Mint Techcetra – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Mint Techcetra, brought to you by HT Smartcast, host Karthik explores how enterprises in India are scaling smart and staying secure in the age of AI. Joining him is Mr. Venkat Sitaram, Senior Director and Country Head for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at Dell Technologies India. Together, they discuss Dell's collaboration with NVIDIA on the Dell AI Factory initiative, the performance advantages of PowerEdge R770 servers, and the growing importance of cyber resilience. Discover how Dell’s end-to-end infrastructure solutions are helping Indian businesses modernise IT, embrace edge computing, and ensure data security in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Subscribe for more insights on technology and business transformation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You can only become a product nation if you invest in R&D. Otherwise, you stay a service economy.” In today’s episode of Mint Techcetra, we talk about what India’s $12 billion R&D push could actually mean beyond just numbers and press releases. We look at why India’s tech sector has lagged in deep research, what it will take to build serious intellectual property here, and whether this new funding will finally shift the dial. We also get into the growing unease around AI. Sam Altman says people trust ChatGPT too much. But who decides how much trust is too much? Is it on the user, the platform, or the regulators who still haven’t shown up? and finally, we look into Microsoft’s 9,000 job cuts, and ask the harder question: is AI really replacing humans, or is it just a convenient scapegoat for bigger structural shifts? It's a packed episode of policy, people, platforms, and how all three are clashing in real time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting — a new technology that could turn your smartphone into a live TV receiver, no internet required. India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is running pilot tests to explore whether phones can double as broadcast receivers. The potential is massive: it could bring entertainment and emergency alerts to over 80 million TV-dark homes. But questions remain about reliability in poor weather, hardware pricing, and whether telecom operators — who make big money off mobile data — are ready to support it. Next: dumb phones are making a comeback. We talk about the Light Phone 3 and why users are opting for distraction-free devices that do little more than call, text, and maybe play music. Some see it as a response to smartphone fatigue. Others think it’s a more conscious way to re-engage with life. But the conversation also tackles the practical side — from using cash over UPI to finding your way through a city without Google Maps. And finally, we get into India’s AI patent push. According to a new Nasscom report, India has seen a sharp rise in AI-related patent filings over the past 15 years — with machine learning dominating the charts and generative AI catching up fast. While the country now ranks among the global top five in AI filings, the grant rate remains low at just 0.37%, raising questions about R&D quality and long-term innovation depth. All that — plus a little CD nostalgia and public-service broadcasting potential — in this week’s episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sales of new smartphones have been declining for the past four quarters. On the other hand, sales of refurbished, or second-hand phones, have been rising for the past couple of years. This is reaching greater heights right now — companies such as Cashify have begun offering discounts, financing options, and at-home deliveries; essentially, a buying experience that’s at par with new phones. What does this mean for the balance of the overall market, and are we maturing further as an electronics-crazy nation? Tune in as we dissect this rather interesting segment of our economy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we delve into Generative AI's transformative world with Akhilesh Ayer, EVP & Global Business Unit Head – WNS Triange, WNS’ AI, Analytics, Data & Research Business Unit. Discover Generative AI's evolution, challenges, and real-world success stories, and how it empowers businesses to scale and personalize solutions. Akhilesh also shares strategic insights, shedding light on data quality and the synergy of AI technologies. If you're curious about the promising future of AI, stay tuned! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On August 23, India became only the fourth nation ever to land on the moon. With this, India cemented its place as a global powerhouse in the world’s space race. The success erases Chandrayaan-2’s landing failure, highlighted further by Russia failing to land its own module just ahead of our feat. But why is the history-setting landing at the lunar south pole so difficult—and important? We decode the nuances of what has been one of the greatest milestones in the history of our nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the amazing possibilities of Gen AI as we are joined by Abhinav Kolhe, a Senior Director from Cognizant's Enterprise Automation Practice. Delve into its impact through insights: differentiate Large Language Models from regular ML, share real-life examples, unveil revolutionary applications, and guide integration. Uncover challenges, breakthroughs, budgeting, and actionable insights to harness Gen AI's transformative power. You are tuned in to the episode 7th of a special series brought to you by nasscom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GST Council has spoken, and the much-debated 28% tax rate has come into effect. In light of this tax, one small startup has already shut shop. The crux — fantasy and real-money gaming startups will need to pay 28% of their revenue as tax, before a 30% TDS for gamers if they withdraw what they win. Under such a high tax slab, can India’s online gaming startups survive? We decode the impact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To shed some lights on the future of oncology, today we are joined by two acclaimed guests, Chaitanya Sarawate, President & CEO of GE HealthCare South Asia and MD, Wipro GE Healthcare; Manikandan Bala, SVP, TIMEA & APAC and MD, India & South Africa at Elekta. In this episode of GE HealthCare’s podcast series, we will explore the cutting-edge technologies and breakthroughs that are revolutionizing cancer treatment, while also delving into the hurdles and complexities associated with it. Make sure you tune in to get a deeper understanding of the vital role played by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Precision Care in advancing cancer care. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reliance Jio, a leading telecom network for customers and businesses, has transformed data usage. With the Jio Bharat Phone (Jio Phone), they aim to expand their user base — taking on Airtel, while opening up a potential market again for inexpensive smartphones. But will it really succeed? Join us in this episode as Mint's Shouvik Das explores how this affordable but basic device can be Jio’s latest play to take on markets that it hasn’t conquered — yet. Tune in for an insightful exploration! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices