The Indicast Show artwork

The Indicast Show

428 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 24 ratings

Indicast is India's first multi person podcast and have been at it since 2005. We will be covering anything and everything that might be of interest to a listener of Indian origin so the topics range from Sonia to Sania. The podcast is a mix of english and hindi and we try to keep it very informal. We usually have a serious discussion and balance it out with lighter topic. So expect a good discussion with few laughs.

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Episodes

Indicast #252: The solar eclipse saga

April 18, 2024 14:33 - 42 minutes - 19.4 MB

How does it feel to witness a solar eclipse? Aditya tells us his experience in this podcast where we dig into trivia and history of this beautiful astronomical phenomenon. Bangalore faces a water crisis. How can a country as big as India deal with water shortages? Generative artificial intelligence is and will remain in the spotlight in a year when countries with a collective population of 4bn go to polls.

Indicast #251: India's Chess grandmasters rise

April 09, 2024 14:33 - 33 minutes - 19.4 MB

The Candidates Tournament is among the world’s most recognised Chess contests. This time round India has as many as five grandmasters competing for the top prize. That’s a big deal given that for around 30 years, it was Vishy Anand, the sole Indian grandmaster who represented India. In politics, “washing machine” trended for a while on Twitter in the context of corruption probes which, the opposition argued, can be washed away if one joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. And in business, ...

Indicast #250: What social media does to our brains

April 07, 2024 14:33 - 42 minutes - 19.4 MB

Florida just passed a bill proposing to ban access to social media for kids under the age of 14. What does social media addiction do to our brains? We talk about the subject which is close to our hearts given that both of us have kids aged ten and five. The great Indian general elections are round the corner. What is the BJP up to? And in the world of cryptosphere, which we barely understand, Sam Bankman-Fried, the former boss of FTX, a defunct cryptocurrency exchange, gets 25 years in jail.

Indicast #249: RIP Ameen Sayani

March 25, 2024 14:33 - 37 minutes - 19.4 MB

It’s the end of an era. Ameen Sayani recently passed away. His voice lives on. In this podcast we talk a bit about how he started in the radio industry and made a mark for himself across four decades. And he is as humble as they come. Fali Nariman, a doyen of law in India also died. And Open AI recently dropped its text to video model called SORA. What does it mean for all of us?

Indicast #248: India's Supreme Court bans electoral bonds

February 17, 2024 14:33 - 34 minutes - 19.4 MB

India's Supreme Court vetoed a scheme that allowed folks to donate to political parties anonymously. Among the more popular vehicles was the electoral bond scheme introduced by the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2017. Whereas the BJP figured it might make the whole thing more transparent by doing away with cash donations, critics retorted that it made the process more opaque. In business, Paytm is in big trouble after the Reserve Bank of India ordered the outfit's payments bank to wind down operat...

Indicast #247: Deep fake is on steroids

January 20, 2024 14:33 - 36 minutes - 19.4 MB

Deep fake is a real and present threat to humanity. With India's general election round the corner, the government has urged both social media platforms and netizens to beware of such videos. The Ram Mandir is slated to open in January. And in sports, India and South Africa play the shortest match in the history of Test cricket.

Indicast #246: Clowning glory

December 17, 2023 14:33 - 32 minutes - 19.4 MB

After 17 harrowing days 41 men were rescued from a collapsed tunnel in Uttarkhand. It was one heck of an effort. The International Clown festival concluded earlier this year. In this episode, we talk about all things clowning and delve into its history. And the Indian Space Research Organisation has taken off like never before.

Indicast #245: How the Ukraine war has impacted Surat's diamond industry

November 27, 2023 14:33 - 33 minutes - 19.4 MB

Surat's diamond industry has suffered from the prolonged war in Ukraine. Nine out ten diamonds on the planet are polished in the diamond capital of India. But after America slapped sanctions on trade with Russia, workers in Surat suddenly find themselves with lesser work than before. Wages have been hit. Australia lifted the ICC men's Cricket World Cup. Well deserved. And hard luck India. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, had one heck of a ride last week. Its boss was sacked only to be reinstated...

