Top of the Morning

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: the RBI quietly hands Tata Sons a reprieve from a forced IPO. India finalises its satellite internet rulebook and drops the local sourcing rule for Starlink and rivals. The country's shipbuilding push starts pulling in real orders from global names. The E20 fuel scare turns out to be a story about your insurance fine print, not your fuel tank. And a tax tribunal shows the clubbing rule can actually work in your favour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. On today's Top of the Morning: India just filed for its biggest IPO ever, as the NSE goes public at a ₹5 trillion valuation. A little known businessman is sitting on a ₹5,800 crore fortune from one early Jio bet. Meta is dropping $900 million on Cred and handing its founder the keys to WhatsApp. The telecom department says no to cheaper spectrum. And the milk in your fridge has quietly become much harder to fake-check. 15 minutes, five stories, zero fluff. Tap play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A peace deal ends the Iran war, oil crashes, and then Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed again over the weekend. On today's Top of the Morning: what the whiplash means for crude and for India's import bill, why Kevin Warsh's first Fed meeting rattled the dollar, gold and bitcoin while stocks shrugged, the five triggers steering Indian markets this week and thehe quiet boom in India's power grid stocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oil is cooling after the US and Iran agree on a roadmap, but India's relief may be slow to arrive. Jaguar Land Rover writes its biggest ever dividend cheque in a year it falls into the red. Swiggy's founders buy a small stake in India's first space unicorn. A ₹7 trillion pool sits barely touched in Reits and InvITs. And the everyday credit card swipe that quietly chips away at your savings. Nelson John walks you through five stories shaping India's markets this morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John The US and Iran have reached a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and markets responded immediately. Today we cover the relief rally across global and Indian equities, the slide in oil and the firmer rupee, and what a steadier Gulf means for India's import bill and exporters. Plus, the World Bank lifts India's FY27 growth forecast to 6.6 percent against a slowing world, Sarvam becomes India's newest AI unicorn with HCLTech leading a 234 million dollar round, and a thoughtful take on what stays uniquely human in leadership as AI spreads. About 15 minutes, everything you need before the day begins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John.. The IPO India has waited nearly ten years for is finally moving. Today, the NSE files its draft papers, with a dozen big investors lining up to sell and LIC the name to watch. We also unpack the quiet income hit landing on small mutual fund distributors, NMDC's push to build a future beyond iron ore, why auto suppliers are packing more value into every vehicle, and a low-key standoff between Jio and Airtel over unused 5G airwaves. Plus the morning's headline roundup, from market mood and foreign outflows to the RBI's dollar push and SpaceX's Nasdaq debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The RBI is offering NRIs tax free dollar deposits that, with leverage, can deliver equity-like returns, part of a wider push to steady the rupee. US firm Opendoor is shutting its India operations and betting on AI instead, reigniting the debate over the future of back office work here. MetLife wants majority control of PNB MetLife now that India allows full foreign ownership in insurance. A weak El Nino monsoon threatens hydropower as power demand hits records. And the European Central Bank has hiked rates for the first time in three years, with the Fed up next. Top of the Morning with Nelson John is your daily briefing on Indian business, markets, policy and the global stories that move them. New episode every morning. #IndianEconomy #RBI #FCNR #Opendoor #ECB #Hydropower #BusinessNews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, Welcome to Top Of The Morning, I'm Nelson John. TCS chairman N. Chandrasekaran just made one of the boldest calls in Indian IT history, predicting the company could soon run as many AI agents as human employees. On today's Top of the Morning, we unpack what that means for six million engineers and a sector built on scale. We also cover PM Modi's NITI Aayog meeting with the states on jobs and skilling, the war in West Asia weighing on the economy, the government's push to build four new world-class private universities, Abu Dhabi's nearly ₹2,000 crore Lenskart share sale, and Adani Green Energy's record-breaking run alongside its growing debt. Plus a quick headline roundup on the markets, foreign investor outflows, the RBI's stance, Zepto's IPO filing, and more. Five stories. One clear eyed briefing. No noise. 