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Patadia takes the prime plunge with Prima Entertainment
MUMBAI: Ajay Patadia, former Balaji Telefilms president has taken the entrepreneurial plunge. The 29-year-old has teamed up with Prima Entertainment, a South East Asian media company, as managing director and CEO.
Patadia heads Prima Entertainment India, a joint venture company (in which he has a stake) that is a subsidiary of Prime Movies International Ltd headquartered in Singapore.
Prime Movies International’s group companies include Prima Entertainment (Indonesia) and Cathay Holdings Organisation Ltd (Singapore). Prima Entertainment is also present in Singapore, Malaysia, China and Taipei.
Patadia’s endeavor in the Indian chapter will essentially be to replicate the business model that has worked for Prima in other Asian countries. The company is essentially in the business of producing mega series, weekly series, TV movies and mini series in multi-genres like family drama, romance, teen drama, comedy, action, suspense, mystery and thriller. Prima has a library of over 2,500 hours of prime time programming, says Patadia. With over 330 TV movies produced under the brand “FTV”, Prima is a household
brand in Indonesia, says Patadia.
“This is going to a very exciting challenge for me. The plan is to become the leader in Asia’s market, and handling India will be an extremely interesting proposition,” Patadia gushes.
According to Patadia, the plans for the Prima India are as follows:
Production of 3-4 small budget feature films in a year with budgets not exceeding $ 0.4 million.Production of cross-over serials leveraging the infrastructure & facilities of group companies Entering the exhibition business through setting up multiplex chains Production of television Software in different genres for satellite and terrestrial networks in Hindi as well as regional languages Distribution of Indian TV serials and movies worldwide through the network of group companies “Apart from production and distribution we will be looking seriously at the creation of television software in different genres for satellite & terrestrial networks in Hindi as well as in regional languages,” says the young and ambitious Patadia.
The management team in India consists of chairman Gunawan Sulaiman who has over 10 years experience in very senior positions Indonesia’s leading media companies and TV stations. His other principal investments include, controlling stake in KPSG, Indonesia’s largest outsourcing provider of direct selling, tele-selling & consumer services & controlling stake in ‘Globalfon’, a telecommunications system operator based in Jakarta. Group advisor is Shailesh Dave, a chartered accountant associated with the media industry for the last 20 years.
And finally, there is Patadia himself — MD, CEO, and founder-promoter of PMI India. “The sky is the limit,” he exhults.
News Broadcasting
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.