Indicast #244: India loves junk food

November 18, 2023 14:33 - 39 minutes - 19.4 MB

India has a junk food problem. It is a big one. In this episode we talk a bit about why that is happening and some of the science behind it all. And have you tasted the world's fourth best cheese? It's from India. A year after FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange folded, Sam Bankman-Fried, the firm's infamous boss has been convicted of multiple counts of fraud. And India will play Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup finals. Fingers crossed.

Indicast #243: India embraces IVF

November 12, 2023 14:33 - 47 minutes - 19.4 MB

Firstly, a very Happy Diwali to everyone. Indian couples are increasingly embracing In Vitro Fertilization, often the last hope for having a baby. While it is a boon for millions of new parents, it is also a painful and demanding process on women. India has placed a multi-billion dollar order on new planes in recent times. Also, what do airlines do to save costs? According to one study by the University of Chigago, life of those who live in Delhi has been shortened by ten years due to air pol...

Indicast #242: India wants Bharat or does it

November 05, 2023 14:33 - 40 minutes - 19.4 MB

It has been quite the year. And some of it has been rather grim. The Israel and Hamas conflict has been deadly. Thousands of civilians have lost their lives. Closer home, some folks insist on renaming India to Bharat. In cricket, the World Cup is on and India is on song. And Bishan Singh Bedi just passed away.

Indicast #241: The Adani Way

February 16, 2023 14:33 - 35 minutes - 18.4 MB

The Adani Group has been hit with a bunch of allegations from Hindenburg Research, an American investment firm that specialises in making bets against companies that it considers are overvalued. What does it mean for the conglomerate? Tech layoffs may have made the news but how bad will the impending recession in America turn out? Not half bad is what we learn in a podcast where we try to understand the definition of recession itself. In sports, football introduced the white card. By the way,...

Indicast #240: India's census is delayed again

February 10, 2023 14:33 - 27 minutes - 14.6 MB

Once in ten years India conducts a massive exercise to count its population and collect vital data about its citizens. This time round the census, normally a once-in-a-decade-affair has been postponed yet again. Why? We delve into some of the reasons. And scientists in Switzerland have figured out a way to deflect lightning bolts with lasers.

Indicast #239: That sinking feeling

January 20, 2023 14:33 - 35 minutes - 18.2 MB

Joshimath in the Himalayas is sinking. With cracks all over buildings, hotels and streets, the place may crumble any moment. We segue into the tallest mountain in the world, which isn't Everest. And back on land some companies are offering employees to nap at work, not an old concept but fairly new among startups in India. And Go First forgets its passengers on the tarmac before taking off.

Indicast #238: India's oddly terrifying dead-ends

January 08, 2023 14:33 - 42 minutes - 22 MB

As Covid-19 ravages China, many countries, including India, brace themselves and start taking adequate measures. Whereas the death toll from covid may not be as high as before, Indians in the country continue to find other oddly terrifying ways to die. In related news a report reckons that the most dangerous time to drive on the road is between 6 to 9 in the evening. And since everyone and their cousins are talking about ChatGPT, we thought we may blabber about it as well. What do you make of...

Indicast #237: Welcome 2023!

December 30, 2022 14:33 - 36 minutes - 19.2 MB

As 2022 drew to a close, another sporting legend passed away. We pay a small tribute to Pele who brought football to millions of homes and made it the beautiful game we know of and grew up to. Closer home in India Mukesh Ambani just completed 20 years as the boss of the Reliance empire. And internationally, Elon Musk just lost $200bn along with a few of his peers including one Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, a crypto exchange which went bankrupt in November. The madness has only begun ...

