Byte-sized listening

With 57.6 million monthly listeners, India has emerged as the third-largest podcast listening market in the world. Mumbai's hottest podcasters share their top picks

Podcasts have recently come into their own in a big way. Anchor, a podcast-making platform owned by Spotify, added more than 25,000 Indian podcasts in 2020 alone, while PricewaterhouseCoopers’s 2020 report named India as the third-largest podcast listening market in the world after China and the US. Four of the city’s leading podcasters share their picks for your listening pleasure.  

Yahya Bootwala: Youthfully Yours 

In terms of podcasts, there is something for everyone. I am personally drawn to podcasts that begin as light-hearted conversations and evolve into deeper subjects. Ummeed With Zakir Khan is an all-time go-to, as the topics he picks are very relatable. I also enjoy Abish Mathew’s The UnExperts, as he discusses subjects that you don’t typically come across in your daily life. However, the way in which he approaches them with guests is so entertaining and yet so informative. Advertising Is Dead by Varyn Duggirala that deep-dives into the latest changes and developments in the business of advertising, branding, content and media also makes for interesting listening.  

Shifa Maitra: Smile India 

Simon Sinek’s A Bit Of Optimism is a great way to start my day. He interviews different people every week who share their life’s journey and how they came to be able to look at the bright side. It is an excellent mood lifter at the start of my day. Journalist and news editor Mahrukh Inayet’s The Note explores contemporary social issues. She also picks very interesting guests. For instance, she recently spoke to Gul Panag about the farmers’ protests. Then, there’s Naan-Curry by Sadaf, an author and chef, and Archit, a researcher, which discusses the history of various foods in a very 
relatable manner.  

Megha Rao: Poems To Calm Down To 

As a huge fan of Michelle Obama and an avid follower of her speeches, I thoroughly enjoy her podcast. Her podcast focuses on family and values, in very casual exchanges. In fact, in the very first episode, she spoke with her husband about their life after they moved out of the White House and how they prioritise their children above all. To me, it was a revelation about how, even if you reach a position of power and your life becomes very busy, you can still make time for things that matter — this could be your family, your children, or people or things you care about. I also enjoy WorkLife with Adam Grant, who is an organisational psychologist who explores unusual ideas such as learning how to love criticism and harnessing the power of frustration. 

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