🎧 Don't miss the latest Nelson John 360, a deep dive into the money behind football, the business most fans never see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. On today's Top of the Morning: India's top hotels posted record FY26 earnings, yet their stocks slid up to 35%. Canara Bank's new chief moved to reassure investors as SEBI's ₹15 lakh crore probe into Rajesh Exports widened. A new rule now forces solar projects to use Indian-made cells, and it's nudging tariffs higher. Global investor I Squared Capital is lining up a fresh India infrastructure fund. And India's milk output is set to rise 6% despite a weaker monsoon. Five stories, one clear briefing. Listen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: Washington proposes fresh tariffs on India and 59 others over forced labour, even as Ambassador Gor says the bigger India-US deal is 99 percent done. The cabinet clears nearly 20,000 crore rupees for jet fuel stability and cleaner transport in Delhi-NCR. Suzlon reinvents itself from a wind-turbine maker into a full-stack renewable player. And SEBI bars Rajesh Exports, alleging it inflated revenue by a staggering 15 trillion rupees. Listen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: Godrej launches its wealth arm with a ₹1 lakh crore target. Wockhardt wins FDA approval for India's first fully homegrown new drug. The weak rupee is squeezing AI startups, and founders are getting creative. The regulator looks set to clear Airtel's priority 5G plan. And the Supreme Court closes the casino industry's tax loophole. Five stories, ten minutes, no fluff. Listen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five stories from India and the world, in twelve minutes. Adani's quiet infrastructure giant AIIL has crossed ₹50,000 crore in orders. Timex India is betting on watches under ₹10,000 even as it pushes Aston Martin at the top end. Foreign investors are staying selective on Indian bonds. The RBI meets this week with the rupee sliding and oil elevated. And Anthropic's Mythos is forcing a hard conversation about powerful AI. Hosted by Nelson John. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Top of the Morning with Nelson John, we cover five stories shaping India's money and markets. SEBI has proposed letting employers deduct mutual fund investments straight from your salary, before it hits your account. We break down what it means and who it leaves out. We unpack the myths investors carry into a global crisis as the oil shock rattles markets. We look at the honest scorecard on India's PLI manufacturing push, big wins in electronics and uneven results elsewhere. We dig into how GIFT City is courting fintech firms and Gulf money to rival Dubai and Singapore. And we track the redesigned standard gauge Vande Bharat as India tries to export its trains to the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. On today's Top of the Morning: India's six biggest IT firms saw H-1B approvals fall nearly 40%, and they're moving more work home. India climbed to No. 2 among emerging markets in April, but the oil behind it is straining the rupee. US tariffs above 230% have wiped out India's solar exports, so makers are sourcing cells from Ethiopia. Airtel's new 5G priority plans have reopened the net neutrality fight. And a home services startup is recording inside customers' homes to train physical AI. Five stories worth your morning. Listen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I’m Nelson John. India’s electric bus rollout is entering its final phase, the Bajaj family is making a major healthcare bet after decades of restraint, LIC says global tensions could affect household savings, sugar exports are slowing sharply, and traders are closely watching the Nifty’s 23,800 resistance level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, Welcome to Top of the Morning, I'm Nelson John India is rewiring itself. From how the Adani Group is structured, to how India's offices are run during an oil shock, to how universities back their own startups, to how Tata is building India's first commercial 300mm chip fab, to how the country plans to store its renewable power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning, five stories about pressure and how institutions respond when it shows up. TCS has quietly told managers to classify 5% of employees as underperformers under "Band D," right after completing a 12,200-person workforce cut. We break down what Band D actually means, why this 5% quota is new, and what it says about margins in the IT sector. Vodafone Idea has reported its first profitable quarter in six years but most of that ₹51,970 crore profit is a one-time accounting gain from revised AGR dues. We unpack what the real underlying numbers look like. Adani Enterprises has agreed to pay $275 million to the US Treasury's OFAC over LPG shipments allegedly linked to Iran. Here's what the settlement covers and what's still open. India's palm oil import bill is climbing fast, and Indonesia's B50 biodiesel mandate is the next pressure point on global supply. And the WHO has declared the Ebola outbreaks in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Here's what India is doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John, and on Top of the Morning today every story is about a trade-off. Letting go of one risk to take on another. India is considering pushing ethanol blending past E20, all the way to E85 and E100 flex fuel cars. The savings on crude imports are real. But farmers are already switching from oilseeds and pulses to maize, rice and cane. India's edible oil and pulses import bill is bigger than a decade of ethanol savings. That tension is now on the table. UK insurer Prudential is rewriting its India strategy. After more than 20 years inside ICICI Prudential Life, it is cutting that stake to 10 percent and acquiring 75 percent of Bharti Life Insurance for ₹3,500 crore. The trigger is the new 100 percent FDI cap in insurance. Allianz, Chubb, Old Mutual and others are all reassessing. The map is being redrawn. Then the ₹3 per litre fuel