Mumbai, 21st May 2026: Multi-faceted Indian business conglomerate Essel Group has marked a historic milestone in its journey, as it completes 100 glorious years of delivering value across the globe. From a humble beginning in 1926 in a small-town named Adampur, to a multi-faceted conglomerate with a diverse presence across a gamut of businesses, Essel Group has created a lasting impression across the world.

Since 1967, Essel Group has reinvented itself by achieving the paradigm shift from a traditional business to a global conglomerate with a Start-Up culture. The traditional commodity trading business of the Group was pivoted to Army supplies & cross border trade. Subsequently, most of the Group’s businesses have been of pioneering nature, with many industry firsts to its credit. Nurturing its start-up mindset and keeping a sharp focus on profitability, the Group has never shied away from closing certain businesses, which did not rise to the desired value-delivery levels.

Started by Late Ram Gopal Ji, and expanded by his son Shri Jagannath Ji Goenka, supported by Shri Nand Kishore Ji and later, successfully spearheaded by the visionary Dr. Subhash Chandra and his brothers – Laxmi Narain, Jawahar and Ashok Goel, Essel Group is amongst the few Indian business conglomerates which is successfully passing on its rich legacy to the sixth generation, while the fourth and fifth generations are still active.

Over the last century, the group diversified into multiple business sectors including packaging, home entertainment, amusement park, news, content distribution, infrastructure, real estate, education, technology, lifestyle and more, positively impacting the lives of billions of people across 190+ countries. The Group has not only contributed towards the establishment of the Indian business landscape in the pre-liberalization era, but it has also strengthened the economic development of our Nation by significantly enhancing its hard power and soft power. Through its pioneering initiatives, that have set up not just companies, but entire industries in itself, Essel Group has created an ‘Impression of a Century’, generating employment opportunities for over 10 million people across the Nation.

Commemorating the special occasion, Dr. Subhash Chandra said, “Essel Group’s journey has been one of persistence, resilience, innovation and growth. Our belief that progress must create value for the society and Nation at large has guided the pioneering steps undertaken by the Group across every business dimension. Me and my brothers are extremely proud to mark this momentous milestone of 100 years that has been built by generations of vision and courage to venture into the unknown and truly leave an imprint of a century across every industry. Essel Group’s journey has evolved alongside our Nation, and I am proud to note that together, we have unlocked economic value and enabled social transformation to drive national progress.”

Marking the momentous milestone, Dr. Chandra addressed over 10,000 Essel Group employees across the globe during a special townhall, conducted today. In an engaging dialogue, Dr. Chandra reflected on the Group’s historic journey and recognized the valuable role played by its employees in carrying forward the rich legacy and building robust business. In his address, Dr. Chandra touched upon the contributions made by the Group in generating wide-spread positive impact across the world through its offerings. He also narrated the heart-touching and inspiring stories shared by employees who have been a part of the Group’s journey for decades. Dr. Chandra reiterated that as India’s first start-up, Essel Group continues to innovate and take bold steps for the future, further urging employees to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit as the creators for the next century.

Over the last 100 years, the contributions of the Group have left an indelible impact on India’s economic and social landscape.

It has laid a strong foundation to build the Nation with the following pioneering endeavours: 

Introducing innovative packaging technology in India

Essel Group introduced modernized consumer-goods packaging to India, through Essel Propack. The company pioneered laminated plastic tube technology, which enabled it to be recognized as the world’s largest laminated tube manufacturer by setting up plants in all five continents, becoming India’s first multinational Company. Until it was part of the Group, the tubes manufactured by the Company were used by 1/3rd of the humanity, while brushing their teeth. 

Recognizing the need for shared entertainment experiences

Identifying the growing unmet need for shared entertainment experiences that united people and delivered meaningful engagement, the Group launched Asia’s biggest amusement park – Essel World. The park redefined leisure and tourism experiences across Asia, propelling the infrastructure, tourism and hospitality sectors to deliver significant economic value to the Nation. 

