Zee founder Subhash Chandra has shifted his public statements from allegations against Mukesh Ambani to focusing on settling outstanding Essel Group debt, with borrowers reportedly agreeing to repay obligations.
Essel Group founder Subhash Chandra has called for an independent audit to examine the group's borrowings, defaults, and repayments, stating that approximately 43,000 crore of its 45,000 crore total debt has been repaid.
A special five-member NCLT bench has issued notices to all parties in Subhash Chandra's personal insolvency case and directed the Essel Group Chairman not to alienate his properties, either directly or indirectly, following a split verdict on a repayment plan.
Sets up new financial services arm, Amit Goenka joins as CEO.
Two of the country's top business houses -- the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and the Subhash Chandra-controlled Essel Group -- have come together to set up gaming centres across the country. Groundwork for these centres will begin on April 1. Chandra's E-City Media has struck an alliance with Zapak Digital Entertainment to this effect.Globally, gaming is one of the leading entertainment businesses with the industry size pegged at around $35 billion today.
HITS is a new cable-distribution platform that is similar to the direct-to-home service. It allows distribution of digital-quality cable channels via satellite to cable operators at one go. For consumers, it means access to quality cable channels via a set-top box at reduced monthly rates, while for the cable industry, it means faster and cost-effective digitalisation.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has prohibited Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) from the securities market for two months and its Chairman Emeritus Subhash Chandra and MD & CEO Punit Goenka for one year, imposing a total penalty of Rs 1.48 crore, for the unauthorised pledge of ZEEL's Hyderabad land to secure loans for promoter-linked Essel Group entities.
The Essel group would invest close to Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) in the next five to seven years to expand operations under its education portfolio to take the number of schools to 300, a top company official said.
'Resolution plan with this much haircut is totally unviable.'
Subhash Chandra hoped that the lenders would discuss the matter with the borrowers, reconcile the outstanding accounts, and get paid by the borrowers.
Sources clarify that the NCLT's approval of a repayment plan for Essel Group founder Subhash Chandra does not signify a 99.97 per cent write-off of Rs 22,000 crore in bank loans, as the figure represents claims against him as a personal guarantor, not debt personally borrowed.
The group was originally planning to raise a $100-million (around Rs 560 crore today) offshore fund but is now targetting $200 million, said Amit Goenka, managing director and chief executive of Essel Financial Services, the group's financial services arm.
'We should become an all-encompassing entertainment and information destination," says chairman Subhash Chandra, who monitors the group on a monthly basis, leaving the day-to-day operations to the chief executive officers.
Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra has challenged the National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) decision to form a five-member bench to hear his personal insolvency case, arguing that the tribunal lacks the power to constitute such a bench. This comes after a split verdict and a subsequent stay on an order allowing him to settle claims.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director, Rahul Navin, has issued directives to intensify action against Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) frauds involving "large haircuts" and to address delays in police registering FIRs based on ED's requests. The agency also aims to fast-track high-profile trials under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and enhance internal coordination and efficiency.
The company has kicked off sale of infrastructure assets as well as sale of a part of the promoter holding in Zee to repay loans.
Essel group on Tuesday welcomed the terms of the tender and said it would submit its bid on Wednesday.\n
The Essel Group on Monday rebutted news reports that it is setting up parallel cricket boards across different countries in collaboration with Ten Sports Network but said it is now geared up to enter the sports business at a global level, focusing on cricket.
Delhi HC has stayed CLB order against Essel group's bid on UNI. The tranfer of shares too has been termed null and void.
After Essel landed the first punch by saying they were approached by IVRCL for a buyout, IVRCL's management was quick to deny every single point, even charging Essel with 'lying'.
The Indian majors had a last minute meeting with civil aviation ministry officials before filing their bids.
Markets regulator Sebi on Monday barred Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka from holding the position of a director or key managerial personnel in any listed company for siphoning off funds of the media firm. The case pertains to Chandra, who was also the chairman of ZEEL during the alleged violation, and Goenka having abused their position as directors or KMPs of a listed company for siphoning off funds for their own benefit. In its interim order, Sebi noted that Chandra and Goenka alienated the assets of ZEEL and other listed companies of Essel Group for the benefit of associate entities, which are owned and controlled by them.