hike, the sharpest in four years, lands right as kharif sowing begins. Diesel powers 40 percent of farm activity in India. The ripple into food inflation has already started. Apple has reportedly signed a preliminary deal with Intel to manufacture some of its chips. The story behind it is Nvidia overtaking Apple as TSMC's biggest customer, and the US government pushing chip production back onto American soil. And JSW Steel, through joint ventures with Japan's JFE and Korea's POSCO, is on course to hit 80 million tonnes capacity by 2032. That would make it the largest steelmaker outside China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John and today we're covering five stories that tell you exactly where India stands right now. GIFT City is quietly becoming India's gateway to global markets, but there's a catch most investors don't know about. India's MSME sector has survived COVID, war, and trade chaos and the data shows just how costly that survival has been. India's IT giants are in the middle of a full identity shift, moving from headcount to AI, and not every employee is making it across. On the ground, a war in West Asia is cutting into diesel supply, and that's keeping telecom towers dark across rural India. And from April 2026, the RBI's new payment authentication rules have kicked in the OTP era isn't over, but it's on notice. Five stories. All connected by one reality: India is adapting, whether it wants to or not. Tune in to Top of the Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John, and this is Top of the Morning. Today, the World Bank just raised India's growth forecast to 6.6% for FY27, calling it the fastest-growing major economy on the planet. India's EV market nearly doubled in FY26 with close to 2 lakh units sold, and the competition between Tata, Mahindra, and Maruti is heating up fast. Anthropic just revealed an AI model so powerful they refuse to release it publicly, launching Project Glasswing with Apple, Microsoft, and Google to fix thousands of software vulnerabilities before hackers find them. TCS posted its Q4 results with a strong recovery, but the full-year numbers tell a different story: the first annual revenue decline in constant currency since the company listed. And India's gaming industry is attempting the comeback of a lifetime after the real-money gaming ban wiped out 95% of Dream11's revenue overnight. Five stories. One theme. Every single one is a stress test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today, India had one of those rare mornings where every story broke in the same direction. The Sensex surged nearly 4 percent in its best single-day gain in five years, adding close to 17 lakh crore rupees in investor wealth. Crude oil crashed 14 percent. The RBI held rates steady at 5.25 percent, and Governor Sanjay Malhotra sent a quiet but important signal that low rates could be here for a while. The West Asia ceasefire has also opened a pathway for India's battered LPG supply chain to recover though experts caution it will take weeks, not days. And in today's personal finance story, we break down a tax trap that catches a lot of people off guard gifting property to your spouse. The gift is tax-free. The income it generates? That's a different story. All of this on today's Top of the Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. A last-minute ceasefire pauses the US-Iran war brokered by Pakistan, with talks now set for Islamabad on Friday. Inside India's IT sector, AI has nearly frozen mass hiring: the top five firms added just 17 net employees in nine months, down from 17,764 the year before. Tata Trusts is in a serious governance dispute after its CEO asked two senior trustees to step down without sharing a critical legal opinion — and the matter is heading to court. India's power grid is nowhere near ready for the data center boom that AI demands, with capacity needing to grow from 1.2 GW to 10 GW by 2030. And India launches an ₹7,280 crore scheme to build its own rare earth magnet industry and cut its dependence on China. All of that — on Top of the Morning today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John, and this is Top of the Morning. Today we're covering five stories that tell you exactly where the world stands right now. India's GDP forecast just got slashed by a full percentage point thanks to the Iran war. Your grocery bill is about to feel the heat as food prices climb globally. China is positioning itself as the peacemaker in West Asia while quietly benefiting from the chaos. The RBI is expected to hit pause on rate cuts as oil and inflation rewrite the rulebook. And Microsoft just launched its own AI models, signaling a dramatic shift away from OpenAI. It's all connected, and we break it all down. Tune in now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John, and on today's episode of Top of the Morning, we break down five stories shaping the business world right now. Oil is above $110 a barrel and the ripple effects are everywhere, from inflation concerns to airline ticket prices surging across India. India's consulting and IT sector is grappling with AI-driven layoffs as firms like KPMG, McKinsey, and Accenture cut thousands. The government has dropped a major overhaul of TV ratings, replacing 12-year-old rules with tighter controls, bigger sample sizes, and real penalties. And Oracle just executed what could be the largest layoff in its history, cutting up to 30,000 jobs globally, with 12,000 in India, all while posting record profits. Five stories. One theme: the