Transforming and creating an Industry out of India’s small Media & Entertainment sector, making it the second highest employer after the IT sector 

Essel Group pioneered the transformation of the Indian M&E landscape by establishing the country’s first private satellite television channel – Zee TV in 1992; followed by the launch of India’s first private news channel – Zee News in 1995. The pioneering efforts democratized access to information and entertainment, and opened up Indian entertainment content encompassing rich traditions and values to the globe, firmly entrenching India on the global map. The Group created unprecedented opportunities in content creation, advertising, distribution, production, immersive infotainment and built new-age digital modes of consumption.

The Group further invested in the sector to establish a successful distribution business through Siti Cable and Dish TV, which have revolutionized content delivery models across homes. The steps taken by the Group have enabled the Indian M&E industry to become one of the most attractive sectors for investors across emerging markets and continues to generate significant Foreign Direct Investment as the sector approaches the completion of four decades.

Nurturing the next generation through quality education

Driven by the belief that education is one of the strongest catalysts to build the future of the country, the Group enabled affordable and quality learning to the growing semi-urban and rural population through Zee Learn. In order to nurture the future generations, the Group has more than 2500 KidZee branded pre-schools, making it the largest chain in Asia touching the lives of millions of children, along with K12 schools and higher education institutions that nurture the unique skills of the youth. Today, the education sector in India employs nearly 15 million people, enabling opportunities for students and educators. 

Building civic modernization infrastructure

Essel Group’s Infrastructure business contributed immensely to build critical civic infrastructure that contributed towards Nation building. From state and national highways, urban water management systems, to power distribution networks, the Group played a pivotal role in enhancing connectivity and quality of living across several states that contributed towards driving larger economic growth. 

Financing the next wave of growth for the Nation

Success for the group meant going beyond profits and building entire industries by enabling opportunities for peers. With Essel Finance, the Group contributed to the Indian economy by providing financial services to small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and building secured lending and credit lines to support companies across the country. 

Social Responsibility of the Group

The Group has also created meaningful value beyond the business by undertaking several initiatives to drive positive socio-cultural impact across communities. The contributions across Ekal Vidyalaya, Global Vipassana Foundation and Subhash Chandra Foundation have been a firm reflection of the Group’s commitment to create lasting, positive impact on society. Subhash Chandra Foundation continues to empower the rural youth and women in 100s of villages across the Nation.

Many more social initiatives are also planned for the future besides “Subhash Chandra motivational show” for the youth of India. 

The Next 100 Years of Essel Group

As India’s very own start-up, Essel Group continues to nurture its entrepreneurial spirit by expanding into newer business segments and building for the future with enhanced capabilities in the content, technology and digital landscape. Technology will be the main focus area for the Group, further leveraging its true potential for the existing businesses. The Group is building integrated, future-ready platforms that can capture, sustain and convert engagement into long-term value and garner a significant share of the Attention Economy. The Group’s approach for the future is firmly aligned with India’s growth ambitions to drive innovation and create opportunities that will define the next phase of economic and cultural evolution for our Nation on the global map.

·         Channel also garners the highest urban share of 14.7% in Q2FY26; marking a 3-year high

·         Commands a 40% share of Top 10 shows in Hindi GECs (Pay) in October 2025

Mumbai, 18^th November 2025: Zee TV, the flagship Hindi general entertainment channel of the Content and Technology powerhouse, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’), has achieved robust gains on the back of its new content slate centered around quality storytelling, relatable characters and strong emotional connect. In line with its strategic content approach, the new fiction shows unveiled by the channel has enabled it to garner record-breaking results, leading to a 3-year high urban market share of 14.7% in Q2FY26 and strong leadership across all GECs (Pay & FTA) in core prime time.

Zee TV also commanded a 40% share of the top 10 shows in the Pay Hindi GEC genre with four of its newly-launched fiction shows. Encompassing a blend of emotions, relationships and ambitions in a relatable weave of storytelling, the new shows – ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’, ‘Vasudha’, ‘Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan’ and ‘Jaane Anjaane Hum Mile’ have struck a chord with viewers and continue to garner strong viewership gains week after week.

In a bid to further enhance its connect with the viewers and present innovative and quality stories, Zee TV’s fresh content approach lays a strong emphasis on highlighting the positivity and emotional depth embodied by characters like Vasudha and Saru. These shows have not only expanded the channel’s creative canvas, but also captured the pulse of today’s India, balancing tradition with aspiration.

