Zee’s Parent Company Essel Group Celebrates 90 Years

Essel Group, the parent company of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), is celebrating its 90th anniversary with the launch of the DSC Foundation with a monetary contribution by Essel Group Chairman Dr. Subhash Chandra, the “Sarthi” initiative and its English global news network, WION – World Is One News.

The contribution was made in the presence of the Honorable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, and the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, at a ceremony in New Delhi. The DSC Foundation aims to help budding entrepreneurs and educationists by not just providing them with funds but by creating a chain model.

“Sarthi,” meanwhile, is an initiative that seeks to create a nation in which citizens are well-informed about their rights and duties and empowered enough to raise their voices against the problems they face, which are then effectively addressed and resolved. The word “Sarthi” means “the one who drives us in the right direction” and this mission aims to become a guiding force that propels change in the lives of people through constructive interventions. “Sarthi” is a network of like-minded institutions (corporate foundations, non-government organizations, volunteers, trusts, community-based organizations, concerned government departments) that are working toward the common goal of building a well-informed and empowered nation to bring about sustainable positive change.

Chandra also launched WION – World Is One News, the first-ever global news network. WION will be headquartered in India. The network will target upscale viewers in India as well as the Indian diaspora.

The group also honored the winners of the first edition of the Zee Media Family Business Legacy Awards: Dabur India, Wagh Bakri Tea Group and Wockhardt. Held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, the ceremony was attended by prominent figures from the worlds of politics, business, sports, film and entertainment.

Rajya Sabha, Member of Parliament, and Dr. Subhash Chandra, chairman of the Essel Group, said, “This journey of 90 years has been filled with remarkable successes as well as challenges and obstacles. It has been a journey of creating history, venturing into unknown territories, only to emerge as leaders, capitalizing on our pioneering vision and sheer entrepreneurial spirit. As we look to the future, I am confident that we will carry forward the legacy of the group with complete passion, dedication and above all, the spirit of #YoungAt90! On this occasion, we are launching our new initiatives—‘Sarthi,’ DSC Foundation and WION, that will empower the lives of the people. ‘Sarthi’ will provide a platform to help people with their problems by connecting them to the right persons and then taking it to the logical conclusion. With WION, we want to provide a medium which will give people news from around the world and how it affects India. This initiative is not for profit, but a medium for society and the nation to benefit. Through the DSC Foundation, we will be building capacity in the society to take on problems and tackle them. We are pledging Rs. 5000 crore out of our profits toward this foundation.”