Iran's current crisis isn't just another protest cycle, it's a convergence of systemic failures. A decades-old illusion of invincibility crumbled when US-Israeli bombs struck its nuclear facilities. Tehran's water crisis last autumn exposed the regime's inability to provide basic necessities, igniting rage that economic sanctions and 40-50% inflation had already primed. What began as bread-and-butter grievances morphed into brazen political dissent: women publicly burning portraits of Supreme Leader Khamenei. In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury talks to Kabir Taneja, Deputy Director and Fellow with the Strategic Studies Programme at Observer Research Foundation about Iran's unraveling. The geopolitical architecture Iran built, its "axis of resistance", lies in ruins. Israel systematically dismantled Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi capabilities, leaving Tehran exposed and its proxies toothless. Even moderate President Pezeshkian backs the crackdown, alienating young voters. For India, this isn't abstract geopolitics. One-fifth of global oil transits the Strait of Hormuz; any Iranian desperation to play there inflates import bills and triggers rupee pressure. Chabahar Port ambitions stall. Basmati exporters await frozen payments. The danger isn't revolution, it's an erratic, cornered regime with nothing left to lose.

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You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media:X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes like: When Grinch Almost Stole Gig Workers' Christmas, How Will a Volatile ₹ Impact You in 2026?, How Quick Commerce is Triggering a Health Crisis for Gen Z, India’s Labour Law Reboot, Viral to Valuation: Building Women’s Cricket as a Brand and much more.

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India assumes the BRICS chair amid profound contradiction. What began as an emerging economies coalition has become an unwieldy 10-nation bloc including Gulf states, Egypt, and Ethiopia bound more by grievance than vision. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Alicia García-Herrero, chief economist at Natixis, and former BRICS Sherpa Sanjay Bhattacharya to explore whether BRICS can deliver tangible cooperation or remain trapped in anti-Western posturing. For India, the chairmanship means navigating between dollar-defiant Russia and hegemonic China while preserving Western partnerships. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's "inclusive development" focus signals intent, but execution trumps rhetoric. The bloc's value lies in widening the negotiating table, not replacing existing systems. India's test: shaping BRICS without being shaped by it, proving genuine multipolarity requires Indian leadership, not Chinese dominance masquerading as collective action. The world watches whether Delhi extracts concrete benefits from this proving ground.

Listen in:

You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media:X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes like: When Grinch Almost Stole Gig Workers' Christmas, How Will a Volatile ₹ Impact You in 2026?, How Quick Commerce is Triggering a Health Crisis for Gen Z, India’s Labour Law Reboot, Viral to Valuation: Building Women’s Cricket as a Brand and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silicon Valley is experiencing its biggest platform shift in decades, but beneath the frenzy lies a brutal correction in progress. An early-stage AI investor reveals the uncomfortable truths emerging from the epicenter of the boom. Host Swathi Moorthy talks to Apoorva Pandhi, Managing Director of Zetta Venture Partners about why the honeymoon is over. What began as wild experimentation now faces merciless ROI demands. Startups are securing nine-figure valuations with little more than demos. The mortality rate between seed and Series A has never been higher. Each breakthrough from major AI labs creates an instant graveyard of obsolete startups entire business models evaporate overnight. This isn't typical market turbulence. Researchers, not traditional founders, now command the power. Mega-funds are abandoning late-stage discipline to chase seed deals with oversized checks. The math has broken. And at the heart of it all: a dangerous gap between what AI companies are worth and what they can actually deliver. The reckoning won't be gradual, it's already underway, and most won't see it coming.

You can follow Swathi Moorthy on her social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes of ET in the Valley: ET in the Valley: Grant Lee, Co-Founder & CEO of Gamma, ET in the Valley: Databricks Co-founder Patrick Wendell, ET in the Valley: Replit Founder and CEO Amjad Masad, ET in the Valley: ElevenLabs Co-Founder Mati Staniszewski and much more.

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.