BusinessLine Podcasts

A member of SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) board will be asked to disclose any interest even that of his family member, while participating in the decision making, under a new proposed Bill -The securities markets code, 2025. Also, the market regulator will have to transfer its surplus to the government. The proposed law, once enacted, will replace the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 and the Depositories Act, 1996. Now, the Bill will be examined by a select committee before taken for consideration and passage. The Code further seeks to strengthen investor protection, promote investor education and awareness, and ensure effective and time-bound redressal of investor grievances. Moving on to the aviation sector…The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday initiated proceedings against IndiGo under the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002 for recent flight disruptions across various routes. According to a CCI communique, based on an “initial assessment” of the disruption in the aviation sector, proceedings will be initiated under the anti-competition law. What this means is that the Commission has formed a prima facie opinion about evidence of a market disruption caused by IndiGo’s market dominance, to warrant a formal probe. The will follow a formal inquiry by the Director-General, which has the power to summon executives, record statements and demand internal company documents or mails. From aviation, let’s turn to technology and manufacturing…India’s newly-established semiconductor manufacturing units have begun production of commercial chips, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to build a domestic electronics and manufacturing ecosystem, a top government official said on Thursday. Speaking on the sidelines of an event, S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said that India’s semiconductor programme was moving steadily towards full commitment under its first phase.Next, some big leadership changes in telecom…Bharti Airtel on Thursday said Shashwat Sharma, currently the CEO Designate, is all set to assume charge as Managing Director and CEO of the telco with effect from January 1, 2026. The board of India's second-largest telecom company has also greenlit the appointment of Vice Chairman and MD Gopal Vittal as Executive Vice Chairman from January 1, 2026, for five years, subject to the shareholders' approval. The board cleared the appointment of Chief Financial Officer Soumen Ray as Group Chief Financial Officer and Akhil Garg as Chief Financial Officer (Airtel India), effective January 1, 2026. Finally, a major development in Parliament…The Lok Sabha Speaker on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025 that replaces the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) amid tearing of the copies of the bill by opposition members.

High operating costs have long posed a challenge for Indian airlines, and the weakness of the rupee has exacerbated the issue. India is a highly competitive and price-sensitive market. Yet Indian airlines and airports continue to invest in growth and adopt new technologies and solutions to improve efficiency. As part of tbusinessline's year-end podcast, Aneesh Phadnis speaks to Sumesh Patel, President for the Asia-Pacific region at SITA, a specialist in air transport communications and information technology, to discuss the outlook for Indian aviation. (Host: Aneesh Phadnis, Producer: Siddharth MC)

Your Thursday morning business and economy update Rural jobs revamp, regulatory scrutiny, and IBC reform momentum. 🎧 On today’s episode: The Centre’s MGNREGA spending may drop by nearly a third under the new Viksit Bharat – Gramin Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission law, SEBI reviews a proposal to make top officials disclose their assets amid privacy concerns, and a parliamentary panel calls for tighter timelines and clearer rules in the IBC overhaul.

In this episode of the BusinessLine Podcast – Year-Ender Series, Amiti Sen is joined by Biswajit Dhar, trade expert and former Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, to explore how India has navigated the geopolitically turbulent waters of 2025 and the impact on its international trade. Highlighting India’s approach to strategic autonomy, “India has actually signalled that it is going to look after its own interests, very much in the way that President Trump has signalled to the rest of the world that he is concerned about US interests and little else,” says Professor Dhar. He further stresses the importance of this strategic positioning as countries move away from mutual interdependence. “In today’s world, these kinds of mutual interdependence seem to have gone out of the window... every country will have to look at its own strategic interests, and India has done this,” Dhar adds. The conversation also touches on India’s growing number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and its emphasis on diversifying trade partners, especially with the Global South. He advocates for stronger ties with developing nations, explaining, “Most of these countries have similar interests as ours... in critical areas like intellectual property and other issues such as standards, where the developing countries’ standards are much more aligned with India’s,”. Looking ahead to 2026, Professor Dhar underscores the importance of prioritising partnerships with Africa and Central Asia, where India’s interests are best served. (Host: Amiti Sen; Producer: Siddharth MC)

Your Wednesday morning business and economy update Rupee slides, rural jobs reboot, and record IPL bids. 🎧 On today’s episode: The rupee breaches a historic ₹91 against the dollar as markets tumble on FII outflows, the government introduces the Viksit Bharat Bill to replace MGNREGA sparking a storm in Parliament, and uncapped stars Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer fetch over ₹14 crore each at the IPL 2026 auction.