great restructuring is here. Tune in now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Welcome to Top Of The Morning. Today, markets are bouncing back hard with Sensex jumping 1,500 points after the US paused strikes on Iran. But behind the rally, Goldman Sachs just slashed India's growth forecast to 5.9% as oil prices and a weakening rupee squeeze the economy. We look at what this means for ONGC, why India's sugar and grain lobbies want ethanol in your kitchen, and TRAI's bold new plan to fine telcos up to 1% of their turnover. Five stories, one thread: oil is reshaping everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Welcome to Top Of The Morning. Today's episode covers the biggest market crash of the week as the Sensex fell over 1,800 points on Monday. Oil prices swung wildly after Trump announced a five-day halt on strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure, sending Brent crude down 14 percent before partially recovering. The rupee hit a record low as the RBI juggled currency defence, bond buying, and liquidity management. India's LNG supply chain is under severe stress with factory shutdowns and cooking gas rationing. And foreign investors have now pulled over 1 lakh crore out of Indian markets in 2026. We break down each story and what it means going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good morning, I'm Nelson John. Welcome to Top Of The Morning. In today's episode, we start with the double shock that hit Dalal Street  HDFC Bank's part-time chairman Atanu Chakraborty resigned citing ethical concerns he observed over two years, sending the stock plunging 8% to a 52-week low and wiping out over one lakh crore in market value. The RBI took the rare step of publicly defending the bank's governance. We then look at HSBC reportedly planning to cut up to 20,000 jobs over three to five years as it accelerates its AI overhaul under CEO Georges Elhedery. Next, India's fuel price math under pressure as Brent crude surges past $115 following Iranian strikes on Saudi, Qatari, and Kuwaiti energy infrastructure, with the Strait of Hormuz under threat. And finally, a shift in Indian labour migration as Russia emerges as a new destination for blue-collar workers, with over 70,000 positions allocated for Indian nationals in 2026 under a bilateral mobility agreement though the opportunity comes with significant risks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I’m Nelson John. Welcome to Top Of The Morning. Today — a quiet power struggle is unfolding inside Tata Sons after Noel Tata puts conditions on Chandrasekaran’s third term. Volkswagen is building its own electric vehicle platform specifically for India. Indian tankers are navigating the Strait of Hormuz under Iran’s blockade to bring home desperately needed cooking gas. Adani just won NCLT approval for a Rs 14,535 crore deal that gives it nearly 4,000 acres in Noida. And Ola Electric is scrambling to raise Rs 2,000 crore as its scooter sales collapse. Five stories. One show. Let’s go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good morning, I'm Nelson John. Welcome to Top Of The Morning. President Trump says he expects to take Cuba as the island faces its worst energy crisis in decades. Global automakers are accelerating their shift to Indian suppliers, driven by tariffs and the India-EU trade deal. India's data centre capacity is set to triple, creating thousands of new jobs. The Supreme Court begins a landmark hearing on the legal definition of an industry. And India's farmer collectives cross the 10,000 mark with 30 lakh members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, Nelson covers the ongoing market turmoil as the West Asia conflict pushes crude past $110 and wipes out Rs 22 lakh crore in investor wealth. Indian airlines are cancelling hundreds of flights, rerouting long-haul services, and seeking government fuel duty relief. Qualcomm Ventures commits $150 million to back Indian startups building on-device AI for the world. India's Rs 20,000 crore Nuclear Energy Mission takes shape with small modular reactors targeting 2033. And the Supreme Court delivers a historic verdict allowing passive euthanasia for Harish Rana, a man in a vegetative state for 13 years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I’m Nelson John, and today’s episode is loaded. India’s cabinet has officially eased investment rules for Chinese firms, signalling a major shift in a relationship that’s been frozen since the 2020 border clashes. IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers has resigned with immediate effect after a disastrous December that saw thousands of flights cancelled and a record DGCA fine. India’s auto component industry is sounding alarms as the Iran conflict chokes the Strait of Hormuz, threatening exports and production. And the LPG supply crisis is now hitting home, with restaurants shutting across Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. All this and more on today’s Top of the Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John, and today on Top of the Morning, we're breaking down the full impact of the West Asia conflict on India. Markets just had their worst day in months with the Sensex crashing over 2,400 points and nearly 13 lakh crore rupees wiped out. Cooking gas supplies are being rationed as the government invokes emergency powers. Crude oil has crossed $115 a barrel, and the pressure on fuel prices and inflation is mounting. India's road construction sector is staring at a bitumen shortage, but a homegrown alternative called bio-bitumen could change the game. And amid all this chaos, PhonePe is gearing up for what could be India's biggest fintech IPO since Paytm. Five stories, one episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. The Gulf is on fire and India is caught in the middle. 