Indicast #236: How prodigies work

December 20, 2022 14:33 - 42 minutes - 23.9 MB

Rishi Rajpopat, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge solved a 3,500 year old Sanskrit puzzle. We scratched our heads to understand how folks like him and Pragg, the teenage chess sensation, who recently won the Arjuna award, function. And in sports, Argentina wins the world cup.

Indicast #235: All eyes on Qatar

November 12, 2022 14:33 - 42 minutes - 23.6 MB

The World Cup is round the corner. The world's biggest spectacle is also mired with controversies, some of which we talk about in this episode. A village in Sangli, western Maharashtra goes offline for a couple of hours daily in the quest for a digital detox and in international news, more than 150 people perish in Seoul in a crowd crush.

Indicast #234: Of bat, ball and British politics

October 30, 2022 14:33 - 34 minutes - 19.5 MB

After a year-long nap, we are back to cover some familiar ground by talking a bit about the ongoing ICC T20 Men's Cricket World Cup. Zimbabwe and India pulled off improbable wins in the tournament. Whereas players get cracking on the field, viewers place their bets on a number of gambling apps, a rather big business in India. So big that a few agricultural workers in Gujarat recently duped Russian gamblers by accepting bets on a fake contest that mimicked the IPL. And in international news, B...

Indicast # 233: India at COP26

November 14, 2021 14:33 - 28 minutes - 15.7 MB

IA very Happy belated Diwali to one and all. As COP26 draws to a close, countries make their promises and hope to keep them to make a difference to the worsening climate crisis. Where does India stand? In sports, Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. And in a quirk of evolution, elephants in Mozambique are being born without tusks to make themselves less attractive to poachers.

Indicast #233: India at COP26

November 14, 2021 14:33 - 28 minutes - 15.7 MB

IA very Happy belated Diwali to one and all. As COP26 draws to a close, countries make their promises and hope to keep them to make a difference to the worsening climate crisis. Where does India stand? In sports, Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. And in a quirk of evolution, elephants in Mozambique are being born without tusks to make themselves less attractive to poachers.

Indicast #232: Of Air India and love hotels

November 03, 2021 14:33 - 42 minutes - 19.5 MB

In an episode which is all over the place, we start with what on earth are NFTs or Non Fungible Tokens. Aditya is excited about Air India being taken over by the Tatas. Meanwhile, why are Indians so kicked about their spiritual leaders? In sports, Pakistan is on a song in the ongoing T20 World Cup and in India, love hotels are flourishing.

Indicast # 232: Of Air India and love hotels

November 03, 2021 14:33 - 42 minutes - 19.5 MB

In an episode which is all over the place, we start with what on earth are NFTs or Non Fungible Tokens. Aditya is excited about Air India being taken over by the Tatas. Meanwhile, why are Indians so kicked about their spiritual leaders? In sports, Pakistan is on a song in the ongoing T20 World Cup and in India, love hotels are flourishing.

Indicast # 231: Cryptocurrency craze in India

August 08, 2021 14:33 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MB

John Oliver once quipped that cryptocurrency is everything that you do not understand about money combined with everything you do not understand about computers. 70 million Indians do not seem to agree. They have bet on Bitcoins and their modern clones through a variety of exchanges in the country. In this podcast, we talk about the enigmatic new asset class and what do we understand about their, well, cryptic nature. And in other significant news, many congratulations to India for their expl...

Indicast #231: Cryptocurrency craze in India

August 08, 2021 14:33 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MB

John Oliver once quipped that cryptocurrency is everything that you do not understand about money combined with everything you do not understand about computers. 70 million Indians do not seem to agree. They have bet on Bitcoins and their modern clones through a variety of exchanges in the country. In this podcast, we talk about the enigmatic new asset class and what do we understand about their, well, cryptic nature. And in other significant news, many congratulations to India for their expl...

