The Morning Brief

Wrappers to Winners: Why Google Chose India for Its First AI Futures Fund

Google and Accel have teamed up to launch their first-ever AI Cohort in India, a pre-seed program designed to back the country’s most ambitious AI founders at a moment when global giants like Microsoft are announcing multibillion-dollar AI investments in India. In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Jonathan Silber, Co-Founder & Director of AI Futures Fund, Google, and Accel partners Prayank Swaroop and Pratik Agarwal to unpack why India was chosen as the global starting point, what the program offers, and how it aims to shape the next wave of AI innovation. From early access to cutting-edge Google DeepMind models to hands-on mentorship from engineers, researchers and venture partners, the guests explain how the cohort is built to give Indian startups a genuine global advantage. They discuss the surge in AI adoption across India, the challenges founders face in scaling internationally, and why both organisations believe India is ready to produce category-leading AI companies for the world. Tune in. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/]Check out other interesting episodes from the host like ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000738448473], ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000737335976], ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000736346116], ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000735309153] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on 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.

ET in the Valley: Krish Ramineni, Co-founder & CEO at Fireflies.ai

Fireflies started as a small experiment by two young engineers trying to fix a simple workplace problem: remembering what was said in meetings. A decade later, it has quietly become one of the few profitable AI companies operating at global scale. In this episode, of ET in the Valley, host Himanshi Lohchab talks to Co-founder & CEO at Fireflies.ai, Krish Ramineni traces that path from manually joining calls as “Fred” to validate demand, to rebuilding the product after securing early access to OpenAI’s APIs. He discusses the pressure of fast followers, why note-taking was only the entry point, and how Fireflies is now expanding into sector-specific workflows across healthcare, finance and retail. Krish also explains why the company resisted the fundraising race, how it approached M&A interest, and why he believes the next phase of AI will involve “AI employees” handling routine work across tools. It’s a grounded conversation about discipline, timing and what real adoption looks like in an overheated AI market. Tune in. ou can follow Himanshi Lohchab on her social media: X [https://x.com/HimanshiET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/himanshi-lohchab-751804173/] Check out other interesting episodes like - Nobel Laureate James A Robinson On Power and Prosperity, AI and Society [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nobel-laureate-james-a-robinson-on-power-and/id1568661777?i=1000736185213], Corner Office Conversation with Apollo’s Dr Preetha and Suneeta Reddy [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/corner-office-conversation-with-apollos-dr-preetha/id1568661777?i=1000736022013], Groww’s ₹6,600 Cr Leap - Fintech’s Big Market Test Begins [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growws-%E2%82%B96-600-cr-leap-fintechs-big-market-test-begins/id1568661777?i=1000735482598] , OML CEO on the Creator Economy’s Next Wave [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oml-ceo-on-the-creator-economys-next-wave/id1568661777?i=1000734328149] & much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on 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.

How IndiGo and Air Travel Unravelled

India’s biggest airline didn’t just stumble, it unravelled. When IndiGo collapsed, thousands were stranded, but the real story runs much deeper. Aviation insiders unpack how ignored fatigue rules, poor planning, and a culture of silence pushed India’s largest carrier into chaos. In this episode, Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks to Capt. Amit Singh of Safety Matters, Ameya Joshi of Network Thoughts, and ET’s Arindam Majumdar to decode how IndiGo’s days-long meltdown exposed deep cracks in pilot planning, safety oversight, and the regulatory system meant to keep flyers safe. Experts explain why new fatigue rules triggered panic, how a shortage of captains spiralled into mass cancellations, and whether the crisis was mismanaged or engineered. A revealing look at monopolistic power, weak checks, and what happens when a dominant airline pushes the limits. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/] Check out other interesting episodes from the host like ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000738448473], ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000737335976], ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000736346116], ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000735309153] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on 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]. Credits: NDTV [https://youtu.be/fiNnkSOt2eQ?si=VDEz5RadY9ANqwyL], News9Live [https://youtu.be/sepBSaMd-cA?si=wqGxV0p8Wd9ZZbH0], CNNNews 18 [https://youtu.be/zgVJ8ivuO1k?si=JmwlAwvVAAzTPGTB] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Corner Office Conversation: Diego Bianchi,, Vice President, Global Hubs, Sazerac

Bourbon is having a moment and Sazerac wants India to be its next big frontier. In this episode, of the Corner Office Conversation ET’s Ratna Bhushan talks to Diego Bianchi, VP,Global Hubs at Sazerac, who takes us inside Kentucky’s historic Buffalo Trace Distillery to understand how the 200-year-old American spirits giant plans to grow in a market long ruled by Scotch. Bianchi breaks down the company’s India strategy: educating new drinkers, betting on cocktail culture, expanding distribution, and building brand stories that resonate with a young, curious consumer base. He also weighs in on tariff cuts, pricing pressures, regulatory challenges, and why India is now one of Sazerac’s most important growth markets. Can bourbon move from the fringes to the mainstream in India? This conversation explores the stakes and the storytelling behind that push. Tune In. You can follow Ratna Bhushan on her Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ratna-bhushan/], Twitter [https://x.com/ratnabhushanET] profiles and read her Newspaper Articles. [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/etreporter/author-ratna-bhushan-11974.cms?from=mdr] Listen to Corner Office Conversation: Corner Office Conversation with Knight Frank’s William Beardmore-Gray and Shishir Baijal [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/corner-office-conversation-with-knight-franks-william/id1827451035?i=1000733611681], Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/corner-office-conversation-with-sridhar-vembu-ceo-of/id1827451035?i=1000731722117], Corner Office Conversation with Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director, Youtube India [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/corner-office-conversation/id1827451035?i=1000731513423], Corner Office Conversation with Elizabeth Reid, Head of Search, Google [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/corner-office-conversation/id1827451035?i=1000728953575] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/corner-office-conversation/id1827451035]. Catch the latest episode of “Corner Office Conversation” on: Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4fq4hKHPZO3MVDNhtOQ5OU?si=99e033dfb01a44c7], Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1f0c9fc5-f702-4a84-bd7d-4f010bea72a5/corner-office-conversation], Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777],and wherever you get your podcasts from. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

BCG India Head on India’s Manufacturing Test

India wants manufacturing to power its next big leap from 17% to 24% of GDP, and eventually to a $30 trillion economy. But how realistic is that in a world of tariffs, fractured supply chains and geopolitical churn? In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Rahul Jain, India head at the Boston Consulting Group, who breaks down what it will actually take. He explains why India’s large domestic market is an advantage, why indigenisation and exports must rise together, and why scale, cost competitiveness and real R&D investment will decide whether India becomes a global manufacturing force, why three-quarters of cost-cutting programmes fail, how resilience has become a core business metric, and why CEOs need to get comfortable making decisions in uncertainty rather than waiting for stability. As global alliances shift and AI reshapes business, he argues that India’s demographics, STEM talent and political stability give it a rare opening if industry and government can move with speed and discipline. Listen in: You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X [https://twitter.com/AnirbanET] and Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/]Check out other interesting episodes from the host like ET in the Valley:  Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000738448473], ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000737335976], ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000736346116], ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777?i=1000735309153] and much more [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777]. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on 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.