The event marked by patriotic songs, and speeches by the PM and President, was a fitting tribute to one of India’s biggest conglomerates
The grand night marking the 90 years of Essel Group started with performances by #SaReGaMaPa and #DanceIndiaDance contestants, who provided a power packed performance to old and new Hindi tunes. As soon as President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minster Narendra Modi escorted by Dr. Subhash Chandra, Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of Essel Group and ZEE, took the stage, 12 children sequentially draped in colours of the national flag sang ‘Vande Mataram’. The patriotic fervor, brought by the kids, six of whom were draped in saffron, and five in green with a prima donna clad in white in between, was appreciated by the audience for its choreography and the talent —discovered by Zee Media, part of Essel World.
The power-packed and star-studded audience at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium included eminent personalities from the world of politics, business, sports, film and entertainment who were regaled by the mix of colour and solemnity. The personalities who atteneded the ceremony included President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Irani, Governor of Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik, Governor of Manipur Dr. Najma Heptullah, Governor of Mizoram Lt Gen (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma, Chief Minister of Hayarna Manohar Lal Khattar, and others.
The Essel Group also announced the winners of the first-edition of Zee Media Family Business Legacy Awards which aim to honor and recognise India’s oldest family-run businesses which have expanded their empires over successive generations. To select the winners, entries from Business Groups which spanned atleast four generations and had a turnover of at least Rs.1000 crore, were first invited across the television, print and online platforms of the Essel Group. The entries received were then verified by Ernst & Young, the internal process partner, using rigorous criteria to arrive at the final winners.
The winners of the first-edition of the Zee Media Family Business Legacy Awards are Dabur India Ltd., Wagh Bakri Tea Group and Wockhardt Ltd. Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the awards on the recipients - Dr. Anand C. Burman, Chairman, Dabur India Ltd., Mr. Piyush Ochhavlal Desai, Chairman, Wagh Bakri Tea Group and Dr. Murtaza Khorakiwala, Managing Director, Wockhardt Ltd. respectively.
The artists drawn from Zee’s Dance India Dance programme performed a variety of Indian cultural and international dance styles ranging across a broad spectrum of classical, contemporary, Bollywood, hip-hop, jazz, Kalaripayattu, salsa, samba and musical theatre styles. The event, hosted by Sudhir Chaudhary, Editor-in-Chief of Zee News, Zee Business, WION, also witnessed performance of ‘the artists of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs and Dance India Dance at the end. Harjot Kaur’s song Babhuji Dheere Chalna, Jyotika’s Jumka Gira Re Bareily Ke Bazar Mein and Sachan’s Puchcho Naa Yaar Kyaa Hua brought memories of yesteryears. Roopali’s Jawan Jaan e Man and Kaushal’s Gulabi Aankhen kept the audience on their feet, till the curtains came down on the mega extravaganza.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Essel at 90")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}