Indicast # 230: An Olympics special

August 01, 2021 14:33 - 37 minutes - 19.5 MB

Once in four years, athletes from around the world compete for the highest honour. Men and women train in all sorts of conditions in their homeland for a crack at the elusive medal. In this podcast we talk about the young and the old, how India is doing so far, how a Math Phd won a cycling race beating the best, how Simon Biles and Naomi Osaka have put mental health at front and center offering inspiration to all. We pay tribute to Mirabai Chanu who won Silver in weightlifting and root for Lo...

Indicast #230: An Olympics special

August 01, 2021 14:33 - 37 minutes - 19.5 MB

Once in four years, athletes from around the world compete for the highest honour. Men and women train in all sorts of conditions in their homeland for a crack at the elusive medal. In this podcast we talk about the young and the old, how India is doing so far, how a Math Phd won a cycling race beating the best, how Simon Biles and Naomi Osaka have put mental health at front and center offering inspiration to all. We pay tribute to Mirabai Chanu who won Silver in weightlifting and root for Lo...

Indicast # 229: Indian tech IPOs and remembering Danish Siddiqui

July 17, 2021 14:33 - 23 minutes - 19.5 MB

It is raining Unicorns in India. In just this week, Zomato went public, Paytm sought a nod from its shareholders to list on the stock exchange and MobiKwik, yet another fintech startup, filed for an IPO. While talking about how such companies do things differently, we segued into how some of us handle stress at the workplace and how some professions are incomparable in that regard. Take Danish Siddiqui, a young photojournalist who worked for Reuters. He was killed in an ambush while covering ...

Indicast #229: Indian tech IPOs and remembering Danish Siddiqui

July 17, 2021 14:33 - 23 minutes - 19.5 MB

It is raining Unicorns in India. In just this week, Zomato went public, Paytm sought a nod from its shareholders to list on the stock exchange and MobiKwik, yet another fintech startup, filed for an IPO. While talking about how such companies do things differently, we segued into how some of us handle stress at the workplace and how some professions are incomparable in that regard. Take Danish Siddiqui, a young photojournalist who worked for Reuters. He was killed in an ambush while covering ...

Indicast # 228: Sports Day

July 10, 2021 14:33 - 44 minutes - 19.5 MB

In this episode we pay tribute to Doordarshan while talking about the incomparable Dilip Kumar, cabinet reshuffle by Narendra Modi in wake of rising criticism for his handling of the pandemic, the craze surrounding Euro 2020, the soon to be hosted spectatorless Olympics in Japan, the race for the 20th Grand Slam title for Djokovic at Wimbledon and the England cricket team fielding a B team after many players from the main squad were diagnosed with the virus.

Indicast #228: Sports Day

July 10, 2021 14:33 - 44 minutes - 19.5 MB

In this episode we pay tribute to Doordarshan while talking about the incomparable Dilip Kumar, cabinet reshuffle by Narendra Modi in wake of rising criticism for his handling of the pandemic, the craze surrounding Euro 2020, the soon to be hosted spectatorless Olympics in Japan, the race for the 20th Grand Slam title for Djokovic at Wimbledon and the England cricket team fielding a B team after many players from the main squad were diagnosed with the virus.

Indicast # 227: Long live languages

July 03, 2021 12:30 - 32 minutes - 19.5 MB

Kannada went viral a few days ago when Google thought it to be the ugliest language in India. We saw this as an excuse to talk about quirky languages, including one in Kongthong, near Shillong, where villagers communicate by just whistling. In other news, Twitter is under fire for not complying with the new IT laws. In sports, the legendary Mikkha Singh passed away. We also have a little question for you in this episode. Listen to know more.

Indicast #227: Long live languages

July 03, 2021 12:30 - 32 minutes - 19.5 MB

Kannada went viral a few days ago when Google thought it to be the ugliest language in India. We saw this as an excuse to talk about quirky languages, including one in Kongthong, near Shillong, where villagers communicate by just whistling. In other news, Twitter is under fire for not complying with the new IT laws. In sports, the legendary Mikkha Singh passed away. We also have a little question for you in this episode. Listen to know more.

