Software Glitches Are Turning Mahindra’s New EVs Into High-tech Paperweights Daybreak podcast

55:34

In this special episode, hosts Snigdha Sharma and Rahel Philipose are joined by Soumya Rajan, founder and CEO of Waterfield Advisors, India’s largest multi-family office and wealth advisory firm. The conversation begins with a simple but important question: what does financial empowerment actually mean for women with wealth? Over her decades in the world of wealth management, Soumya began noticing a consistent blind spot—traditional financial systems weren’t designed with women’s realities in mind. Even wealth advisory firms, she found, were falling short. That led her to launch HERitage, a specialized arm within Waterfield, focused on serving the financial needs of women more intentionally and effectively. Soumya explains a framework she developed called T.O.U.C.H to outline how women tend to invest differently from men: they trade less, invest with clear goals, prioritize sustainability, and are more conscious and diversified in their approach. These patterns aren’t just preferences, they reflect a fundamentally different way of thinking about money. The episode also draws on insights from Waterfield’s Women of Wealth survey, which looked at the investment behaviors of over 100 high-net-worth Indian women. The findings challenge a lot of conventional thinking: women are deliberate and strategic investors, but they still face barriers when it comes to financial literacy, access, and decision-making power. Soumya also talks about how women in India are creating wealth—whether through inheritance, entrepreneurship, or leadership roles in corporate India—and how they’re using that wealth not just for security, but for impact. The conversation touches on growing trends in philanthropy, interest in global markets, and the rise of “passion investments” in areas like art, wellness, and legacy building. Tune in Soumya recommends — TV Show: Lioness Book: The Outsiders Tell us what you thought of this episode. You can text us your feedback on WhatsApp at +918971108379. You can also write to us at podcast@the-ken.com 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.…

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Can Ather escape Ola Electric's shadow? 13:31

1 day ago13:31

13:31

Electric two-wheeler maker, Ather Energy, listed on the bourses on earlier in May, but its IPO was subscribed just 1.4X—a modest showing for a company once seen as a premium EV pioneer. The lukewarm response reflected investor fatigue, sparked by Ola Electric’s volatile stock performance, the Blusmart funding controversy, and global supply chain headwinds. Despite a strong product portfolio and a reputation for in-house innovation, Ather faces an increasingly crowded market and mounting pressure to scale. IPO proceeds will fund a new manufacturing plant in Maharashtra, expanded R&D, and marketing—moves aimed at boosting capacity and competitiveness. Yet, with subsidies shrinking and profitability still out of reach, Ather’s long-term success hinges on its ability to grow sustainably, reduce costs, and prove it’s more than just another EV startup riding a fading wave. Tune in. P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for. 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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here…

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Why Swiggy's marketplace for therapists & tarot card readers is much more than a side hustle 9:12

3 days ago9:12

9:12

Pyng, launched on 15 April, is quite a departure from Swiggy’s core food-focused business. The service marketplace, uncharted territory for Swiggy, is offering services of “verified professionals” (think therapists, chartered accountants, and even energy healers). No, it’s not a modified version of Urban Company. At least, not yet. For one, the latter offers standardised services comprising blue collar workers. But why exactly is Swiggy, a company with a market capitalisation of over Rs 80,000 crore, diversifying its business? 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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here Have a question for The Ken's next event on health, fitness and wellness? Here's your chance to help us shape the conversation: https://theken.typeform.com/to/bZhqWl2g…

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Aakash Chaudhry made millions off the IIT craze. His new target: international schools’ unhappy parents 14:45

4 days ago14:45

14:45

The landscape is pretty bleak. In the race to produce more Ivy League-worthy students, Indian schools are selectively opting to teach IB. Teachers, in turn, find themselves shifting between the Cambridge and IB syllabi, often trying out things they aren’t trained for. Students and parents, meanwhile, are running in circles trying to find an able tutor after spending Rs 5–20 lakh on their child’s education. It helps no one that there are just a handful of dedicated, IB-trained teachers in the whole of India who can help students with the demanding curriculum. Enter Sparkl Edventure. With Sparkl, the former CEO of Aakash Institute is betting on these schools' inadequacies and our obsession with private tutoring. 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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here Have a question for The Ken's next event on health, fitness and wellness? Here's your chance to help us shape the conversation: https://theken.typeform.com/to/bZhqWl2g…

