Podcast
The Signal Brief
Hosted by The Core · EN
At The Signal Brief, we don’t do hot takes—instead, we bring you deep dives into the ‘how’ and 'why' of consumer trends. Join journalist and host Kudrat Wadhwa for a new episode every Friday.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Rise Of Homeschooling In India
2w ago00:18:29Tap to summarizeJoseph’s two sons, aged 11 and 9, were doing well in school. Until COVID hit.Their grades started plummeting. Then, Joseph brought up an unusual idea: homeschooling.And Joseph is not alone. More Indian parents are choosing to take charge of their children’s education.According to the Ministry of Education, 72,000 Indian families homeschooled their children in 2023-24. But homeschooling can come with its own risks. Can every family do it? And what are the real emotional costs? To learn more, check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief.The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts. The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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Health Insurance’s Hidden Catch
3w ago00:13:36Tap to summarizeKunal’s uncle paid his health insurance premiums for decades.But during COVID, when serious complications from his diabetes struck, his insurance refused to pay a single rupee.Today, the health insurance industry in India is booming. In FY25, it was worth over 1.2 lakh crore rupees. Premiums are rising but so are complaints. So how does health insurance really work? And what can you do to protect yourself?Tune in to the latest episode of The Signal Brief where you’ll hear from consumers and experts. The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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The Growing Appeal Of Living Wills
4w ago00:15:41Tap to summarizeMore people in their 50s and 60s are making living wills. These are documents that essentially communicate what you want when you can no longer speak. One such person is Sarita, a 62-year old retired corporate professional. Her son Anmol supports her choice to make a living will. So what are living wills? Why are more people getting them and what is the process of getting a living will?To learn more and to hear directly from consumers, lawyers and doctors, check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief. The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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The Real Reason Indians Aren’t Installing Solar
May 100:14:44Tap to summarizeIndia has an abundance of sunlight. In fact, the government said that by March 2027, it wants a crore homes to go solar. But, by March 2026, we were only about a quarter of the way there. What’s going on here? To learn more about installing solar and why some consumers may or may not want solar, check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief.The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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What It Takes To Raise A Child On The Spectrum In India
Apr 2400:15:15Tap to summarizeToday, 1 in 68 children in India are likely on the spectrum, according to studies.Awareness around neurodivergence and autism has grown. There are even schools that accommodate. And yet, many parents feel alone. Support and infrastructure has not adequately kept up. What does it really cost–financially and emotionally–to raise a child on the spectrum? Hear from parents, experts and doctors on this in the latest episode of The Signal Brief.The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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What Egg Freezing Offers Indian Women
Apr 1700:15:02Tap to summarizeOne time when I was 23, I was hanging out with my friends. One of the guys said, “Hey, don’t get too late, find someone to marry soon.” I was stunned. I thought I was young. But was my time already running out?Yes, the biological clock is real. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, fertility declines meaningfully in your mid-30s.And now, this modern tension has a modern option. Egg freezing.In India, this is still a relatively niche space, but it’s growing fast. To hear from women who got the procedure done and from doctors on its costs, benefits and limitations, check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief.The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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Mock Meat Failed In India. Can It Make A Comeback?
Apr 1000:15:20Tap to summarizeBack in 2018, a wave of Indian brands bet big on mock meat.GoodDot launched its vegan mutton. Then Blue Tribe followed, bringing on Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli as investors and ambassadors. Even mainstream companies like ITC, Tata and Licious jumped on this bandwagon.This was supposed to be the plant-based meat revolution. But, years later, it seems that this revolution has stayed on the supermarket shelf. So, what went wrong?And now, with brands rebranding shifting from “fake meat” to “plant protein,” can this segment make a comeback? To hear from consumers and industry insiders on this, check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief. The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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Does Piracy Help Readers Or Hurt Us All?
Apr 300:15:59Tap to summarizeOn Wednesday, March 25th, the Delhi Police seized over 20,000 counterfeit books from a printing press in Rohini.Soon after, Penguin Random House India published a statement saying that it had helped the cops with information.Online, the reaction was mixed. Some appreciated this step, calling it a necessary crackdown on piracy. Others, however, had a totally different opinion. They said that buying pirated books is often the only way many in India can read. So who’s right? The publishers protecting authors.. or readers just trying to to read? To find out, check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief.The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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Is The Gulf Dream Still Alive?
Mar 2700:13:40Tap to summarizeNormally, the line outside the UAE embassy in Delhi is long, and stretches all the way to the main road.But these days, there are a lot fewer people.That’s because the US-Israel war on Iran has been impacting Gulf countries like the UAE too. Flights there are getting cancelled and there’s just a lot more uncertainty.Recruitment agents say that they are seeing business as usual. Only a small dip. That’s because migrants feel they don’t really have a choice, said one agent. So how has the Iran war impacted migration, if at all? To learn more and to hear from migrants and experts, check out the latest episode of The Signal Brief. The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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Can India Handle Its Concert Boom?
Mar 2000:14:34Tap to summarizeLast year, over 2 lakh people attended Coldplay’s Ahmedabad show.This year, even more global stars are coming to India. There’s Shakira, Kanye West and Calvin Harris. Estimates peg the live events organised market as between Rs 12,000 and Rs 20,000 crore.In short, India’s concert economy is booming.But, we don’t have the infrastructure to support shows of this scale.Fewer than ten venues across the country can host more than 10,000 people.Fans often complain of issues with traffic control, crowd management, toilets and parking. In the latest episode of The Signal Brief, we hear from consumers and industry professionals on what’s behind this growing concert economy—and where it’s falling short.The Core produces The Signal Brief. Follow us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.The Core and The Signal Brief are ad supported and FREE for all readers and listeners. Write in to shiva@thecore.in for sponsorships and brand studio requirements.For more of our coverage, check out thecore.inSubscribe to our newsletterFollow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
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