The Point Blank Show

Point Blank with Devdutt Pattnaik

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:30:35 +0000

Devdutt Pattnaik probably has one of the most unique designations that one might come across. He is the Chief Belief Officer at Future Group of Big Bazaar and Pantaloon fame. Devdutt, a student of mythology, has several books to his name and writes several mythology related columns in newspapers. In this point blank, we talk about mythology, its relevance and what one can learn from it. Devdutt presents some very interesting thoughts about mythology that I grew up believing to be true, about preserving heritage structures and how to interpret mythology.

Point Blank with Sanjay Manjrekar

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:30:35 +0000

Indicast got a chance to catch up with Sanjay Manjrekar, a technically sound batsmen who doesn't believe in the significance to technique in cricket. We start the conversation talking about about the on field energy during the 1996 India-Pakistan World Cup match and then move on to other topics like why Indian's struggled in fielding, his career as a commentator and then his passion for singing. He also talked about his grossly misunderstood article about Sachin Tendulkar, his thoughts about Azharuddin getting into politics as well as the match fixing scandal.

Point Blank with Andreas Kluth on Hannibal, Success, Failure

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:30:35 +0000

It's a tough gig... to work for one of the most acclaimed publications of the century during the day time, work everyday independently towards writing a book in a half lotus position, research like hell so as to get all the facts and the perspectives right, update a book blog almost daily, then come home late at night to crash on the bed! Andreas Kluth, the humble tech correspondent from The Economist joins us to talk about Hannibal, the Carthaginian general from about 200 BC who marched with an army of elephants over the Alps, defeated the Romans over and over again, but his life ended with an anti-climax; he lost everything and committed suicide! In his book, Andreas intends to draw parallels between Hannibal's life and that of our contemperories like Steve Jobs, Al Gore,and may be even Heath Ledger! No, you won't find it in the 'Self Help' aisle of your book store. In this podcast Andreas shares all his views on this very eventful journey of writing his first book which is slated to come out sometime in 2009.

Point Blank with Kanu Doshi on Taxation

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:30:35 +0000

Any fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. Prof Kanu Doshi is back. This time he fires away on India's convoluted tax structure in a user friendly manner that makes a technical subject like taxation lnteresting and entertaining. All our finance ministers from Chanakya to Chidambaram have steered India through a very eventful journey in the field of taxation and Kanu bhai pulls out fascinating anecdotes from his hat to take us through this ride. Hope you enjoy it!

Point Blank with Economics Editor of The Economist

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:30:35 +0000

It is said that having a good conversation is one of the great joys of being human. When Zanny Minton Beddoes, the Economics Editor of The Economist ruthlessly dismembers jargons like foreclosures, sub prime crisis, inter bank rates, etc, all I can say is that I enjoyed every bit of it. Economics is a fascinating field and Zanny makes it palatable for all of us who do not have a background in the subject. In the first few minutes, she lays a solid foundation giving us the whole build up to the current situation in the US followed by where she thinks it will all culminate into. All this and much more in these 30 minutes that Zanny squeezed in from her busy day which she attributes to America facing pretty interesting times. Presenting to you, economics for the common man.

Point Blank with the Capital Markets Editor of The Economist

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:30:35 +0000

It has been a roller coaster ride for the equity markets over the last few months. From being one of the best investment options, the global markets have fallen to new lows. Recession fears in the US have knocked down stock prices from their high pedestal. But how does one define a recession, and what is its impact on the common man? Can the genesis of this slow down be attributed to a particular event? And more importantly where is all this leading to? Philip Coggan, the Capital Markets editor at The Economist unravels the answers to these questions in this episode of the Point Blank series.

Point Blank with the Executive Editor of The Economist

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:30:35 +0000

Daniel Franklin is The Economist's Executive Editor and the Editor-in-Chief of economist.com. He completes quarter of a century in the organisation this year! He wouldn't be too happy if I say that modesty is his middle name, because he is a man who despises tired metaphors and insipid language. This podcast is a lesson in humility as much as it is on What makes the Economist have a cult following?

Point Blank with Kanu Doshi on Union Budget 2008

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:30:35 +0000

A lot has been said about the Union Budget 2008 already. The experts have fashionably shunted this as a shamelessly populist and a cloyingly sweet Budget. So, do we need another voice adding to the noise? Yes, if the voice is that of Prof Kanu H Doshi who is reputed to create music in all the cacophony. In this Podcast, he does not play the proverbial Economist with one hand. He is point blank and opinionated in all matters from the Rs. 60,000 tax waiver awarded to the farmers and the sops extended to the working middle class. And he is a brilliant story teller and explains certain economic jargons like the multiplier effect and Retained Earnings' in a simple manner! He unleashes his witty remarks at the fag end of the podcast which will have you in splits. Heard about a finance whizard with a sense of humor? Well, that's Kanu H Doshi for you or like his friends call him, Kanu bhai!