444 flights grounded. 9 million Indians in a conflict zone. The Strait of Hormuz under threat. Pakistan at war with Afghanistan. And Canada's PM in Mumbai pushing a historic trade deal. Five stories. One brutal Monday morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I’m Nelson John and here’s what you need to know today. Sensex crashed over 1,000 points as Trump’s tariff threats and AI disruption fears rattled Dalal Street. IT stocks got hammered, the rupee weakened to 90.95 against the dollar, and about three lakh crore in investor wealth was wiped out. In better news, India’s shipbuilding sector is gearing up for a game-changing $500M joint venture between Cochin Shipyard and HD Hyundai. We also break down three smart strategies to reduce your tax drag without disturbing your long-term compounding. And Kerala just officially became Keralam after the Union Cabinet approved the historic name change. Full episode out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John, and on today's Top of the Morning: IDFC First Bank is reeling from a Rs 590 crore fraud at its Chandigarh branch — government money, forged cheques, and a 20% stock crash. Bharti Airtel is going all in on fintech, pumping Rs 20,000 crore into its NBFC arm to build one of India's biggest digital lending platforms. The $100,000 H-1B visa fee is backfiring on the US, turning India into a deep tech hiring magnet for Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. New draft tax rules are about to make it much harder to claim HRA on rent paid to your parents. And ONDC's dream of becoming the UPI of e-commerce is hitting some hard truths. Five stories. One theme: trust under pressure. Let's get into it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. The US Supreme Court killed Trump's sweeping tariffs and Indian exporters in textiles, leather, gems, pharma, and engineering now face just 10 percent instead of 25. Real competitive edge over China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh but India already made concessions for a deal at 18 percent. That conversation is now live in Washington. Europe is rearming with $800 billion and Indian defense manufacturers are squarely in the frame. Karan Adani says he is personally working to bring Formula 1 back to India the Buddh Circuit comes bundled with the Jaypee acquisition, and this time there is a serious business case behind it. Brazil's Lula doubled his own trade target on the spot. And Karnataka wants to ban phones for under-16s. All of that on today's Top of the Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: India's boardrooms are creating a new C-suite role the Chief AI Officer. We also break down gold vs equities in 2026, the connectivity battle at Navi Mumbai Airport, Sridhar Vembu's bold AI prediction, and what the latest fresher hiring data means for India's young job seekers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. On today's Top of the Morning: Gold just had its worst crash in 40 years, falling 21% from record highs after Trump named Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chair. India is rolling out its first commercial semiconductor chip from Micron's Gujarat facility this month. The trade deficit blew out to $34.68 billion in January, nearly doubling year-on-year, driven by a surge in gold and silver imports right before the crash. PFC and REC are merging into a $61 billion power finance giant. And the RBI just opened the door for banks to fund M&A deals up to 75% of value, while clamping down hard on broker lending. Tune in now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John and today on Top of the Morning we're looking at a world in recalibration. India is about to host the biggest AI summit ever held in the Global South, but AI fears just wiped 5.7 lakh crore off Indian IT stocks. A new Fed Chair is about to change the game in Washington. India now has trade deals spanning 38 countries. And the UN says global growth is slowing but holding. Five stories, one theme. The rules are being rewritten. Listen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, Welcome to Top of The Morning, I'm Nelson John. A new analysis reveals US states have paid $199 billion in tariffs since March 2025, with $134 billion coming from key midterm battleground states. India's telecom sector posts its slowest growth in six quarters as tariff hike benefits fade. SBI surpasses TCS to become India's fourth largest company after record quarterly profits, a shift not seen in 15 years. And the RBI issues sweeping new guidelines to stop banks from mis-selling products and using dark patterns. Four stories about who really pays the price when the rules change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. On today's episode of Top of the Morning: Hyderabad's real estate market is on fire with 200 million square feet sanctioned in 2025 alone, and a new district called Neopolis is being called the city's Manhattan with land prices crossing 150 crore per acre. Meanwhile, Sattva Group just entered Mumbai with a massive 11,000 crore redevelopment bet across six projects. On the tax front, the new draft income tax rules look simpler on paper but actually make choosing between old and new regimes harder than ever. And if you send money abroad, TCS on education and medical remittances just dropped from 5 percent to 2 percent. All this and more on today's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. This week saw $285 billion vanish from global software stocks after Anthropic's AI plugins launched. The India-US trade deal enters its final stretch with tariffs dropping to 18%. Your credit score is now being pulled by employers, insurers, and telecom companies. Sovereign gold bonds bought from secondary markets lose their tax-free status starting April. And MGNREGA is being phased out for a new scheme with a completely different funding structure. Five stories, one morning. Listen now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. In today's episode, we unpack five stories that reveal what happens when business as usual stops working. IndiGo's December meltdown 4,500 cancelled flights just triggered a Competition Commission investigation. When you control 60% of the market and create artificial scarcity during peak demand, regulators take notice. Vodafone Idea is back seeking ₹35,000 crore from banks. Supreme Court relief on AGR dues helps, but ₹1.25 trillion in spectrum payments and 7 million lost subscribers tell a different story. Gold and silver just corrected sharply down 12% and 24% after historic rallies. Multi-asset fund managers are rebalancing, moving capital back to unloved equities. India halved EV charger benchmark prices. A 60kW charger drops from ₹7.28 lakh to ₹3.4 lakh, easing fiscal burden while accelerating deployment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: President Trump claims India agreed to stop buying Russian oil, but industry insiders say 1.2 million barrels daily will keep flowing for months because contracts are already locked. Then, a US fighter jet shoots down an Iranian drone heading for an aircraft carrier just hours before announcing talks are still on for Friday in Istanbul. Gold and silver pulled off one of the wildest rides in decades, crashing 20% to 40% from record highs before bouncing back this week, exposing what analysts call a broken market structure. And the Reserve Bank of India is expected to pause rate cuts on Friday, shifting focus to liquidity operations as banking system pressures mount despite ₹6.6 lakh crore in support measures. When headlines say one thing but the details tell a different story, we break down what's actually happening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: India's Budget 2026 promises fiscal discipline while betting ₹12.2 lakh crore on infrastructure. Meanwhile, China posts a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus, proving tariffs couldn't stop its export machine. And closer to home, the government's ₹1.4 trillion telecom receipt target could spell trouble for Airtel's AGR relief hopes. Budget math, trade wars, and telecom tensions — all connected, all consequential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: Air India stares at a $1.6 billion loss as the Ahmedabad crash and Pakistan airspace closure derail its turnaround. India's $686 billion forex reserves look healthy on paper but there's a worrying trend underneath. Global giants Blackstone and Temasek are circling RCB in what could be cricket's biggest ownership deal. Sam Altman is in the Middle East hunting for $50 billion to fuel OpenAI's AI ambitions. And IndiGo's profits crashed 77% in a brutal December quarter. Let's break it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: Beijing just pulled the plug on battery export rebates and Indian EV makers are scrambling. We unpack what this means for prices at your local showroom. Then, the shadow fleet of oil tankers that moves 100 billion dollars worth of crude while dodging sanctions just got bigger. And finally, India and the EU are days away from signing what some are calling the mother of all trade deals. A 2 billion person market. A quarter of global GDP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. Today on Top of the Morning: Apple just handed Siri's brain to Google in a billion-dollar deal that's reshaping the AI landscape. India's private space startups are pivoting hard toward defense contracts worth hundreds of crores. China just pulled the plug on solar export rebates, and Indian manufacturers are celebrating. Plus, India's highways are going barrier-free with AI-powered tolling. And why smartphone makers are pushing back against India's new security proposals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John. The DOJ just subpoenaed Fed Chair Powell in what critics call an attack on central bank independence. India gets invited to Pax Silica, America's chip alliance. Japan's MUFG is pouring $4.4 billion into Shriram Finance amid governance debates. India's electronics sector targets $500 billion by 2030. And health-tech startups bet on AI to keep you engaged. Five stories, one theme: who controls the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Good Morning, I'm Nelson John, and today we're looking at how the world is reorganizing itself. The US just walked away from 66 international organizations, but the UN says the energy transition continues regardless. Europe is scrambling to build its own military without American backing. Oil markets are heading toward a massive surplus that could crash prices. India is buying 6,000 more electric buses while its exporters are frantically finding new customers beyond America. Five stories about power shifting in real time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices