Ronnie Screwvala
About
Ronnie Screwvala, an Entrepreneur and TV & film producer is credited for introducing India to multi-channel TV viewing, by launching the first cable TV network in the country, United Television (UTV). He has been named on Esquire's List of the ‘75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century’ & ranked 78 among the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ on the Time 100.
Ronnie was interested in theater and drama while he was in school and he also did plays professionally with Bombay Theater as a hobby. After graduating, Ronnie founded a theater company and appeared in a few plays as well.
Ronnie is credited for pioneering Cable TV in India (1981), when there was only one terrestrial channel (Doordarshan), and expanding it to multiple cities and most of India's hotel chains. In the same year, Ronnie also pioneered home shopping in India with Tele-Shopping Network.
After six years of running cable TV, he then started a toothbrush manufacturing company ‘Laser’ which gained immense popularity among the consumers.
In 1990, Ronnie started the film production company UTV group and expanded it into a movie studio, game studio, and creative company, before being acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2012. In 2005, it was listed on the National Stock Exchange of India.
Ronnie, along with his wife, started The Swades Foundation in 2013, an initiative to uplift a million people out of poverty. The foundation works in the areas of water, sanitation, health, education & employment opportunities.
Ronnie is also the co-Founder of Usports, a futuristic sports business company that started in the year 2014. The brand focuses on three sports namely Kabaddi, Football & E-Sports (Gaming).
He is the co-Founder of UpGrad,(2015) one of the largest online education companies in India, focusing on Higher Education & Specialization.
Unilazer, a private equity & venture capital firm, was incorporated by Ronnie. The company has invested in a range of sectors including E-Commerce, AI, Agriculture, Micro Housing, Finance, among others.
He re-entered the media industry with RSVP, a film company that has produced a number of films including Kedarnath, Uri: The Surgical Strike, Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota, The Sky is Pink, Love Per Square Foot, Ghost Stories, among others.
As an Author, he has written ‘Dream with Your Eyes Open: An Entrepreneurial Journey’, an entrepreneurial self-help book.
Awards and Accomplishments
Awards and Accomplishments
- As of 2022, ‘Laser’ , a toothbrush manufacturing company started by Ronnie, is selling around 6 million toothbrushes per month.
- Named on Esquire’s List of the ‘75 Most Influential People’ of the 21st Century
- Ranked 78 among the ‘100 Most Influential People In The World’ on the Time 100 (compiled by Time Magazine, 2009).
- Listed amongst ‘25 Asia’s Most Powerful’ by Fortune Magazine
- Titled the ‘Jack Warner of India’ by Newsweek
- Movies produced by Ronnie have received several awards including : ‘Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment’ at National Film Awards (2007), ‘Best Film’ by Filmfare Awards (2007) and IIFA Awards (2007) for Rang De Basanti. ‘Best Film’ by Filmfare Awards (2009) and IIFA Awards (2009) for Jodha Akbar. ‘Best Film’ by Filmfare Awards (2013) and IIFA Awards (2013) for Barfi!
- Ronnie was featured on the cover page of Forbes Magazine in October 2020.
Why Ronnie Screwvala ?
A famed first-generation entrepreneur in India, an award-winning movie producer and a prominent philanthropist, Ronnie Screwvala has built one of the biggest media conglomerates in India and is one of the leading names in Bollywood today. Over a career spanning 35 years, he has consistently demonstrated the rare combination of creativity, innovation and a strong business acumen that distinguishes him as one of the country’s most successful businessmen.
