Essel Group is a giant conglomerate with diverse business interests. Essel Groups business interests span media programming, broadcast & distribution, specialty packaging, entertainment, telecom and trading. Subhash Chandra is the founder of the Essel Group of Companies. The Group has several firsts to its credit such as launching the first private television channel in India and setting-up India's first laminated tube manufacturing facility.

Businesses of Essel Group

1. Media & Entertainment: In the filed of Media & Entertainment, Essel Group has business interest in Broadcasting & Content, Cable Distribution, DTH Television, Direct To Home, Films & Animation, and Print Media.

• Broadcasting & Content: Essel Group launched India's first private channel Zee TV in 1992. Today, Zee Network has 22 channels in its bouquet. It has a reach of more than 120 countries across 5 continents and access to more than 350 million viewers globally.
• Cable Distribution: SitiCable Network Limited, a company of Essel Group, has the largest cable network in the country with a reach of 6.5 million homes. The company has taken a lead in Implementing CAS in India through its "Digital Headend In The Sky" project.
• Direct to Home: Essel Group started India's first DTH Television Broadcast Service through its brand DISH TV.
• Films & Animation: Essel Group has one of the premier animation studios of the country, named Zica. It has produced India's first full length animation movie - "Bhagmati - The Queen of Fortunes.
• Print: Essel Group in collaboration with Dainik Bhaskar has jointly promoted a company called Diligent Media Corporation which publishes English newspaper DNA - Daily News & Analysis.

2. Amusement & Theme Parks: Essel World is Asia's largest amusement park sprawled over 64 acres on the coastal Goral village in northwest Mumbai. Water Kingdom is a theme park located adjacent to Essel World. It provides international water park experience in India.

3. Gaming: Essel Group Company Playwin has introduced popular gaming formats Lotto and Thunderball in India. Play TV is India's first interactive gaming channel. It offers games and contests on a real time basis through SMS, emails and chat.

4. Telecom & IT: Essel Group is involved in following businesses in the filed of Telecom & IT

• Data Center: Essel Group Company Cyquator provides a number of solutions designed to meet the different needs of business, such as firewall solution, Backup, DR solution etc.
• Satellite: Essel Group company, ASCEL is a multi venture corporate providing nationwide retailing of TIME (Telecom, Information & Learning, Media, Entertainment) products & services, satellite and digital wireless communication ventures for provision of infrastructure, services and solutions among other initiatives.
• Technology Enabled Services: Intrex India Limited, a public limited company of Essel Group has been set up to play a leading role in 'Financial Services Industry'.

5. Education: Zee Interactive Learning Systems Limited (ZILS) provides IT Educational Services through its Own and Franchised Network of Centers branded as Zed Career Academy. Zee has also set up a network of play schools under the brand Kid Zee.

6. Realty: Essel Group has entered real estate business through its company Fun Republic FEC. The company offers a wide variety of leisure, entertainment, gaming and shopping options under one roof. Fun Cinemas, a chain of multiplexes is also owned by this company. Another company Suncity Projects Private Limited, promoted by Essel, Action and Odeon Groups, is engaged in the development of international quality real estate infrastructure for shopping, commercial, leisure and housing activities.

7. Retailing: Essel Group company, Asian Sky Shop is India's leading telemarketing company.

8. Packaging: Essel Propack Ltd promoted by Essel group is the World's largest packaging company dealing in laminated tubes. The company offers packaging solutions in the toothpaste, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals sectors to top multinational customers.

Note: The above information was last updated on 21-07-2007