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Issues that may come up at Zee AGM today
Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms holds its annual general body meeting today in Mumbai. The meeting comes at a time when the company is organising a major revamp on the programming front and indicates a “genuine effort to get things working again,” seems to be the general view among a cross-section of financial analysts.
Although the issues that are listed on the agenda of the meeting are pretty tame (including approval of salaries to be paid out to the company’s directors), the topics that may come up for discussion, according to the analysts, are:
The positives first – 1) How has encryption of the Zee bouquet proceeded? No real problems there as it has gone off pretty well which augurs well for the company as far as fund flows are concerned.
2) What level have discussions reached to bring on board a strategic partner? While, there is a low likelihood of specifics being forthcoming, the industry seems to be taking the moves in that direction as a very good sign for the long-term as it would bring with it a more transparent and organised corporate ethic.
3) The moves to streamline operations within the group by merging the many companies under the Chandra umbrella into fewer entities will be welcomed.
4) How has the new programming strategy fared? Though some issues may be raised over why the over-all pick-up has not been as spectacular as Zee would have liked, there can be no quibble really as to the kind of effort that has gone into it so it is not expected to raise too many hackles. The fact that the revamp is still in its early phase naturally helps things.
The negatives – 1)The problems over the links with cornered bull operator Ketan Parekh are still to be sorted out. Especially since Zee has been specifically mentioned in the report prepared by market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
2) There is still some Rs1200 million that Chandra has to return to Zee Telefilms from the monies that were transferred to investment companies of Chandra’s Essel group which were meant to help bail out Parekh.
All-in-all the overall industry sentiment seems to be cautiously optimistic, with the rider that there is still a lot of work to be done.
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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.
