Kopi Time podcast with Taimur Baig
Business & Finance
About
Kopi time is a podcast series on insights from markets and economies around the world, hosted by Taimur Baig, Ph.D., Chief Economist of DBS Bank Ltd.
Episodes
- Kopi Time E177 - Deborah Elms on Trade Matters
Deborah Elms rejoins Kopi Time to analyze trade changes and realignments following a year of reciprocal tariffs. The discussion covers the macro impact on the US and globally, shifts in production origins and trade patterns, and the status…
- DBS Kopi Time E176- Notes from IMF Meetings - Stark Disconnect
DBS Kopi Time E176 notes the contrast between market rallies and official warnings on public debt, energy security, and the USD during the IMF Spring Meetings. Concerns include commodity shocks, growth risks, and China's relative positioni…
- Kopi Time E175: DBS CEO Tan Su Shan on wars, tariffs, AI, and fintech
Taimur Baig speaks with DBS CEO Tan Su Shan about managing risks during wartime and inflation, adapting businesses to trade uncertainties, the influence of AI on employment, and the evolving landscape of fintech in banking.
- Kopi Time E174 - Future of Jobs and Tasks with AI Singapore's Leslie Teo
Taimur Baig and Leslie Teo discuss redefining jobs and expertise in the AI era, covering the deployment of AI agents, the importance of human judgment, and the roles of educators, firms, and governments in managing labor market disruptions.
- Kopi Time E173 - Dr. Khor Hoe Ee on Asia's Resilience and the Road Ahead
Dr. Khor Hoe Ee analyzes factors behind Asia's economic resilience, including AI spending and green transition dynamics. The discussion covers Singapore's capacity to handle economic shocks, the impact of the AI wave, and challenges facing…
- Kopi Time E172: ICRIER head Shekhar Aiyar on key aspects of India’s outlook
Dr. Shekhar Aiyar discusses India
- Kopi Time E171 - IIF's Tim Adams on the Fed, US Fiscal, & Financial Stability
Timothy Adams, CEO of the Institute of International Finance, joins Kopi Time to discuss the nomination of a new Fed Chair, the balance of political pressure and institutional independence in monetary policy, and current fiscal policy. The…
- Kopi Time E170: Bernard Haykel on foreign policy in the Americas and the Middle-East
Professor Bernard Haykel discusses geopolitical flashpoints, including US intervention in Venezuela, its influence in Latin America, the situation in Greenland and NATO, and the complex dynamics in the Middle East involving Iran, Saudi Ara…
- Kopi Time E169 - Upside to the US, China, and Singapore
Kopi Time E169 analyzes the US, China, and Singapore
- Kopi Time E168 - 2026 Stagflation Risk with Komal Sri-Kumar
Dr. Komal Sri-Kumar warns of stagflation and financial instability risks in 2026, citing fiscal slippage, sticky inflation, and the AI bubble. He expresses concern over the US institutional strength and holds a bearish outlook on stocks an…
- Kopi Time E167 - Noah Doyle on Tech, AI, and Bubbles
Noah Doyle joins Kopi Time to discuss the tech and AI landscape. The conversation covers the current Silicon Valley investment climate, the potential for an AI bubble, the supply and demand for AI infrastructure, and the ecosystem of capit…
- Kopi Time E166: David Marsh on Europe’s Existential Challenges
David Marsh returns to Kopi Time to discuss Europe's most significant post-WWII challenges, including economic, political, and security issues like US tariffs, China, Russia, immigration, and energy. He emphasizes the need for capital mark…
- Kopi Time E165 - Jawed Ashraf on India's Foreign Policy
Jawed Ashraf discusses India
- Kopi Time E164: The “new China shock” with Arvind Subramanian
In Kopi Time E164, Taimur Baig and Arvind Subramanian discuss Subramanian and Shoumitro Chatterjee's work on China's export dominance, policy choices impacting developing nations, and China's technological rise. They also touch on trade po…
- Kopi Time E163 - Notes from IMF Meetings - Resilience Among Fragmentation
Taimur Baig reviews the IMF-World Bank annual meetings, highlighting global resilience amid fragmentation and US policy challenges. While risks remain, near-term growth shows mild upside, with the US economy on a 2% growth path.
