Subhash Chandra

Mr. Subhash Chandra is rightly referred to as the Media Moghul of India. He revolutionized the television industry by launching the country's first satellite television channel Zee TV in 1992 and later the first private news channel, Zee News. The ZEE Family, today has over 670 million viewers in 168 countries with over 1 lakh hours of television content spread across 32 channels in general entertainment, sports, lifestyle, movies, english and regional genres and alternative lifestyles having both, local and international presence. Mr. Chandra’s bouquet of businesses includes television network (ZEE), a newspaper chain (DNA), cable systems (Wire and Wireless Ltd), direct-to-home (Dish TV), theme parks (EsselWorld and Water Kingdom), online gaming (Playwin), education (Zee Learn), flexible packaging (Essel Propack), infrastructure development (Essel Infraprojects Ltd), family entertainment centres (Fun Cinemas), precious metals (Shirpur Gold Refinery) and healthy lifestyle & wellness (Veria Living).

Credited with tremendous business astuteness, Mr. Chandra has charted a course of growth and success, unparalleled in business history. All of his ventures are path-breaking in nature, be it Essel Propack, the largest specialty packaging company in the world; Asia's largest amusement park Essel World; or the first satellite television in India Zee TV.

For his contributions to the industry, Mr. Chandra has been awarded The Hall of Fame for continuing contribution to Industry – Entrepreneur in September 2010. The finest feather came in his crown in November 2011 when International Emmy Directorate conferred upon him the 2011 International Emmy Directorate Award at their 39th International Emmy Awards night in New York. Mr. Chandra became the first Indian ever to receive a Directorate Award recognizing excellence in television programming outside the United States. He ranks No.22– Forbes, Richest Indians list, No.33 - Economic Times Corporate Dossier, Corporate India’s Definitive Power Listing 2012. To commemorate ZEE’s 20 years, in October 2012, Subhash Chandra was felicitated by the Chairman of Bombay Stock Exchange, Mr. S. Ramadorai. He was also felicitated by the Press Club, Mumbai.

Mr. Chandra has also made his mark as an influential philanthropist in India. He has set up TALEEM (Transnational Alternate Learning for Emancipation and Empowerment through Multimedia) to provide access to quality education through distance and open learning. He is also the Chairman of the Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India a movement to eradicate illiteracy from rural and tribal India. The Foundation provides free education to nearly 11 Lakh children across 39769 Villages in 21 states through one-teacher schools. He is also the moving force behind the Global Vipassana Foundation a trust set up to help people raise their spiritual quotient. He is also the Chairman for Global Foundation for Civilizational Harmony (GFCH), India. Founded on the conviction that all faiths are valid and sacred for their respective adherents who are strongly motivated by such faiths, GFCH emphasizes on faith and related civilisational and cultural issues as the core of its work.

He is a firm believer in the concept of Karma. His employees look upto him for advice and guidance. Many in the Entertainment Industry owe their career to him and to ZEE. He believes that the key to happiness is to take success in your stride and not be depressed when you fail. Just keep doing your Karma, is his core mantra, making him indeed a true Karmayogi. .

His pioneering channel Zee TV competes with, among others, Sony Entertainment Television and STAR Plus. Other interests include packaging, theme parks, lotteries and cinema multiplexes. He started the failed Indian Cricket League, a domestic Twenty20 cricket league intended as a challenge to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the nation's governing body in Cricket. In November 2009, he took over management responsibility of Daily News & Analysis (DNA), which features among the top 8 English dailies in India and is one of fastest growing English newspapers in the country.

Chandra is the founder-Chairman of the Global Foundation for Civilizational Harmony, an interfaith group. He was granted anticipatory bail on an alleged extortion case. He and his son offered Complete co operation to poliçe.