Business Daily

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No suits, four-day weeks: Asia's energy crunch Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

With a state of emergency in the Philippines and a series of four-day working weeks and fuel rationing across many countries, the global energy crisis caused by the war in Iran is wreaking havoc on Asia's economies.

We look at why the continent seems so exposed, and what governments and businesses are doing in response, with some extreme steps being taken including four-day weeks and the ditching of office attire.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Will Bain Producers: Rebecca Smyllie and Josh Martin Additional production: Tran Vo in Bangkok Sound mix: Toby James

Business Daily is the home of in-depth audio journalism devoted to the world of money and work. From small startup stories to big corporate takeovers, global economic shifts to trends in technology, we look at the key figures, ideas and events shaping business.

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.

We also feature in-depth interviews with company founders and some of the world's most prominent CEOs. These include Google's Sundar Pichai, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins.

(Picture: Employees of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) queue at lobby elevators at office headquarters in Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Following a directive from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., government offices began implementing an interim four-day on-site working week scheme as part of energy conservation efforts. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

ICE: Is it chilling the US economy? Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

Last year, around 4000 federal officers were deployed in Minneapolis in a major immigration crackdown.

Local firms say the resulting upheaval and protests didn’t just disrupt local people’s lives, they also damaged the economy. But has the anti-immigration drive had a similar impact across the US?

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ed Butler Producer: Josh Martin

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.

(Picture: Masked federal agents wearing a Police ICE jacket, stand in a hallway at the New York Federal Plaza Immigration Court inside the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building in New York on the 17th of March 2026. Credit: Getty Images)

Could the Arctic rewrite global trade? Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

We explore the potential and the challenges for Arctic shipping. As global warming causes sea ice to retreat, passages are opening up through this vast frozen Arctic Ocean. We explore what these routes are, who’s using them, and examine the players with big ambitions to develop these shipping shortcuts.

We also take a closer look at the realities of operating in extreme conditions so far north, asking if the rewards really outweigh the risks?

And we hear from local Arctic leaders, concerned about the growing shipping traffic. Might the global trade map really be redrawn?

To get in touch with the team, send us an email to businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Adrienne Murray

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.

(Picture: Arctic ship leaving Tasiilaq in Greenland after having unloaded at the docks in the harbour. Credit: Getty Images)

Can Cuba turn its economy around? Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

Cuba is in the grip of a deep economic crisis. The country’s communist government says it will open up the struggling economy to greater private investment in an effort to tackle it. But will these reforms be enough? And can they happen quickly enough to slow the record number of Cubans leaving the country in search of a better life abroad?

If you'd like to get in the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Will Bain Producer: Craig Henderson

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.

(Picture: A man rides a tricycle at a corner of Havana during a blackout on the 16th of March 2026. Credit: Getty Images)

The struggle to find care that sparked a business Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

We meet Chika Madubuko, the founder and CEO of Greymate Care, an online platform that connects people that need support with professional caregivers in Nigeria. It’s a business that was born in 2016 after her family struggled to find a trustworthy carer for her grandmother.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producers: Ahmed Adan and Niamh McDermott

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.

(Picture: Chika Madubuko. Credit: Chika Madubuko)

Oil crisis lessons from Iran to Kuwait Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

As the world faces another energy crisis, what can past shocks teach us?

We look back at earlier oil crises to understand how conflict has disrupted global supply - and what that means for markets today.

We hear from a former boss of one of the world’s biggest oil companies, BP, on the challenges the business faced when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

And as many of us are now facing rising prices at the pumps, we explore how reliant we’ve become on oil and whether it’s possible to reduce our dependence on it anytime soon.

If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producers: Rebecca Smyllie and Josh Martin

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, and why bond markets are so powerful.

(Picture: Plumes of smoke rise over the oil depot tanks hit by joint Israel-US overnight in a station north west of the Iranian capital, Tehran, the 8th of March 2026. Credit: Getty Images)

The cost of calling home Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

If you’re living thousands of miles from home, how do you keep in touch, especially when your loved ones don’t have reliable internet?

There’s a growing market across Africa and beyond for apps helping to cut the costs of international calls to older phones. And some operators have much grander ambitions.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Matthew Kenyon

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

Recent episodes explore the weight-loss drug revolution, the growth in AI, the cost of living, why bond markets are so powerful, China's property bubble, and Gen Z's experience of the current job market.

(Picture: Oluseyi Akinnibosun, Nigerian entrepreneur and app developer who's living in the Netherlands, about to make a call.)

Germany turns to India for skilled workers Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

Germany is in the throes of a demographic crisis, in which there are not enough young people entering the labour market to replace those who are retiring.

There is an annual net loss of 400,000 to the workforce and the shortage is particularly acute in many of the traditional craft industries.

One solution appears to lie overseas and in particular, India. We hear from young Indians who have signed up for apprenticeships in a range of industries in Germany’s south-west, close to the border with Switzerland.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presented and produced by Tim Mansel

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

(Picture: Ajay Kumar Chandapaka, an apprentice mechanic from India at Dold Spedition, a haulage firm in Buchenbach in the Black Forest in Germany.)

China’s new economic reality Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

We look at what China’s latest “Two Sessions” reveal about the direction of the world’s second-largest economy.

With Beijing setting its lowest GDP growth target since 1991, the focus appears to be shifting from rapid expansion to stability in an increasingly uncertain global economy. We explore what that means for businesses, investors and young people trying to find work in China today.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producer: David Cann

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

(Picture: Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre right, and Premier Li Qiang, centre left, arrive at the closing session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People on the 12th of March 2026 in Beijing, China. Credit: Getty Images)

Starting a jet company against the odds Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

We meet the founder of one of India’s largest private aviation companies who overcame several life challenges before starting the business.

After doctors initially told her she had months to live, Indian entrepreneur Kanika Tekriwal went on to build JetSetGo, one of the country’s largest private aviation marketplaces. She talks about overcoming illness, sexism and family opposition to launch her company.

If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rahul Tandon Producers: Amber Mehmood, Ahmed Adan and Niamh McDermott

Each episode is a 17-minute, daily deep dive into a single topic, featuring expert analysis and the people at the heart of the story.

(Picture: Kanika Tekriwal, founder of JetSetGo. Credit: Kanika Tekriwal)

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