- Kopi Time E162: AMRO’s Dr Dong He on the regional outlook
In Kopi Time E162, Dr. Dong He, Chief Economist of AMRO, analyzes the regional economic outlook. The discussion covers the effects of US tariffs, growth prospects, policy support options, the weak dollar, financial stability, the green tra…
- Kopi Time E161 - Jeff Johnson from AWS on cloud and AI
Jeff Johnson from AWS discusses the company's cloud services, its reach and scale, and the spectrum of services. He shares examples of enterprise usage with AI and GenAI, and addresses security, reliability, sustainability, and the democra…
- Kopi Time E160 - Eswar Prasad on Stablecoins
Eswar Prasad joins Kopi Time to discuss the concept and practicalities of stablecoins, exploring recent developments, legislative actions like the US GENIUS Act, technological aspects, regulatory risks, and potential impacts on central ban…
- Kopi Time E159 - Mark Domitrak on Consumer and Corporate Sentiment
Mark Domitrak of CT Group explains how his team gathers data on consumer and corporate sentiment, addressing challenges like respondent anxiety and evolving communication methods. The discussion covers insights on economic and geopolitical…
- Kopi Time E158 - Lauri Myllyvirta on Green Energy and Climate Tech
Lauri Myllyvirta joins Kopi Time to discuss the global green energy transition, including wind, solar, nuclear, and hydro power, and the context of coal and gas. The episode also covers climate technology and the climate change paths of In…
- Kopi Time E157 - Apollo's Torsten Slok on the US economy
Torsten Slok, Chief Economist at Apollo Global Management, discusses the US economy, touching on inflation, jobs, labor productivity, the impact of AI, Fed independence, financial repression, fiscal dominance, bond market liquidity, invest…
- Kopi Time E156 - 2H25 outlook and Ask Me Anything
In Kopi Time E156, Taimur Baig discusses the 2H25 outlook, covering trade wars, Middle East tensions, and the US economy. The episode includes a Q&A segment addressing asset allocation, US debt, and Asian sovereign bonds.
- Kopi Time E155 - Capital Wars with Dr. David Skilling
David Skilling, Founding Director of Landfall Strategy Group, joins Kopi Time to discuss shifting capital flows and geoeconomic instability. They explore potential closer ties between Europe and Asia amidst US-China relations and the regio…
- Kopi Time E154 - Chatib Basri on Indonesia’s Present and Future
Chatib Basri, former finance minister, discusses Indonesia’s economic outlook, geoeconomic fragmentation strategy, and challenges in education, health, and infrastructure at the DBS Asia Insights Conference 2025.
- Kopi Time E153 - Prof Danny Quah on the Fracturing World Order
In Kopi Time E153, Prof Danny Quah discusses the fracturing world order, exploring the perception of win-win versus zero-sum dynamics and how domestic welfare issues are attributed to external factors. He examines the historical correlatio…
- Kopi Time E152: IMF’s Asia head Krishna Srinivasan on tariffs and the region
Dr. Krishna Srinivasan, IMF Director for the Asia and Pacific Department, addresses challenges to Asia's export-led growth model amid geoeconomic fragmentation. He discusses the growth outlook, interest rates, exchange rates, policy recomm…
- Kopi Time E151 - Private Equity with Alicia Gregory, Blue Owl
Alicia Gregory, Managing Director at Blue Owl, explains private equity on Kopi Time podcast. The discussion covers the industry's origins, investment structures, strategies, performance compared to public markets, the secondary market, and…
- Kopi Time E150 - Piyush Gupta on the Present and Future of Banking
In Kopi Time E150, Piyush Gupta, outgoing CEO of DBS Bank Ltd., joins Taimur Baig to discuss the evolution of banks since the 2008/09 financial crisis, digital transformation, financial inclusion, and the future of banking. They also cover…
- Kopi Time E149 - Longevity with Brian Kennedy
Professor Brian Kennedy explains the science of aging, covering senescence, its physical and cognitive aspects, and links to genetics, diet, and exercise. The discussion also touches on molecules like alpha keto-glutarate, spermidine, and…
- Kopi Time E148 - Private Credit with Fitch’s Meghan Neenan
Meghan Neenan, head of Non-Bank Financial Institutions at Fitch Ratings, explains the private credit sector's development, scale, and structure. The discussion covers potential economic cycle vulnerabilities, financial stability risks, and…
- Kopi Time E147 - Kishore Mahbubani on a Fragmenting World
In E147 of Kopi Time, Kishore Mahbubani joins Taimur Baig to discuss geopolitics, focusing on India's strategic choices between the US and China, the potential return of Trump, the future of multilateralism, and Asia's place in global powe…
- Kopi Time E146 - Trade War with Deborah Elms
Dr. Deborah Elms returns to Kopi Time to discuss intensifying trade wars, noting rising protectionism despite increased global trade volume. She explains how modern production rewards capital over labor and analyzes trade initiatives like…
- Kopi Time E145 - Markets and Trump 2.0
The Kopi Time podcast episode E145 discusses the potential impact of Trump 2.0 policies on US markets, referencing the 1890s McKinley tariff. It explores how tariffs and immigration could affect inflation and the Fed's easing strategy, wit…
- Kopi Time E144 - 2025 outlook with Dr. Komal Sri-Kumar
Dr. Komal Sri-Kumar analyzes the US economy, noting risks of returning inflation and market volatility in 2025 due to fiscal stimulus and Fed policies. He also addresses household financial struggles, corporate debt concerns, and the outlo…
- Kopi Time E143 - Markets and Policy Path Dependence with Mustafa Chowdhury
Mustafa Chowdhury returns to Kopi Time to discuss how two decades of interventions affect current market behavior and policy challenges. The episode covers the US yield curve, mortgage rates, the housing market, and the outlook for rates,…
- Kopi Time E142 - Tech and security with Gaurav Keerthi
Gaurav Keerthi, Head of Advisory and Emerging Business at Ensign InfoSecurity, joined Kopi Time to discuss the current state of cybersecurity. The episode covers the intersection of geopolitics and cyberattacks, the sophistication of threa…
- Kop Time E141 - Ashish Gupta on India's Financial Markets
Ashish Gupta, CIO of Axis Mutual Fund, shares insights on India
- Kopi Time E140 - US Elections with Angela Mancini
Angela Mancini joins Taimur Baig on Kopi Time to analyze the outcomes of the US presidential elections, focusing on Donald Trump's victory, its impact on US policy in Asia, business strategies for Trump 2.0, and US-China relations.
