Why does opening Netflix with a thousand options often end with you watching nothing at all? In this episode, Susmita and Rajnandini unpack the paradox of choice, how too many options can leave us more exhausted, less satisfied, and stuck chasing the "perfect" pick instead of a good one. They bring in the jam experiment, opportunity cost, decision fatigue, and how social media multiplies the number of lives we feel we're choosing between. Plus, a rapid-fire choice game that proves the point better than any theory could.

What if every decision you made had to make you better off without making anyone else worse off? In this episode, Samaira and Riddhima put Pareto efficiency to the test, not as an abstract market model, but as a real seven-day personal operating system. From Delhi's daily commute chaos to household dinner disputes and workplace tea-break trade-offs, they trace how a framework built for static equilibria collapses under the weight of everyday choices. We also unpack the Kaldor-Hicks compensation principle and how Indian policy, from the Land Acquisition Act to Direct Benefit Transfers, deals with trade-offs that Pareto efficiency alone can't solve.

When platforms vanish overnight, how does a generation react? How did Gen Z turn online trends into protest, and what hidden rules might be guiding their moves?

In this episode of Zero Down, join Muskan and Rama as they unpack Nepal’s social media ban, the Nepo Kids trend that exposed political privilege, and the hidden game theory behind youth action. From viral outrage to real world mobilization, we explore how mistrust, opportunity, and strategic choices collide to shape the responses of Nepal’s digital generation navigating a world where voices are suddenly silenced.

In today’s episode, Nandini, Anika and Anusmita dive into the significance of the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement, a landmark pact linking two of the world’s largest economic powers, India and the European Union. We’ll examine what this agreement means for global supply chains, investment flows, and strategic alliances in an era marked by protectionism and geopolitical uncertainty. From economic opportunities to regulatory challenges, and from trade diversification to the reshaping of globalisation itself, this episode explores how one deal could influence the future trajectory of international trade.

Join Himanshi and Hardik for a conversation that looks beyond the scoreboard. This episode reimagines India’s Women’s World Cup victory as an economic turning point, unpacking women’s cricket through the lenses of sports economics, labour markets and investment theory. From match scarcity and income volatility to market failure and untapped consumer demand, the discussion reveals why women’s cricket is driven by powerful economic logic. Grounded in economic reasoning and attentive to questions of gender and equity, this episode offers a thoughtful lens on how markets, not merit, often determine value in sport and how that dynamic is beginning to shift.

Dive into the world of digital payments with this episode on UPI, as Yana and Sneha explore its transformative journey in India. From its humble beginnings to becoming more than a payment method, UPI is reshaping the way India transacts! Let's unpack Metcalfe’s law behind its rapid growth, the two-sided market dynamics, zero-MDR advantage, and innovations like UPI on feature phones, wearables, and future collaborations with AI. Today, UPI stands as a global benchmark, driving India’s economy toward modern financial development.

Ever wondered why you hesitate before texting first, overthink double texts, or feel stuck planning outings that never happen? Turns out, you’ve been using game theory all along.

In this episode of the Zero Down Podcast by Arthashastra, Miranda House, Poorti and Mahak explore how economic concepts like the Prisoner’s Dilemma, Nash Equilibrium, Tit-for-Tat, free-riding, and signalling show up in everyday human interactions. From friendships to roommates, group projects, social media, and conflict resolution, we break down how strategic thinking shapes trust, cooperation, and decision-making.

Light, fun, and deeply relatable, this episode connects economics to real life, because sometimes, understanding relationships is just about understanding the game.

Swipe into the chaos of modern romance with Devanshi and Tanvi as they unpack the Economics of Online Dating. From right-swipes to ghosting seasons, they explore how attention became a currency, why some profiles explode in demand while others get buried, and how apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge ended up running an oligopoly on our love lives. They dive into supply-demand curves on attraction, sunk cost fallacies in texting, and how freemium “premium love” became a business model. A fun, sharp look at why dating in 2025 feels more like a marketplace than ever.