Indicast #226: The second wave is on its way out

June 27, 2021 12:30 - 26 minutes - 19.5 MB

In which we talk about the second wave of covid-19 in India, heroes who saved lives, Lagaan's 20th anniversary, Kerela's one bottle one person alcohol rule, the new world Test championship in cricket and education in India.

Indicast # 226: The second wave is on its way out

June 27, 2021 12:30 - 26 minutes - 19.5 MB

In which we talk about the second wave of covid-19 in India, heroes who saved lives, Lagaan's 20th anniversary, Kerela's one bottle one person alcohol rule, the new world Test championship in cricket and education in India.

Indicast # 225: The Great Indian Vaccine Roll out

January 31, 2021 12:30 - 30 minutes - 19.5 MB

Few countries can match India on scale and complexity of a nationwide rollout of any item under the sun. Be it the general elections or the covid-19 inoculation plan of over 300m citizens by the end of the summer. India faces a daunting task but appears to be up for it. Covaxin, the home-grown vaccine has kicked up some controversy. Data of stage 3 clinical trials have not been yet made available. How are other countries faring? And in other news the legendary Mahinder Watsa, a trained obstet...

Indicast #225: The Great Indian Vaccine Roll out

January 31, 2021 12:30 - 30 minutes - 19.5 MB

Few countries can match India on scale and complexity of a nationwide rollout of any item under the sun. Be it the general elections or the covid-19 inoculation plan of over 300m citizens by the end of the summer. India faces a daunting task but appears to be up for it. Covaxin, the home-grown vaccine has kicked up some controversy. Data of stage 3 clinical trials have not been yet made available. How are other countries faring? And in other news the legendary Mahinder Watsa, a trained obstet...

Indicast # 224: India thump Australia

January 25, 2021 12:30 - 31 minutes - 19.5 MB

A depleted Indian team beat a full-strength Australian line up in what will rank as among the best Test Series of all time. For those who grew up in the 1990s watching India struggle against the Aussies, this was a moment to cherish. A second-rung team of folks as old as 21 years old put their hand up and performed. This podcast is a tribute to those the young lads with humble backgrounds making it big on the biggest stage there is.

Indicast #224: India thump Australia

January 25, 2021 12:30 - 31 minutes - 19.5 MB

A depleted Indian team beat a full-strength Australian line up in what will rank as among the best Test Series of all time. For those who grew up in the 1990s watching India struggle against the Aussies, this was a moment to cherish. A second-rung team of folks as old as 21 years old put their hand up and performed. This podcast is a tribute to those the young lads with humble backgrounds making it big on the biggest stage there is.

Indicast #223: Crazy stock market valuations

December 21, 2020 12:30 - 35 minutes - 19.5 MB

Burger King's stock climbed by over 265 per cent soon after its IPO. Breakdance will feature as a sport at the Olympics in Paris 2024. Gitanjali Rao won the first Time Kid of the Year. And finally, do you dare to eat Fugu?

Indicast # 223: Crazy stock market valuations

December 21, 2020 12:30 - 35 minutes - 19.5 MB

Burger King's stock climbed by over 265 per cent soon after its IPO. Breakdance will feature as a sport at the Olympics in Paris 2024. Gitanjali Rao won the first Time Kid of the Year. And finally, do you dare to eat Fugu?

Indicast #222: A vaccine, finally

December 13, 2020 12:30 - 40 minutes - 20.4 MB

The Pfizer BioNtech vaccine was authorised in the UK and the US. The worlds most exceptional teacher was awarded to Ranjitsinh Disale, a 32 year old teacher from Solapur. Dharampal Gulati, owner of the iconic MDH masala died this month. Bob Dylan sold his catalogue of nearly 600 songs to Universal Music. A firm in Japan now sells bullying insurance to cover legal and medical costs.

