The Morning Brief

What happens when long-simmering tensions between two regional powers erupt into a flashpoint for global concern? In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury is joined by Barbara Slavin, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Centre to unpack the fragile but ferocious dynamic between Iran and Israel. Framed by the October 7th Hamas attacks and the Gaza War, the conversation traces the deeper history of Iran’s relationship with Israel and the rise of the so-called Axis of Resistance. From regime stability in Tehran to nuclear ambitions, Barbara offers insight into whether this conflict marks a shift in Iran’s regional strategy or simply a recalibration. The episode also probes the role of the United States, questioning why it acts as a combatant rather than a mediator and whether its long-standing “maximum deterrence” doctrine still holds water. Is there still hope for peace?  Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/]Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000702130670], Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000712174615], Trump vs Harvard: India Impact [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000710947447], Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000710014158] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play [https://www.etplay.com/etplay], The Economic Times Online [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777], JioSaavn [https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief] and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@theetpodcasts]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

An Air India flight took off on June 12 and within seconds, it became one of the deadliest air crashes in recent memory. Only one of the 242 people aboard survived. The official investigation has been hamstrung by a severely damaged black box that had to be flown to the NTSB lab for decoding.   Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks to Aurobindo Handa, former head of India’s air accident probe agency, to understand what it takes to uncover the truth after an air crash. Drawing on his years of experience including the Calicut crash of 2020 he also sheds light on what holds back India’s air safety investigations: low budgets and short-staffed teams. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/] Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000702130670], Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000712174615], Trump vs Harvard: India Impact [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000710947447], Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000710014158] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play [https://www.etplay.com/etplay], The Economic Times Online [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777], JioSaavn [https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief] and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@theetpodcasts]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London, Air India flight AI171 crashed, killing 241 of 242 people onboard, marking India’s worst aviation disaster in over a decade. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with safety and flight ops expert Amit Singh, founder of Safety Matters Foundation as well as ET’s aviation experts Forum Gandhi and Arindam Majumder, to unpack the tragedy that has shaken the foundations of India’s aviation sector. With the black box recovered and investigations underway, the episode explores what is known so far, the hard questions around airline accountability, and whether lapses in safety protocols played a role. Tune in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/]Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000702130670], Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000712174615], Trump vs Harvard: India Impact [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000710947447], Explaining India’s Record FDI Freefall [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000710014158] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play [https://www.etplay.com/etplay], The Economic Times Online [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777], JioSaavn [https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief] and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@theetpodcasts]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

As rare earth shortages disrupt global manufacturing, India’s auto sector is feeling the crunch. In this episode of The Morning Brief, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Shally Seth Mohile speak with Ankit Somani (Co-founder, Conifer), Hemal Thakkar (Senior Practice Leader and Director, Crisil Intelligence), and Vinnie Mehta (Director General, ACMA) to unpack how China’s tightening grip on rare earth exports is sending shockwaves through India’s auto sector. With restrictions on critical elements and magnets used in EVs, defense, and electronics, Indian supply chains are strained. Rare earth magnets up to 15 times stronger than steel magnets and power everything from regenerative braking and sensors to infotainment and battery systems. Yet despite having the world’s fifth-largest reserves, India lacks the refining capacity, magnet-making infrastructure, and policy clarity to compete. The result? Deepening dependence on China, which controls more than 85% of global processing. As export approvals get entangled in a multi-agency licensing maze, Indian manufacturers are scrambling to respond from redesigning tech to lobbying for domestic capacity. This episode explores whether India can future-proof its clean-tech ambitions or stay magnetized to global risk. Tune In You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/]You can follow Shally Seth Mohile on her social media Twitter [https://twitter.com/shallysmohile] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shally-seth-mohile-b65ab74/]Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000702130670], The Curious Case of IndusInd Bank [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000701174049], The Influencer Economy’s Quiet Reset [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000701977001], India’s Biggest Hospital has a Chronic Illness [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000700201610] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play [https://www.etplay.com/etplay], The Economic Times Online [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777], JioSaavn [https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief] and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@theetpodcasts]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

DHL Express, has made a strategic turnaround in the last 15 years to become a key revenue driver for the DHL Group. At the helm is its CEO John Pearson, a 40 year veteran at the logistics behemoth. But as geopolitical forces give new directions to global trade, DHL must find new anchors. In this Corner Office Conversation Pearson talks to Anirban Chowdhury, who joins him at DHL’s Dubai facility, and ET’s Forum Gandhi about how he and his company are navigating the shifting sands, air and waters of global trade and how India is playing a critical role in its recalibrated plans. Tune in. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/]Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000702130670], The Curious Case of IndusInd Bank [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000701174049], The Influencer Economy’s Quiet Reset [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000701977001], India’s Biggest Hospital has a Chronic Illness [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000700201610] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play [https://www.etplay.com/etplay], The Economic Times Online [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777], JioSaavn [https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief] and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@theetpodcasts]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.