7 Best India News Podcasts
Whether you believe it or not, our screen times have increased incredibly during the COVID years. I am sure you must have finished at least 1 webseries in the last 1 year and you might as well be watching one more while you read this post. Do you feel tired during the day or do your eyes hurt by the time you hit the sack? If yes, then, you have to agree that I have read your online consumption correctly. There are a few things that we cant avoid, no matter how tired we may feel. Ideally, the mobile screentime must come down by a few notches! Coming back to our earlier discussion, news update is one thing that I cant miss at the start of the day. I dont feel that my day is complete without a news update. If you think the same way, here are 7 best India news podcasts for you to kick start your day without tiring your eyes.
1. 3 THINGS news podcast by Indian Express
About the podcast:
Our flagship daily news show, where hosts Shashank Bhargava and Snigdha Sharma talk to in-house experts about what is going on and why you need to care about it.
My verdict: What can i say, I start my day with this news podcast. It is definitely one of the most concise and time-efficient India News podcasts around.
Daily frequency: 2 episodes
Average duration of each episode: one episode 3 min long and next episode 25-30 min
2. Mint- HT Smartcast news podcast
About the podcast: Mint Business News is a daily podcast in which Mint Journalist, Gopika Gopakumar, brings to you all the action from the global markets and the business world for you to kick start your day on a well-informed note. She also, brings to you a special segment, Business Term of the Day for you to brush up on your knowledge of the Business World. This is a Mint production, brought to you by HT Smartcast
HT Smartcast by Mint Business News is a prominent news podcast in which a senior journalist talks about one specific topic for 3-5 min daily. I like listening to it because of the few minutes i have in spare 🙂
Daily frequency: 1 episode
Average duration of each episode: 3 min long
3. In Focus By the Hindu
About the podcast: A podcast from The Hindu that delves deep into current developments with subject experts, and brings in context, history, perspective and analysis.
My verdict: The Hindu is one of the most credible names in the field of news broadcasting in India and I was glad to know that The Hindu has a podcast as well. Its intro music might not sound as charming as its’ competitors but I like the in-depth analysis of every topic. This podcast is best heard if you have a road trip / travel time for 40 min like Delhi to Gurugram. I generally put it on in my Honda Jazz Digipad and I learn on the Go!
Daily frequency: 1
Average episode duration: 25 min
Earlier, I had decoded the Podcast Trends
4. The Times of India News podcast
About the podcast: The Times Of India podcast will put the spotlight on ideas, people, and stories that matter. A new episode will be uploaded each day, from Monday to Friday.
My verdict: On the aesthetic level, I like the podcast and the graphics that they use for each episode. The content is also nice and in-depth. However, there is only one pitfall- News happens every day and by restricting themselves to podcast uploading frequency of monday to friday, the publisher is losing out on 2 very crucial days of the news distribution!
Frequency: 5 times a week
Average episode duration: 20 min
5. HT Daily News Wrap
About the podcast: Things never cease to be in news no matter what the medium. As a part of the beta testing initiative our AI, Aditi brings to you the world of politics, business, sports and entertainment in person; every morning and evening. Listen to HT Daily News Wrap to keep abreast with all that’s happening around you, now more than ever. This is a Hindustan Times production, brought to you by HT Smartcast.
HT Daily News Wrap- as the name suggests, it is a daily wrap up of all events that occurred.
Daily frequency: 1
Average episode duration: 4 min
6. Akashavani Hindi News Podcast
About the podcast: Daily Podcast of National News Bulletins in Hindi Language from India’s public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati through its Akashavani All India Radio News Services Division.
My verdict: Have you seen people specially our uncles going through the morning routine- shaving in the morning and listening to news? This podcast gives the same surreal experience! Moreover, I have to admit, I like it as it gives a roundup of everything important during the day.
Daily Frequency: 1
Average episode duration: 30 min
7. The Big Story by the Quint
About the podcast: The Big Story podcast – Where we dissect headline-making news with analysis and inputs from experts.
My Verdict: The Quint’s news podcast is brief and to-the-point and I like the length of each episode. I dont mind spending 15 min on a topic of national and international importance.
Daily frequency: 1
Average episode duration: 15 min
Why are Podcasts forming an important part of your online consumption: Decoding Podcasts for a focused brand engagement
ख़बरनामा by Dainik Jagran- (Dormant)
About the podcast: ख़बरनामा brings you the top headlines and news in Hindi from different categories such as National, Politics, World, Cricket, Entertainment, Business, Tech, and Auto.
My verdict: This is the last in the list of India News podcasts as it is lying dormant in a fast-changing world of podcasts. Since it is in dormant phase, so i’m not including it in the list of 7 best India news podcasts.
Daily frequency: 1
Average episode duration: 8 min
To each his own!
I believe that every person is unique and online consumption of news is also a personal choice. Thus, I have put together the 7 best news podcast channels before you to decide which one suits you the most.
I am not a podcast person, but my husband is. He listens to them while he is in the car, but I have a 5-minute drive with my kids in the car every day (teaching at their school) so I don’t have the time. It’s a great idea, though, to listen to the news instead of watching it.
Very well said Stephanie. You can listen to podcast once you are doing your household chores too…
I love listening to podcasts! Thanks for the list!
You’re most welcome Melanie
I always prefer HT and Hindu because they are always accurate. They aren’t even biased.
I adore Hindu as it is indeed neutral.cant say the same about HT though but I am glad that you find this post informative
That’s quite an extensive list – looks like you did a lot of research
Thank you Renata. I’d like to research well for all of you before getting your attention!
News podcasts are so useful. I really like being able to listen to the current events when I want to while I am driving or doing some other activity that doesn’t require full attention.
Yes Jeff.. podcasts are less intruding and require less span of time so they are very convenient
I’ll keep these in mind when I’m looking for new news sources!
I’m glad this blog post could help you!
Podcast is super interesting, I love listening to it. Thanks for sharing those super lists
I’m glad you liked the post! Happy listening!