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SET India stakeholder Jackie Shroff says may dilute holding
NEW DELHI: The Indian and NRI shareholders may dilute their stakes further in Sony Entertainment TV (SET) India, according to one of the Indian shareholders of the company.
“I, like any other shareholder, am not averse to diluting the stake in the company in favour of the public or Sony. I have the option to do that and may exercise that right too,” Jackie Shroff, Bollywood film star and one of the Indian shareholders in SET told indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of a party hosted on Sunday by the Sahara group and politician Amar Singh here to felicitate Kapil Dev who has been declared as the Wisden’s Indian cricketer of the century.
In India, SET looks after the affairs of Sony, AXN and SET Max, distributes CNBC India and has a distribution joint venture with Discovery India.
According to Shroff, looking quite spiffy and a far cry from the character of Chunni Babu, which he ineptly essayed, in the latest blockbuster Devdas, he, however, has not made up his mind how of much of his shareholding he will dilute. He also did not spell out his personal holding in SET.
“It has been almost seven years since we made the investment in SET and naturally we would also like some good returns on it,” Shroff said in between posing with his fans for photographs, “But I must admit it has been a wise investment.”
When asked specifically whether he is aware of SET’s plans to go public in India sometime next year if the market conditions are okay, Shroff said, “I have heard something of that sort, but I don’t have any details or specific information on that aspect.”
According to the information available, the shareholding in SET India currently is as follows: Sony Pictures Entertainment, USA holds a 61 per cent equity stake, while 31 per cent is held by Indian partners and NRIs, and 8 per cent by Capital International, Japan.
In July, SET India chief executive Kunal Dasgupta had told journalists on the occasion of the launch of the Madhuri-anchored K3H that Sony Entertainment Television, part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, was in a restructuring mode both in Singapore and India.
“We are undergoing some restructuring both in Singapore and India as part of which the Indian operation has undergone work-related changes,” Dasgupta had then told indiantelevision.com.
When he was asked to respond to the sentiment among media analysts that the changes in SET in Singapore and India may lead to an IPO in India, Dasgupta had reluctantly admitted: “At some point of time we have to bring the two entities together for valuation
Bringing the Indian and Singapore operations under one company has to be done as the Singapore SET is the broadcasting company, while SET India is the marketing, ad sales and distribution company.
Only merging the two entities will unlock the real valuation of Sony Entertainment if it wants to go in for an IPO, media analysts had opined.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