The channel has further enhanced its content line-up with the recently launched ‘Jagadhatri’, and is gearing up for the launch of ‘Lakshmi Niwas’, which aims to engage viewers with strong, rooted storytelling.

Speaking about the performance of the new shows, Mangesh Kulkarni, Chief Channel Officer, Zee TV said, “The success of our new fiction line-up marks a defining moment for us at Zee TV, achieving the dual win of core prime time leadership and a 3-year high market share. The strong resonance of our stories with viewers, reflect the positive momentum of the channel and enable us to remain well-poised to achieve higher gains in the future. Our prime time line- up is backed by a sharp programming strategy focusing on quality storytelling, and we aim to strengthen our offerings across other slots as well going forward.”

Raghavendra Hunsur, Chief Content Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “Our aim is to consistently craft powerful and engaging narratives that are a true reflection of the rich stories that reside within our Nation. The success of this new content approach and our fiction shows is a firm reflection of the trust that viewers place in us. The viewers’ acceptance of characters such as Saru and Vasudha across households, further gives us the confidence in the power of quality storytelling across any platform. We remain committed to fortify this growth with more compelling fiction and non-fiction properties across the channel.”

Even as the fiction line-up continues to garner strong results, the channel is also building its non-fiction offerings with innovative properties. Zee TV recently adopted a unique daily, non- fiction format for ‘Chhoriya Chali Gaon’, which was well-received amongst the viewers for its fresh concept. Another compelling non-fiction offering, ‘Kahani Har Ghar Ki’, hosted by Juhi Parmar, narrated real stories of courage and resilience and showcased the indomitable human spirit amid everyday challenges. The channel’s latest non-fiction show, ‘Ideabaaz’ is giving aspiring entrepreneurs a platform to pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors.

This event marks a first-of-its-kind initiative in the UK by any Indian television channel — a curated preview held a full week before the show’s official launch, underscoring Z’s commitment to innovation and audience engagement. The gesture was not just bold — it was precocious, setting the tone for a new era of immersive content experiences.

Guests were treated to a preview of the show’s first four contestants, whose journey from city life to village challenges sparked surprise, admiration, and plenty of laughter. From fetching water to cooking on mud stoves, the women’s experiences will resonate deeply with the audience, many of whom shared their own village memories during the evening and got emotional.

Amit Goenka, President – International Business, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., stated, “Z has always stood at the forefront of innovation, and with ‘Chhoriyyan Chali Gaon’, we are proud to pioneer a format that blends entertainment with cultural authenticity. This is not just a show — it’s a movement that reconnects our global audiences with the soul of India. Hosting a preview event in the UK, ahead of the official launch, is a bold step that reflects our commitment to creating immersive, meaningful experiences. We are proud to be the first Indian broadcaster to do so, and we believe this marks the beginning of a new chapter in culturally rooted storytelling.”

Hosted by Parul Goel, Territory Head of Zee Entertainment UK Limited, the event featured gourmet starters and light drinks, creating a warm and festive atmosphere. A special video message from the Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, India, Mr. Mukund Galgali, added gravitas, highlighting Z’s commitment to bold, culturally rich storytelling.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees expressed that audiences are craving something new — a break from the repetitive reality formats that lack innovation or cultural depth. Chhoriyyan Chali Gaon was hailed as a refreshing concept that reconnects Indians abroad with their roots, offering both entertainment and emotional resonance.

Attendees praised the show’s concept for reconnecting Indians abroad with their roots and expressed excitement for upcoming episodes. “Only Z could come up with something so real, so entertaining, and so close to home,” was a common sentiment. Guests left with smiles, stories, and genuine excitement for the episodes to come.

The evening concluded with warm wishes for the show’s success and appreciation for Z’s innovative programming. Chhoriyyan Chali Gaon is poised to become a cultural bridge — one that entertains while celebrating the essence of Indian village life. The show is launching on 3^rd August at 9pm.

Zee TV is available on Sky 707, Virgin Media 809, BT 394 and on Z5 App.