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Tariffs, Gaming Bans, and Streaming Gains
The Weekend Playlist
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Good Morning. In today’s edition, we look at three big stories shaping India’s headlines: Trump’s tariff tantrum over Russian oil imports and what it means for trade, the real-money gaming ban that’s sparking both concern and legal challenges, and SonyLIV’s Danish Khan on building a profitable streaming platform in a market addicted to cash burn.
HOW INDIA’S ECONOMY WORK
Why Trump is Suddenly Worried About India’s Russian Oil?
What does a failed trade deal with Donald Trump reveal about India’s foreign policy? And why are Russian oil imports now at the center of this tug-of-war?
Join journalist and author Puja Mehra as she speaks with Suhasini Haidar, Diplomatic Affairs Editor of The Hindu, to make sense of the bigger picture.
What’s inside this conversation:
How India balances principles with pragmatism in global negotiations.
The costs of missed opportunities in our own neighbourhood.
Why the shift from globalisation to populism is reshaping trade everywhere.
And why India’s diplomatic space depends not just on economics — but on the strength of its democracy and pluralism.
As Suhasini Haidar put it:
India’s red lines aren’t only about tariffs or oil — they’re about the values that define its place in the world.
THE MEDIA ROOM
SonyLIV’s Danish Khan on Building a Profitable Streaming Platform
India’s OTT market is crowded, cash-burning, and cut-throat. Yet SonyLIV has managed to carve out a profitable niche — and it did so without playing the same game as everyone else.
In this episode of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Danish Khan, Business Head for Digital Business, StudioNEXT & Network Channels Licensing, about how SonyLIV found its sweet spot.
Inside the conversation:
Why SonyLIV chose a subscription-first strategy over chasing scale with discounts.
The story behind hits like Scam 1992, Rocket Boys, and Maharani.
How the platform balances creativity with a research-driven greenlighting process.
Why SonyLIV avoids repeating its own successes — or copying rivals.
The cautious international rollout, the rise of user-generated content, and the growing power of devices & aggregators.
Why creator-led B2C brands could define the next wave of media.
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THE SIGNAL DAILY
India’s Real Money Gaming Ban: What’s Next?
On August 22, Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill. With the President’s assent, it is now law — and it bans all forms of real-money gaming, whether skill-based or chance-based.
The government argues it’s a much-needed step to protect India’s youth. In fact, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha that 450 million Indians lose nearly ₹10,000 crore every year to such games.
But critics say the bill was rushed through without enough consultation or public input. And gamers themselves? Many feel left out of the conversation.
In the latest episode of The Signal Daily, we hear directly from gamers, psychologists, and an IT expert to unpack the real story:
What does this ban mean for India’s massive gaming community?
Is real-money gaming truly a social menace?
And what is the human cost of gaming?
THE TEAM
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