Indicast #221: RIP Diego Maradona

November 29, 2020 12:30 - 29 minutes - 19.5 MB

Jadhav Payeng, the forest man of India made it in the curriculum of an American school, giving us an excuse to talk about him. Diego Maradona passed away. The Undertaker resigned after a career in wrestling that lasted over 30 years. And a train in Japan barks like a dog to keep deers from being overrun.

Indicast #220: Get married. Get paid

November 01, 2020 12:30 - 25 minutes - 19.5 MB

The Odisha government announced an incentive of Rs. 250,000 to promote inter caste marriage. Same sex couples tied the knot for a first time in Taiwans mass military wedding ceremony a year after it legalised gay weddings. Meanwhile, in a quirk of evolution, not all of us will get wisdom teeth. And Indian Super League that begins later this month, gives us an excuse to talk about the rich and illustrious history of Indian football.

Indicast #219: Whose Basmati is it anyway?

October 11, 2020 12:30 - 30 minutes - 19.5 MB

In this podcast, we talk about Pakistan contesting Indias claim for an exclusive Geographical Indication tag to Basmati rice in the European Union. Researchers in Scotland have figured out a way to test if a whiskey is authentic without the need to open the bottle. And an Indian couple in the UK got hitched in a drive in ceremony to get around restrictions that allow only 15 people to gather at a time. In India, meanwhile, the arranged marriage industry has had to change its tune as interview...

Indicast #218: A Tribute to SP Balasubramaniam

September 27, 2020 12:30 - 35 minutes - 19.5 MB

The thirteenth edition of Indian Premier League kicked off in the United Arab Emirates. In a string of unfortunate events, Dean Jones died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. Former Union Minister Jaswant Singh passed away too. S P Balasubramaniam succummed to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, the infamous Godman, Nithyanand is in exile and wants his own central bank. And a super rat was awarded a well deserved gold medal for detecting landmines in Cambodia.

Indicast #217: Salute, Shinzo Abe and RIP Pranab Mukherjee

September 06, 2020 12:30 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MB

Shinzo Abe, Japans longest serving prime minister called it a day and Pranab Mukherjee, Indias former president passed away. We talk about their illustrious careers. India and Russia were announced as joint winners at the first online Chess Olympiad when a global Internet outage caused Indian players to get disconnected. We digress to talk about doping in chess and segue into why Thar desert is turning green and why it may not be a good thing. Meanwhile, amid the covid-19 pandemic, the Indian...

Indicast #216: Well Played, Dhoni and Ganapati Bappa Morya

August 23, 2020 12:30 - 31 minutes - 19.5 MB

It is that time of the year when we get high on some Ganapati fever. This year though the coronavirus has subdued all celebrations. In this episode we talk about how the festival itself has evolved over the years. In other news, MSD announced his retirement from international cricket. Miles away, Kamala Harris was appointed as the vice presidential candidate from the Democratic Party. And the hunt for a vaccine to beat the scourge is on.

Indicast #215: Splitnernet

August 10, 2020 12:30 - 20 minutes - 19.5 MB

We recorded the podcast on the 75th Anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing. The World has come a long way with countries showing aggression by banning each other's apps and internet services. Where is this heading towards? A Splitnernet? Or is it just the Election season in the US. As for our corona story of this episode, we discuss online gaming being one of the industries that are raking it in during Corona.

Indicast #214: Indias Education Policy and Nuclear Fusion Reactor

August 04, 2020 12:30 - 34 minutes - 14.7 MB

Indias National Education Policy of 2020, announced a few days ago, promises to ditch rote learning in favour of conceptual clarity. There is more to it, of course. In this podcast, we compare what it was like growing up in our existing system and what it promises to be under the new regime. And in other news, we talk about the worlds largest nuclear fusion reactor in France which took baby steps to begin its five year assembly phase. Expect some science chatter as we discuss the mind bogglin...