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'I cancelled the trial but I'm still being charged'—the UPI Autopay trap 11:27

5 days ago11:27

11:27

When Rohan, a 35-year-old software engineer, signed up for a Rs 1 trial on a learning app called Seekho, he thought he had nothing to lose. He cancelled the subscription within weeks but money was still being deducted from his account months later. UPI Autopay, the rising star of India’s subscription economy is quietly letting apps to keep charging users long after they think they've cancelled. From overlooked SMS alerts to sneaky terms hidden in fine print, we find out how widespread this problem really is and why so many users are only waking up to it now. Tune in. P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for. 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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here…

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Prime gets ads — the OTT plot twist (feat ex-Netflix marketing head Swati Mohan) 39:25

8 days ago39:25

39:25

Nearly a decade ago, Hotstar, Netflix, and Amazon Prime entered the scene and positioned themselves as the anti-TV. No fixed showtimes. No endless ad breaks. No re-runs you had to sit through just because nothing else was on. For the first time, we were in control. TV became personal. It became on-demand. And best of all—it was ad-free. It felt like there was no going back. But now something has shifted. Subscriber growth is stalling, and that’s making streaming platforms nervous. Really nervous. Their answer? Bring back ads. Amazon Prime Video is the latest to jump into India’s ad-supported streaming game, also called ad supported video on demand or AVOD. And Netflix? It’s reportedly toying with the idea of a free, ad-supported tier here—just like it’s doing in a few other markets. In other words, OTT is starting to look a lot more like the very thing it was supposed to replace Have we come full circle? Or is this just the natural evolution of an industry growing up? Daybreak hosts Snigdha and Rahel speak to Swati Mohan, the former head of marketing at Netflix India, to find out Tune in. P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for. 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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here…

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Chief digital officers eat chief information officers for breakfast 11:48

9 days ago11:48

11:48

Back in 2016, the Internet and Mobile Association of India set up an all new club for what was then a very small cohort of digital leaders in corporate India. It was called the all-India Chief Digital Officer club. Back then, there were only about five-six CDOs that were members. The point of the initiative was to give legitimacy to this new, emerging role. But soon enough, the initiative fizzled out. Not because the role didn’t take off or anything. Actually, the opposite. The initiative became redundant because the role became even more popular than they had anticipated. So it started with 5-6 members, but within the next four years its membership rose to 50 and then doubled the next year. You see, digital transformation has become THE buzzword for corporate India. And in the process, the CDO has become part of the companies top leadership. But the question is — where does that leave the CIO? Tune in. *This episode was originally published on 18 December, 2024 P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! Here’s what we’re looking for. 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.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two here…

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AI has made its way into banks. But the gates aren’t wide open 14:39

10 days ago14:39

14:39

For decades, the whole process of getting a loan approved was infamously painful and long winded. But now things have changed. Getting a loan is a whole lot faster than before. And that’s because of the disruptor to end all disruptors — artificial intelligence. A bunch of companies have entered the scene with specalised AI tools to speed up different aspects of the loan-approval process. In fact, Indian AI startups have managed to raise nearly 750 million USD in 2024 and the banking and financial sector was one of the top drivers of this growth. Now at first glance, it seems like a win-win for both the borrower and the bank. But there’s a catch. This surge has come with a lot of scrutiny from the RBI. Tune in. *This episode was first published on Jan 15, 2025 Tell us what you thought of this episode. You can text us your feedback on 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.…

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Why India’s ultra-rich are keeping it in the family — and out of VC funds 18:48

11 days ago18:48

18:48

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.…

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Third time unlucky — why Softbank pulled the plug on Oyo’s latest IPO attempt 7:59

12 days ago7:59

7:59

At first glance, things seem to be really looking up for India’s very own budget-friendly hotel chain Oyo. It’s had some pretty big wins in the last few months. So why then is its eventual IPO still the subject of such widespread speculation? The Ken's Deputy Editor Seetharaman G put it quite well in the latest edition of his newsletter on the Indian stock market, ‘Long and Short’. He said – ‘few companies are as good as Oyo Hotels at not going public’. Its listing has been a few years in the making. It first filed in 2021. Then again in 2023. And then it was just about to give the share sale another shot when its largest shareholder, Softbank, threw a spanner in the works. Here's the thing — between the delayed IPO, top notch rivals, and demanding investors, things will only get harder for Oyo. 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.…

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How the Pahalgam attack sent banks scrambling to clean up digital payments 14:28

15 days ago14:28

14:28

Just two days after the Pahalgam terror attack, alarm bells went off inside India’s financial system. A stern message from an HDFC Bank executive summed up the mood: “They may come for us now.” The national security tragedy triggered a sudden and sweeping crackdown on India’s digital payments ecosystem. Behind closed doors in Delhi, top officials from the Finance Ministry, Home Affairs, and the Reserve Bank of India launched a coordinated push to track suspicious merchant activity online like gambling, betting, drug trafficking. The idea was to follow the money all the way to its possible links with terror funding. The fallout? Payment aggregators are scrambling, banks are under intense pressure, and merchant screening firms are suddenly flooded with work. Everyone’s rechecking everything. But who's the collateral damage? 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.…

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Why Zara India needs to go solo or go home 9:30

16 days ago9:30

9:30

Zara and Tata’s retail arm, Trent, have been partners for 15 years. But that relationship might be coming to an end because Zara’s not pulling its weight anymore. Its share of Trent’s overall sales has dropped from 28% to just 10% in six years. Its rivals like H&M and Uniqlo have moved faster, reached more cities in a much shorter time span. Meanwhile, Trent’s been busy. It used what it learned from Zara and built something better. Zudio, its budget fashion brand, just hit $1 billion in sales in FY25. It’s fast, affordable, and everywhere. Now, Trent’s planning to upgrade Westside into a premium brand to go head-to-head with Zara and H&M. How Zara lost its edge and what did Trent get right? Tune in to find out. 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.…

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Angel One is reinventing itself. But just sponsoring IPL and targeting HNIs won't cut it 11:00

17 days ago11:00

11:00

One clear sign that Angel One—India’s third-largest discount broker—is serious about reversing its fortunes is that it bought itself a front-row seat at India’s most expensive distraction: the Indian Premier League. That’s ambitious. Especially for a company that just flunked its latest earnings test. Between fiscal year 2020 and 2024, Angel One proudly nuked its full-service past—no more phone calls, no more reports, no more advisers—and became a pure-play discount broker. Just an app, an order button, and some notifications. When the markets were roaring, that was enough. But now, not quite. Enter Plan B: be a super-app. 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.…

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Using Swiggy, Zepto, or Cred? They have access to at least 150 apps on your phone 12:52

18 days ago12:52

12:52

In March this year, a software developer that goes by Pea Bee online published a blog rather ominously titled ‘Everyone knows all the apps on your phone’. He found that several Indian app-based startups are flouting rules of Google Play—Android’s app store—to access people’s data. In particular, some apps use a workaround to scrutinise the names and usage patterns of other apps on people’s phones. In real time. Now, the fact that apps have a lot of your data may not be a surprise to you. We’ve been pretty cavalier about our data for some time now. Remember Digi Yatra? But the scary thing is that Indian companies are equally nonchalant about the user data they collect. The result? Data-security breaches have been on the rise. So what is a data conscious Indian customer to do? 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.…

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Physics Wallah’s Rs 15 lakh ‘BTech’ comes without a BTech degree 13:56

19 days ago13:56