- Kopi Time E139 - Fintech Zeitgeist with Varun Mittal
Varun Mittal rejoins Taimur Baig on Kopi Time E139 to discuss the evolving fintech landscape over the past four years. Topics include sector growth, financial inclusion, crypto, AI's influence, and upcoming regulations.
- Kopi Time E138 - IMF Notes; Economic Resiliency and Financial Risks
Kopi Time E138 reflects on the IMF annual meetings, noting relief over global economic resiliency alongside concerns about financial risks. The episode touches on stable growth forecasts, receding inflation, shifting investor strategies, a…
- Kopi Time E137 - US public debt and deficits with Shai Akabas
Shai Akabas joins Kopi Time to discuss the US fiscal situation, highlighting the increase in debt and deficits over the past 25 years due to unfunded tax cuts and spending. The outlook remains gloomy, with rising needs for entitlement prog…
- Kopi Time E136 - Drew Thompson on Taiwan from Multiple Perspectives
Drew Thompson shares his expertise on Taiwan's complex situation, covering its role in tech manufacturing and geopolitical tensions. The discussion examines Taiwan's political developments from various viewpoints and its evolving relations…
- Kopi Time E135 - Techno-nationalism with Alexander Capri
Alexander Capri discusses the expanding concept of techno-nationalism, its impact on trade, and corporate strategies amidst geopolitical shifts. Topics include the US-China innovation race and its implications for South-East Asia and India.
- Kopi Time E134 - Vasuki Shastry on India’s Manufacturing Future
Vasuki Shastry assesses India's "Make in India" initiative, calling it a qualified failure based on data for investment, job creation, and technology transfer. He suggests improvements including a level playing field, regulatory stability,…
- Kopi Time E133 - Dr. Jennifer Sciubba on Contextualising Demography
Dr. Jennifer Sciubba joins Kopi Time to discuss demographics, explaining population projections and the global trend of aging populations due to lower fertility and higher life expectancy. She suggests societies can age with dignity and re…
- Kopi Time E132 - GIC’s Prakash Kannan on Global Macro and Asset Allocation
Prakash Kannan from GIC discusses evolving global macro developments and their implications for asset allocation, covering topics like Fed outlook, EM resiliency, China policy, and gold.
- Kopi Time E131 - SE Asia 2024-34 with Charles Ormiston
Charles Ormiston joins Taimur Baig on Kopi Time E131 to discuss a report on Southeast Asia's economic outlook. The conversation covers the report's motivation, key findings, and strategies for the private and public sectors, acknowledging…
- Kopi Time E130 - Shekhar Aiyar on the Case for Globalisation
Shekhar Aiyar joins Kopi Time to present research on globalisation, citing empirical evidence for trade gains and the costs of geoeconomic fragmentation. The discussion also covers productivity spillovers from Foreign Direct Investment usi…
- Kopi Time E129 - James Crabtree on the Geopolitics of Elections
James Crabtree returns to Kopi Time to discuss the geopolitics of major elections in 2024, including the US presidential race with Trump, Biden, and Harris, and potential impacts on Asia and US policy. He also provides commentary on electi…
- Kopi Time E128 - Payments trends with Mastercard's David Mann
David Mann, Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at Mastercard, joins Kopi Time to discuss global payment trends, focusing on shifts in consumer preferences since the pandemic and the impact of the rising cost of living. They examine data from…