Hello,

My name is Shorbori, I am the Executive Producer of the podcast team. We usually don’t write to you at this time of the day, but we have something exciting to tell you.

It’s been 1 year, 4 months and 27 days since The Signal formed this vertical. Slowly but surely, we are marching ahead. As you read this email, we have released the 300th episode of The Signal Daily — our daily news podcast.

Apple | Pocket Casts | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | IVM Podcasts | Spotify (or as they say, wherever you listen to podcasts!)

For our first segment in today’s episode, we talk about the 'Demonetisation Verdict'. In our second segment, we discuss the return of corporate travel. A Morgan Stanley report indicates that business travel expenses have returned to their pre-pandemic levels because many companies now understand the value of in-person meetings.

It takes a village to run a daily news podcast that goes live five days a week, but we try to make the most of our small team. With a 15,000-strong monthly listenership, we are very proud to see our podcast growing day by day.

Why should you listen to this podcast? Well, one of the main ideas behind developing The Signal Daily was to make it worth your time. Spare us ten minutes while you get ready to start your day, and we will bring you two stories every day from Monday to Friday at 8 am.

From business to tech and geopolitics to climate—and everything in between—we curate stories that matter to us all. The Signal Daily goes beyond headlines and offers well-rounded, yet snappy perspectives you won’t find anywhere else.  

If you haven't listened to The Signal Daily yet, here are three of our most-listened episodes from November and December 2022.

Why Kerala's Vizhinjam Port Is In Troubled Waters

Kerala's Vizhinjam Port, touted as the only transshipment hub in the Indian subcontinent, is facing intense resistance from local communities.

It is currently being built under a Public Private Partnership with the Adani Group, which undertook the project in 2015. But local fisherfolk are worried about being displaced. There's also significant concern over the project’s impact on marine biodiversity.

Libraries Are Adding A Local Touch To Online Music Services

Are you on the constant lookout for new music and artists? There is a way that you can discover local talent, albeit not on popular music apps. Many public libraries in the United States and Canada are building their own streaming services in an effort to support hyperlocal music.

India Is Rooting For Atmanirbhar Defence

India's defence sector is going through a big transition. It's not only aiming for self-reliance but also pushing to become a global hub for weapons manufacturing. And so far, the plan is on track.

The biggest challenge of creating a daily news podcast with a small team is the amount of production work that goes into it under strict deadlines. From research to writing and editing, recording, and mixing, it takes a lot of meticulous planning. Oh, and did I mention that all our coordination happens online? When time permits, we also feature guests with special expertise on certain topics; we’d like to do more of this. 

On that note, do listen to Bengaluru Is Crumbling. In this episode, we talk about the nightmare Bengaluru faces in the monsoon almost every year. Heavy overnight rains turn Bengaluru's roads into rivers, leading to intense waterlogging, traffic jams, and power cuts. In this episode, we were also joined by Bengaluru-based architect and urban designer Naresh Narasimhan. His insights into the disappearing wetlands, broken sewage systems and lack of masterplans double as contextual awareness of why Bengaluru is crumbling.

Let me also take this opportunity to tell you about our new limited podcast series, Back to Campus. Hosted by our very own Rajneil R Kamath, co-founder of The Signal, this is a podcast where we bring you stories of the change-makers who couldn't be bothered to follow a traditional career path. From Harsha Bhogle—the voice of Indian cricket—to Kanishk Seth, everyone’s current favourite singer, the guest line-up will surely inspire you!

Pocket Casts | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | Spotify (or as they say, wherever you listen to podcasts!)

As outlined by my co-founder Venkat Ananth last month, there's more coming this 2023, which we will undoubtedly present to you soon!

PS: Much like we do every day, do let us know what we could do better. Your feedback is essential to helping us improve our products on a regular basis. If you have ideas or suggestions for The Signal Daily, do drop me a line. We pore through our emails regularly.

Best wishes,

Shorbori