urgent need for an annual study to examine consumer losses, arising from fraud and other risks, especially for the elderly and those who have not completed secondary education. The study should also identify the true, total costs for a consumer to use the electronic payments system. Such studies should be both easy to conduct and accurate since the data is electronic, offering all the details of every transaction. The studies, perhaps funded by the Reserve Bank, ought to be done by a reputed, independent research institution. Until such studies provide insights on consumer losses and costs, there will be legitimate doubts when Indian officials claim that the country’s rapidly expanding digital-payment system is a major success. Sunil Mani is a visiting professor, Centre for Development Studies, and Ahmedabad University, both in India. The views expressed are personal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com

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Unique stories about Indians and India www.globalindiantimes.com