Point Blank with Adam Roberts, News Editor of Economist

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:30:35 +0000

Adam Roberts, the News Editor of economist.com is fresh from having penned a brilliant Special Report (published at least once a month) on 'Migration' and its impact on the lives of billions from across the planet. His report estimates that there are around 200 million migrants across the world which make up 3 per cent of the population. This number will only grow and so will the xenophobia surrounding it. Adam opens up 4 minutes into his candid talk and we end up talking about the lighter side of Migration as well - It's called Chicken Tikka Masala! Listen to know what we mean!

Point Blank With Harsha Bhogle

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 12:30:35 +0000

Harsha Bhogle is a man with multiple personalities. When he is not in the commentary box, he contributes as a columnst in The Indian Express and writes on espnstar. While he has an art to draw opinions from the experts in the commentary box, he is forthright and calls spade a spade in his writings. Its a 30 MB download but worth it.

Point Blank with Brendan Greeley

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Tue, 9 oct 2007 12:30:35 +0000

Brendan Greeley is the Web 2.0 Guy of The Economist. Currently, a week old in the organisation (at the time of the conversation) literally this one man army is spending his time to help The Economist embrace the nuances of the new media! He has shuffled many roles over the past few years and had also served as the 'Blogger in Chief' of the public radio show, 'Open Source' of which he was the founding member. In this candid conversation, Brendan and his sense of humor reign throughout!

Point Blank with Gurucharan Das

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:30:35 +0000

The beatific smile of Gurcharan Das is a function of myriad personalities that live within him. In this podcast, he is his modest self, describing his early life and his time as a the VP and MD of PG Worldwide and more. An unabashed supporter of capitalism, he believes that the business of the Government is not to be in business. However, he maintains throughout that healthy competition is a result of strong governance and enlightened regulation. He says, Our economy grows at night when theGovernment is asleep. Unlike china, where the success is induced by the state, our's is a success despite the state.

Point Blank with Ann Wroe the obituaries writer

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:30:35 +0000

Ann's work is akin to intense method acting which actors like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino use to get under the skin of the character that they play. While the two actors do that once or twice a year for a role and a few million dollars, Ann has mastered the art week after week by writing about anyone who is merely famous (read: Anna Nicole Smith) or unexpectedly facinating like Inder Jit Rikhye, the peacemaker from India.

Point Blank with Tom Standage on mesmerizing technologies

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:30:35 +0000

In this talk about telecom convergence and the mesmerising magical world of mobile telephony, broadband, and Internet TV, Tom orchestrates a perfect symphony by explaining in a jargon free language that the distinctions between these technologies are blurring. He believes utility and substance coupled with stlye and grace in products such as iPhone makes them a beautiful combination. And then, the talk reaches a crescendo when he responds to my diffident accusation that technology is overwhelming us and that we are growing too fast for our own comfort.

Point Blank with James Astill on Terrorism and Militant Islamism

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:30:35 +0000

This week, we chat up with James Astill from 'The Economist', the recepient of the annual Gerald R. Ford prize for distinguished reporting in National Defence. Jame's business card a few months ago read, 'Defence and Terrorism Correspondent'. Meeting terrorists or "fairly rough characters" as he likes to call them is an occupational hazard for someone who bears the tag of a Defence Correspondent. Over the past decade, he's visited Cuba, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan and many more places including a 6 year stint with Islamabad. In this 20 min talk, James gives us his hands on insights on Pakistan. James feels that India's sometimes friendly neighbour is changing and that it is India's turn to extend its hand for peace.

Point Blank with Andreas Kluth on rise of new media

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 12:30:35 +0000

This week, listen to us chat up with Andreas Kluth , the award winning journalist from The Economist, who has been lauded for his contribution in Media reporting. His survey on New Media is reader friendly, crisp and interspersed with humor. Go read the series of articles here . They are a gold mine of information for anyone wanting to know about the new media!

Point Blank with Avnish Bajaj of Matrix Partners

aditya@theindicast.com (Indicast) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:30:35 +0000

Avnish Bajaj, co-founder of Baazee.com and now with Matrix Partners. He agreed to have an informal conversation about enterpreneurship, VC funding and about his journey as an entrepreneur to a VC. The interview is a bit long (40 mins) but contains a lot of experiential thoughts.