Essel Group, Reliance Jio, Fortis and 17 others on Thursday signed initial pacts to invest over Rs 39,000 crore (Rs 390 billion) in Uttar Pradesh, with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav promising the investors all possible support.
Debt funds have exposure of nearly Rs 8,000 crore to Zee group papers. Aditya Birla MF, HDFC MF, Franklin Templeton MF, and ICICI Prudential MF have the highest exposure, reports Samie Modak.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Thursday allowed the merger of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd and Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India). This order by the Mumbai bench, headed by H V Subba Rao and Madhu Sinha, will pave the way for the creation of a $10-billion media company, the biggest in the country. The tribunal also dismissed all objections regarding the merger.
In its reply to the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said urgent action was warranted against the promoters of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) in the alleged fund diversion case to safeguard the management and protect investors and other stakeholders. It termed the applications made by Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra and ZEEL managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Punit Goenka as "completely false and misleading" in its response submitted to SAT on June 17. "We have a situation before us where the chairman emeritus and the MD and CEO of this large listed company are involved in a myriad of different schemes and transactions through which vast amounts of public money belonging to listed companies are diverted to private entities owned and controlled by these persons.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has reserved its order on the merger of Zee Entertainment Enterprises and with Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India). The Mumbai bench of NCLT, comprising H V Subba Rao and Madhu Sinha, reserved the order on Monday, after hearing arguments from creditors who objected to the scheme including Axis Finance, JC Flower Asset Reconstruction Co, IDBI Bank, Imax Corp and IDBI Trusteeship. In December 2021, Zee Entertainment and Sony Pictures had agreed to merge their businesses.
Japan's Sony Corporation, which is merging its Indian television content company with Zee Entertainment Enterprises, is likely to seek a fresh forensic audit of the company after market regulator Sebi levelled fund diversion charges against Zee promoters, top lawyers said. The Sebi also barred Zee founder Subhash Chandra and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Puneet Goenka from holding any position as director. "As the Sebi has made fund diversion charges, which may change the nature of audited reports already filed, the acquirer (Sony) can seek a fresh forensic audit," said H P Ranina, a corporate lawyer.
Essel Group has confirmed its plans to set up a rival Twenty20 cricket league.
Goenka, who is the elder son of Essel group promoter and Zee chairman Subhash Chandra, has been MD of the media firm since January 1, 2010.
Zee and its lenders had decided to enter into an agreement to not offload the pledged shares amid a sharp slide in the prices of the underlying securities during end-Janury. The terms give the lenders a greater say, upside benefit from the proposed strategic sale, more cover and personal guarantee.
Sebi on Friday imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh on Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (AMC) and barred the fund house from launching new fixed maturity plan (FMP) scheme for six months for violating regulatory norms. The markets regulator has directed the fund house to refund a part of the investment management and advisory fees collected from the unitholders of the six FMP schemes along with a simple interest at the rate of 15 per cent per annum. The case relates to the fund house's investment in certain FMPs. These FMPs of Kotak AMC had invested in Zero Coupon Non-Convertible Debentures (ZCNCDs) issued by Essel Group entities.
IndusInd Bank had moved NCLT claiming default of Rs 83.08 crore against the media & entertainment firm. The petition, to initiate insolvency proceedings against ZEEL, has been filed under section 7 of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has set aside the order of NCLT directing bourses NSE and BSE to reconsider their approval for the Zee-Sony merger. A two-member NCLAT bench has asked NCLT to consider the merger of Zee Entertainment with Culver Max Entertainment (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India) afresh, after hearing all the parties. The appellate tribunal order came on hearing the appeal filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) against the order passed by the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 11, 2023.
At least half a dozen foreign satellite firms with over 100 C-band transponders have initiated their talks with domestic media firms which are interested in launching headend-in-the-sky cable distribution platform.
The Essel Group website calls him a "karmyogi", defined as someone who believes in action rather than worry about its consequences.
According to industry players, over 50 FMPs have exposure to Zee Group companies.
