Behind the scenes: How the data and science teams measured heat stress
The podcast episode features interviews with the four journalists behind Taking on the Heat, a data-driven story on heat stress in Chennai. The story follows the daily experiences of four working-class individuals with varying levels of exposure to direct sunlight. Each participant was equipped with a device that recorded temperature and humidity data throughout their workday.
The analysis sheds light not only on their exposure to heat but also on how they manage it—and what kind of support the State could offer to ease their burden.
Guests: Vasudevan Mukunth, Nitika Francis, Srinivasan Ramani, and Areena Arora
Host: Vignesh Radhakrishnan
Camera: Shivaraj S, Thamodharan B, and Kailas Krishna Editing: Shivaraj S and Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Produced by: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian
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33:36
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33:36
What is India doing about its child trafficking problem
Nearly all of us have seen an instance of it: a child working at a streetside tea shop, begging at a traffic light or perhaps even as a domestic help at some homes. Not many of us realise perhaps that a large number of these children are trafficked: taken away from their families and forced into exploitative, abusive labour.
July 30 is observed as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. In today’s podcast, we are joined by Bhuwan Ribhu, founder of the organisation Just Rights for Children and a child rights activist to talk about the scope of the problem in India, the government’s response and most importantly, what more needs to be done, to protect every child in our land.
Guest: Bhuwan Ribhu, Founder of Just Rights for Children and Child Rights Activist
Host: Zubeda Hamid
Edited by Jude Francis Weston
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33:24
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33:24
Did a Wall Street Giant Crush India’s Small Options Traders?
More than a year ago, on options expiry days, which are trading sessions when bets are settled, Mayank Bansal began to notice something odd. Prices were moving just before the close in ways that felt too precise. Someone was winning too perfectly.
Mayank, a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based hedge fund manager, had spent years studying options — cheap, high-risk contracts that let you bet on where markets will go. If you're right, the profits can be huge. If you're wrong, which is what most retail investors are, you lose everything.
A U.S. court case would later point to Jane Street — one of the world’s most powerful proprietary trading firms, which means it trades using its own money, not clients’. Known for its lightning-fast algorithms and puzzle-solving traders, Jane Street had made over $4 billion in India in just two years.
India’s market regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) says Jane Street placed large trades in a few key stocks just before the market closed. These trades pushed the index in just the right direction to make their options bets pay off, a tactic that SEBI calls a “well-planned and sinister” scheme. Jane Street denies any wrongdoing.
In this episode, Mayank tells us what he saw and why it raises serious questions about who really wins in India’s booming options market.
Guest: Mayank Bansal, a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based hedge fund manager
Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran
Produced by Jude Francis Weston
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27:29
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27:29
Pitch Imperfect: The ISL suspension and Indian football's latest crisis
On July 11, the upcoming 2025–26 season of the Indian Super League was abruptly put on hold by its organiser, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), citing uncertainty over the Master Rights Agreement with the AIFF.
This unprecedented move has left players, clubs and fans in limbo, and raises fresh questions about the governance and sustainability of Indian football’s top-tier league.
What exactly is behind this standoff? Does it signal deeper structural issues in Indian football? And how is the Indian football ecosystem affected by this?
Guest: Amitabha Das Sharma from The Hindu's sports bureau
Host: Reuben Joe Joseph
Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian
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32:33
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32:33
Tesla Finally Lands in India: Is It Too Late?
Back in 2016, Tesla began taking preorders from Indian customers with no timeline for delivery. Now, nine years later, it’s officially arrived — but much has changed. The Indian EV space is more competitive, homegrown players like Tata and global brands like BYD have made inroads and import duties remain steep.
And in the premium segment that Tesla is targeting, it’s not the first mover. German brands like Mercedes, BMW and Audi have been here for years.
What took Tesla so long? Why did early adopters like Vishal Gondal cancel their bookings? And is India ready — in terms of infrastructure, pricing and policy — for what Tesla offers?
Guest: Vishal Gondal, tech entrepreneur and early Tesla hopeful
Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran
Produced and edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian
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