Ronnie Screwvala began as a small cable operator in the 1980s and later set up UTV Motion Pictures, which was sold out to Walt Disney. He has multiple businesses now, including the film production house RSVP Movies.
Born Rohinton Soli Screwvala, famous film producer Ronnie Screwvala pioneered cable television in India in the early 1980s and founded the entertainment conglomerate UTV in 1990. But apart from his media ventures, Ronnie is a serial entrepreneur and is the founder of multiple companies. Let's take a look at his journey.
In the early 1980s, Screwvala set up Lazer Brushes, which went on to become the largest toothbrush manufacturing company in the country. In 1981, he launched a cable television service called Network in which he installed video machines in the basements of Mumbai’s high-rise buildings.
Screwvala started UTV as a TV production company in 1990 with Rs 37,500 before making it into a media conglomerate including the film production studio UTV Motion Pictures, which bankrolled multiple National Award-winning films like Rang De Basanti, Swades, Khosla Ka Ghosla, A Wednesday!, Haider, and Barfi! to name a few.
In 2012, the global entertainment giant Walt Disney acquired UTV for a whopping sum of $454 million turning it into Disney UTV. Ronnie Screwvala divested his whole stake of 23 percent and left the company two years later in 2014 and the brand UTV was shut down in 2022.
Presently, Ronnie Screwvala is one of the co-founders and chairperson of the Edtech company upGrad, which is valued at $2.25 billion. He runs a private equity firm Unilazer Ventures through which he invests in multiple startups, and owns a sports business company USports and a not-for-profit Swades Foundation.
In 2014, Ronnie re-entered the film production business with RSVP Movies, which has produced critically acclaimed films such as Karwaan, Sonchiriya, Raat Akeli Hai, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, and The Sky Is Pink. RSVP Movies' highest-grossing film has been Vicky Kaushal-starrer Uri: The Surgical Strike, which minted over Rs 350 crore worldwide.
Screwvala has been named on Esquire's list of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century and was also ranked 78 on Time 100, which lists the 100 most influential people in the world, in 2009. His present net worth is Rs 12,800 crore, as per Hurun India Rich List 2022.
READ | Meet Salman Khan's manager Jordy Patel, who is also producer and event organiser
){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}
 "Ronnie Screwvala/Twitter")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}