Young at 90, remain young at 100, and remain young forever, says President at Essel 90 celebrations
A colourful pageantry accompanying an evening of glitz and glamour marked the 90th anniversary of the Essel Group here at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
The function was graced by President Pranabh Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several cabinet ministers and the crème de la crème of the national capital.
While Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani recounted her association with Zee Media, a subsidiary of Essel Group, President Mukherjee asked the group to continue looking at new dimensions. “You should be young at 90 and you should continue with youth energy in looking at new dimensions of the job in which you are engaged in,” he said. The event was moderated by Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary.
Referring to WION, an English news channel which the Essel Group launched on Sunday to back India’s image as a soft global power, Mukherjee said that objectivity was essential in news. He said that being anti-establishment was not always healthy. “There are positives in society that media must take note of. If there is any individual or any institution that has a tremendous impact on society, it is the media,” he added.
Earlier, PM Modi described the Essel Group as an epitome of Indian culture, where family values run supreme, referring to the four generations of the group, who were on stage.
Recalling his association with the family when he used to have meals at their house, the PM said that their journey was an association with economic development. “Their is a flexibility in the family and they accept new ideas,” he said, referring to the group’s expansion from traders of pulses and rice to modern fields. “They have expanded themselves from soil to satellite. They have been able to present themselves in the form of a social entrepreneur. Only the baniya will understand that this is also a business,” he said to the laughter of the audience.
He hoped the group will address in a scientific way the shortage of natural resources. Modi said that his initiative of Swachh Bharat has also brought ideas of investment and resoruces. “Waste to wealth is a belief that is gaining momentum,” he added.
He lauded Essel Group’s new schemes announced on Sunday. An amount of Rs 5,000 crore was set apart for social work by the family. The PM particularly lauded Dr. Subhash Chandra for Ekal vidyalayas (one teacher, one school). He said that there are 42,000 such schools already in the country. “This family plays a huge role in running those schools. I want to request everyone to do something for the country so that we have something to boast about by 2020,” he added.
A stunning performance by artists from the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champ show was another attraction. Children who performed at the Dance India Dance (DID) show also regaled the audience, featuring a variety of cultural and international dance styles.
Starting from a grain market in Mandi Adampur, set up by Jagan Nath Goenka with his brothers in 1926, the Essel Group has become a multi-billion dollar business conglomerate with diverse interests – in media, entertainment, packaging, infrastructure, education, precious metals, finance and technology.
The Essel Group’s media business offers a strong portfolio of numerous entertainment and news channels, reaching millions of viewers in India and internationally. Zee is considered one of the strongest Indian media brands across the world and the Living Entertainment Network through its ‘Living’ brand is devoted to showcasing healthy lifestyle and wellness programming and related content across multiple media platforms globally.
Essel’s print venture, DNA, is a classic example of responsible journalism. Essel’s distribution arms – Dish TV and SITI Network Limited – with their vast reach across the country provides quality viewership experience to millions of subscribers and is well poised to take advantage of the mandatory digitisation of distribution platforms in the country.
Rs 5,000-cr fund for India: Dr Chandra
- This initiative will benefit. It will create capacity-building in society to take on their problems and tackle them. We four brothers are giving a share of our profits to the PM - pledging Rs 5,000 crore and officially inaugurating this DSC foundation.
- I am happy to tell you all that in a place like Muzaffarpur, Bihar, we have managed to provide electricity 24 hours and cut down losses from 70 to 30 per cent.
- We know that water is going to be a huge problem. In Maharashtra, we will be able to give 24X7 water without burdening consumers.
- Solid waste is a big reason to worry. In the last 101-12 years, many companies tried to solve the problem. We have developed a waste-to-energy plant in Jabalpur.
- Another initiative, Army behind Army, was announced to honour the wives of soldiers.
THREE INITIATIVES
- Dr Chandra announced a Rs 5,000 crore fund for capacity-building aimed at encouraging start-ups.
- Sarathi, a media initiative, will provide a platform to people to call and air their problems and get advice.
- We’ve started a project for people who have not been able to go to school under Right to Education, he said.
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