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WTF is with Nikhil Kamath

WTF is with Nikhil Kamath

By: Nikhil Kamath
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"WTF is" is a podcast series where Nikhil Kamath hosts friends and industry experts and holds casual yet intellectually stimulating conversations. The podcast covers a broad range of topics of particular current relevance, including technology, social media, renewable energy, electric vehicles, philosophy, gaming, psychology and more.

Copyright 2025 Nikhil Kamath Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Nikhil Kamath ft. Police Comm'r & Traffic Police Comm'r of Bengaluru | WTF is Policing? | Special Ep

    Nikhil Kamath ft. Police Comm'r & Traffic Police Comm'r of Bengaluru | WTF is Policing? | Special Ep
    May 12 2025
    As someone from Bangalore, I’ve been a bit bothered by how much flak we get, especially about traffic. So I set out to see if the criticism is fair, and what’s actually being done about it.In this episode, I spend the day with two of Bengaluru’s top police officers — B. Dayananda, IPS (Commissioner of Police) and M.N. Anucheth, IPS (Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic) — to understand what’s really happening in the city.We get to know how the police are using AI and other technology to manage traffic more effectively, and what’s the future of urban transport. But this episode isn’t just about traffic. We delve into the reality of being a police officer, how they’re portrayed in movies, and the push-pull between politics and policing. We also discuss the rise in cybercrime and how you can protect yourself online.If you’ve ever complained about traffic, considered joining the force, or just want a closer look at how the system works, this episode is for you.Timestamps:⁠00:00⁠ - Intro & visit to the Office of the Commissioner of Police⁠2:31⁠ - Tracking calls at the Integrated Command & Control Centre⁠5:57⁠ - What police medals & uniforms represent⁠07:07⁠ - Police hierarchy & recruitment exams⁠12:36⁠ - Why is Bengaluru criticised & what’s the future of transport?⁠15:40⁠ - Are traffic fines a deterrent or government revenue?⁠17:41⁠ - How does Bengaluru use AI & data to improve traffic flow?⁠23:13⁠ - How cameras catch traffic violations⁠26:41⁠ - Combating bribery⁠29:35⁠ - Exploring the traffic police museum⁠31:26⁠ - The push-pull between politicians & police⁠33:00⁠ - B. Dayananda’s journey to policing⁠35:28⁠ - Should VIPs be above traffic rules?⁠38:47⁠ - Challenges & rewards of becoming a policeman⁠43:45⁠ - How MN Anucheth decided to enter the force⁠45:41⁠ - The sacrifices of policing & balancing family⁠48:32⁠ - How policemen cope with retirement⁠51:23⁠ - Kannadiga representation in government⁠53:48⁠ - Can policemen transition to politics?⁠55:39⁠ - Skills & talents of a good policeman⁠57:19⁠ - So low budgets force police to accept bribes?⁠58:31⁠ - Is there a solution to Bengaluru’s traffic problem?⁠1:02:22⁠ - What needs to change in India?⁠1:06:57⁠ - Nikhil's focus on building an Indian-first brand ecosystem⁠1:07:56⁠ - How accurately do movies depict police realities?⁠1:10:40⁠ - B. Dayananda’s love for bike rides: redefining the policeman’s image⁠1:14:05⁠ - Bangalore police’s growing social media presence⁠1:15:00⁠ - Advice for youth considering a career in policing⁠1:17:16⁠ - The rise of cybercrimes⁠1:21:35⁠ - Final thoughts: A message to aspiring policemen⁠#NikhilKamath⁠ - Investor & EntrepreneurTwitter: ⁠https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio⁠LinkedIN: ⁠ / nikhilkamathcio ⁠ Instagram: ⁠ / nikhilkamathcio ⁠ Facebook: ⁠ / nikhilkamathcio ⁠ Bengaluru City PoliceTwitter: ⁠https://x.com/BlrCityPolice⁠ Facebook: ⁠ / blrcitypolice ⁠ Instagram: ⁠ / blrcitypolice ⁠ YouTube: ⁠ / @bengalurucitypolice3253 ⁠LinkedIN: ⁠ / blrcitypolice ⁠Bengaluru Traffic PoliceTwitter: ⁠https://x.com/blrcitytraffic⁠ Facebook: ⁠ / bangaloretrafficpolice ⁠Instagram: ⁠ / bengalurutrafficpolice ⁠YouTube: ⁠ / @bengalurutrafficpolice ⁠LinkedIN: ⁠ / bengalurutrafficpolice ⁠⁠#wtfiswithnikhilkamath
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Ep #23 | WTF are Consumer Electronics? | Nikhil ft. Carl Pei, Rahul Sharma & Amit Khatri

