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ng14ZCC Celebrati
Taking up a
new challenge
Ronnie Screwvala’s vision and business acumen are enough to make him an extraordinary figure,
but what secures him a place among pantheons of modern India’s greatest sons is his humaneness.
ARonnie Screwvala production comes
with its own stamp of quality. His
intrinsic vision and business acumen have
catapulted him onto centre stage and
deservedly so.
Known for his gracious and giving nature,
Ronnie has ably contributed to India's
rise in the media and entertainment
industry. He has managed to achieve
these successes by introducing new
concepts and initiatives, aspiring to a
more professional approach towards the
industry and injecting a much-needed
vibrancy and supporting the pursuit of
excellence. His constant desire to go a
mile further has underscored the fact that entertainment arm of UTV interactive in
Ronnie is more than an entrepreneur;
blessed with a sturdy bent of mind and
passion for sharing his vision with the
world, Ronnie is naturally innovative and
constantly striving for a fresh dimension
to the creative arts.
Born in 1956, Ronnie was raised in
Mumbai, an intellectual and cultural
centre for many Indians. The liberal
education he received fuelled in him a
lifelong admiration for academics and a
love for reading. But those passions soon
took a backseat to what he recognised as
his true calling. Entertaining the world
and bringing to a wide range of people a
viable and intelligent option. Combining
his desire to provide good content with
a business acumen that was second to
none he pioneered India’s first cable TV
in 1981. He founded UTV in 1990 which
has maintained its premier position and
is today one of India’s largest media and
entertainment conglomerates.
In 2005, Ronnie took UTV public. With
his innate ability to merge creativity and Swades Foundation (SHARE: Society to
commerce he has been credited with the
corporatization of the media industry
and the marketing of cutting-edge new
cinema.
His first hit was Rang De Basanti in
2006. Since then, UTV Software notched
up a string of hits — Raajneeti, Paan
Singh Tomar, Chennai Express. Ronnie
helped redefine Bollywood by setting
up professionally managed, studio-style
operations, with the help of Disney. His
pivotal role in the expansion of the Indian
media scape has been recognised globally.
Ronnie expanded UTV’s interests to
encompass gaming and the interactive
arena and established the digital
2008. Today, he stands tall, having earned
so much success in the entertainment
industry.
He sold UTV to Walt Disney and moved
out at the end of 2013. He is now venturing
into totally different areas. The biggest
challenge is how best to use his 15 years of
learning and experience that he gained as
a media entrepreneur. Ronnie thinks big
and he thinks global.
Another important observation he makes
and what motivates him is that for India
to climb out of the crevice of poverty for
which it’s finest minds will have to invest
in its upliftment. This is where his sense of people of the 21st century. He was termed
charity is given ample opportunity. With
this belief, a huge part of his assets are
devoted to social development initiatives.
He is not your clinical cheque giver but
likes to invest in the human spirit and the
human endeavour to strive, to seek and
not to yield.
He and his wife Zarina, have set up the
Heal Aid Restore and Educate) with a
Decemb
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ber 2014
er Years Decem
2000 -
single-minded focus of empowering Rural
India and believe in an all round degree
of development. At the end of a two
year assessment and research effort he
shortlisted five trusts aimed at impacting
rural life and made them a reality.
“We will touch the lives of a million people
over a period of 5-7 years. We are running
86 programmes, including teaching
English and computers. We aim to set up
200 libraries in villages and provide tap
water everywhere we go. The foundation
has invested Rs. 50 crore in these social
programmes, and intends to plough in
Rs. 700 crore over seven years, with 50 per
cent coming from his family trusts,” says
Ronnie.
Currently he is weighing different options
to bringing to life his visionary ventures
and has set up a few ground rules for
himself - spending half the time in
business and half in pro bono service.
Ronnie’s thinking is far ahead of his peers
but still being in his prime he will be
able to make his second innings just as
passionate and fruitful as his first.
The 56 year old media and entertainment
tycoon was rated by Fortune as one of
Asia’s 25 most powerful persons and by
Esquire amongst the 75 most influential
the Jack Warner of India by Newsweek,
but the benediction he treasures most
comes from the sons of the soil for whom
he has opened so many doors and sought
nothing in return.
For Ronnie the words of the song resonate;
he ain’t heavy, he is my brother.
December, 2014 SynergyZ 13