Daybreak

Explore how Cleartrip's acquisition by Flipkart brought challenges and struggles in adapting to the changing travel industry, veering away from traditional OTA strategies and maybe learning a thing or two from old-school travel agents.

Energy drinks like PepsiCo's Sting are gaining immense popularity in India, with a 30X increase in consumption in a year. They have become a go-to choice for various demographics as stimulants, meal replacements, and even cocktail mixers. PepsiCo's Sting holds 90% of the market share, driving Varun Beverages' stock price up by over 1000%. However, concerns arise over the youth's unawareness of the health risks associated with these drinks.

A 29-year-old media professional from Lucknow discusses her experience with Indian dating apps that bridge casual dating and marriage. These apps offer autonomy with parental approval, connecting users with similar backgrounds. The podcast explores user preferences, business models, and challenges faced by individuals navigating 'datrimonial' apps in India.

It has been a tough couple of years for India’s Chartered accountants. This was and to some extent still is one of the most sought after jobs in the country. But lately, the amount of risk involved in their work has been amped up considerably. And as a result, CAs have been resigning left, right and centre. The reason this is happening is because the auditing industry has been undergoing a major shake-up. And behind this shakeup is a relatively new, independent audit regulator called the NFRA, or the National Finance Reporting Authority. The NFRA has set all sorts of records in the last two years. Since 2022, it has debarred 78 auditors and imposed close to Rs 20 crore in penalties. Tune in. 

According to a survey by S&P, more than 75% of Indian adults do not understand basic financial concepts. The gap is 5% more when it comes to women.So the rise of financial influencers who simplify complex financial jargon and provide investment advice is not really surprising. But often, they underplay risks  and overplay returns, and try to ride the market waves.In fact, SEBI, the market capital regulator, has been receiving many complaints and is working on creating a framework of strict guidelines to bring them under its control.But reining these ‘finfluencers’ in is a bit of a catch-22 situation.Tune in.

Since 2021, Toyota and Maruti have been engaged in somewhat of a marriage of convenience. The terms were pretty simple. Toyota would share its hybrid technology with Maruti Suzuki. In exchange, Toyota would get to re-enter the pocket-friendly segment. So what this meant was that the non-premium Toyota cars sold were actually built by Maruti. And the fully hybrid cars sold under the Maruti label were built by Toyota. This arrangement has worked well for both companies for multiple reasons. The biggest of which is the growing popularity of hybrid vehicles in India in the recent past. But in the process, EV makers seem to be losing big time. Tune in.P.S. While you are here, why don't you check out the latest episode of The First Two Years, The Ken's early careers podcast. It's a good one! Akshaya talks about how to network without seeming desperate. Check it out 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.

Learn about how credit card companies are grappling with the high costs of offering free airport lounge access as more and more people take advantage of this perk. Discover the changing policies of major banks and the impact on the credit card industry.

Praveen Gopal Krishnan from The Ken discusses India's 10-minute delivery apps, user behavior, and app loyalty. They explore why people choose specific apps and how they shape the economy. The podcast delves into user preferences, survey results, and the unique traits of Swiggy, Instamart, Blinkit, Zepto, and BigBasket. Factors influencing user loyalty are analyzed, along with a comparison of Blinkit and Zepto's strengths and demographics.

At the time of demonetisation, the country was desperately seeking an alternative to cash. And a payments regulator called NPCI or the National Payments Corporation of India, was our unexpected knight in shining armour. The NPCI managed to launch UPI at just the right time. This was a revolutionary, once in a generation product that really put the NPCI on the map. Over the years, UPI also became a huge political asset for the Central Government. That’s evident from the fact that political leaders, including the PM, have made it a point to repeatedly endorse UPI. But nearly two general elections later, the pressure is on for the NPCI to come up with a new product, the next UPI. And the NPCI is really feeling the pressure. 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.

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.