    Ep #23 | WTF are Consumer Electronics? | Nikhil ft. Carl Pei, Rahul Sharma & Amit Khatri
    Apr 26 2025

    This episode is a playbook for any curious 20-something in India dreaming of building the next big consumer electronics brand. Whether it’s smartphones, earbuds, AI-powered glasses or health wearables, we dig into what it really takes to break into, and survive, this highly competitive space.

    I sat down with three brilliant minds in the game who’ve actually done it: Carl Pei (Co-Founder, Nothing), Rahul Sharma (Co-Founder, Micromax), and Amit Khatri (Co-Founder, Noise). We tried to decode the what, how, and WTF of this industry—from regulations and the fairness of trade tariffs, to startup realities and what disruption might look like next.


    You might just spot the next big idea as they share some untapped opportunities waiting to be built in this sector.


    Resource Document: https://iridescent-party-a15.notion.site/Consumer-Electronics-Resource-Document-1e1aef3ec3e980f29b86dd9bae34410d


    Timestamps:

    00:00 - Intro

    01:12 - How Apple sparked Carl’s love for tech

    05:05 - The reason for Y Combinator’s success

    07:28 - Carl’s ‘lazy genius’ approach towards his career

    15:05 - How Nothing differentiated itself

    16:36 - US tariff’s impact on China, India & the industry (Note: Since this episode was recorded before recent changes to global trade & tariff policies, some views may not reflect current regulations.)

    22:10 - Carl’s philosophical views on life

    24:23 - Rahul’s journey & the roots of his entrepreneurial spirit

    29:30 - Micromax’s early days: From payphones to GSM innovation

    38:23 - How traveling to villages led to Micromax’s success

    50:47 - Competing with China & Micomax’s manufacturing pivot

    1:00:00 - Apple’s vertical integration strategy: Lessons for companies & governments

    1:05:00 - Learnings from Rahul’s risk-taking & resilience

    1:09:00 - Amit’s journey from education to building Noise

    1:23:34 - Roadmap for 20-somethings entering the electronics industry

    01:41:47 - Identifying gaps in the commodity market

    1:48:02 - Disruption in smartphones through design and AI opportunities

    1:57:40 - Today’s youth vs. yesterday’s corporations

    2:01:13 - Building India’s supply chain & unlocking its market opportunity

    2:07:21 - An electronics launchpad for young entrepreneurs

    2:16:45 - India’s semiconductor push & restarting efforts

    2:22:26 - Future of TV: One UI for all streaming apps?

    2:25:41 - Can India build a global ecosystem in electronics?

    2:35:58 - Health wearables & EdTech opportunities

    2:42:44 - Advice for 20-somethings who want to break into this industry


    #NikhilKamath - Investor & Entrepreneur

    Twitter: https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio

    LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkamathcio/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhilkamathcio/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikhilkamathcio/

    #CarlPei - CEO & Co-Founder, Nothing

    Twitter: https://x.com/getpeid

    LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/getpeid/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getpeid/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getpeid/

    #RahulSharma - Co-Founder, Micromax

    Twitter: https://x.com/rahulsharma

    LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahul-sharma-83038634a/

    #AmitKhatri - Co-Founder, Noise

    Twitter: https://x.com/iamamitkhatri

    LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamamitkhatri/

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsamitkhatri/
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    2 hrs and 47 mins
  • Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant

    Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant
    Mar 3 2025
    India has long been a tea-drinking nation, but in recent years, a new wave of craft beverage brands has started reshaping the way the country drinks. Specialty coffee, kombucha, and premium mixers are carving out space in an industry dominated by mass-produced options. While the demand for high-quality, homegrown beverages is growing, breaking into this space isn’t as easy as it looks. Import duties drive up costs, fragmented supply chains make scaling difficult, and price-sensitive consumers often hesitate to pay a premium. Unlike mass-market beverages, where marketing muscle can drive sales, craft brands have to build awareness, educate consumers, and create demand from scratch. In episode #22 of “WTF Is” Podcast, Nikhil Kamath sits down with some of the biggest names in India’s craft beverage industry—Rahul Reddy (Subko), Matt Chitharanjan (Blue Tokai), Aneesh Bhasin (Svami), and Adithya Kidambi (Mossant). They share their journey of navigating regulations, shifting consumer habits, and competing with legacy brands to bring high-quality, locally made beverages to the mainstream. Resource doc: https://www.notion.so/Resource-Craft-Beverages-19d26a5adf3180b68f1adbbbd2eea2f5#NikhilKamath Co-founder of Zerodha, True Beacon and GruhasTwitter: https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkamathcioInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/nikhilkamathcioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikhilkamathcio#MattChitharanjan Co-founder of Blue Tokai LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/mchitharanjan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_chit #AdithyaKidambi Co-founder of Mossant Fermentary LinkedIN - https://in.linkedin.com/in/adithya-kidambi-8866b1269 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kidambiadithya/ #AneeshBhasin Co-founder of Svami Twitter: https://x.com/aneeshb LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aneesh-bhasin-252b661/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aneeshb/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gentlemenlisten/ #RahulReddy Co-founder of Subko Coffee Twitter - https://x.com/rahulreddysc LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulgreddy/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/raah_hool Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rahul.gurram.reddy/ Time stamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:01:48 - Matt’s Intro | Childhood & Family 00:05:13 - Starting Blue Tokai & Career Journey 00:07:29 - Adithya’s Intro 00:14:13 - Building Mossant 00:17:54 - Challenges in the Industry 00:20:05 - How big is Blue Tokai?00:21:39 - Aneesh’s Intro 00:25:36 - Starting Career Path leading to Beverage Industry 00:27:38 - Rahul’s Intro00:39:26 - Building Subko 00:42:40 - How are Subko & Blue Tokai different?00:47:54 - Hacks for a 25 year old to Compete with Subko & Blue Tokai00:50:30 - Cafe Offerings of both Coffee & Food00:58:09 - Waves of Coffee - Shift to Coffee01:04:27 - How Big is the Craft Industry in India01:10:21 - How to Influence the Crowd at a Coffee Shop 01:12:31 - Difference between Good & Bad Coffees 01:18:13 - Difference in Coffee Culture of India and USA 01:24:11 - Opportunities in Tier-2 Cities01:28:59 - Recent Consumption Trends01:33:21 - What’s Kombucha?01:41:28 - Difference of Flavour Palette in India and Abroad01:44:01 - Consumption Patterns in India 01:49:24 - Awareness of Kombucha as a Product01:58:21 - Craft Beverage Taxation Policies02:05:47 - Mossant’s Journey 02:09:27 - East Asian Beverage Markets02:10:12 - Building a Global Indian Beverage Brand 02:19:12 - How to Compete as a New F&B Brand 02:21:57 - Svami’s Journey 02:30:20 - Differentiating as a Tonic & Non-Alcoholic Brand 02:31:59 - Is Quick Commerce Sustainable in India? 02:41:12 - Svami, Mossant vs Schweppes 02:47:32 - Effects of Coffee as a Commodity02:49:13 - Steps to Starting a Cafe 02:58:07 - Learning from Abroad Beverage Markets 03:01:12 - Favourite Coffee Shops, Kombucha Brands, Non-Alcoholic Beverages 03:14:59 - Beverage Industry as an Investor #WTFiswithnikhilkamath
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    3 hrs and 26 mins

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