Brands
Weekend Unwind with: The Pant Project’s Dhruv Toshniwal
Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind—a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.
In this week’s session, we have The Pant Project founder Dhruv Toshniwal.
Without further ado, here it goes…
Your mantra for life
Get one per cent better every day
A book you are currently reading or plan to read
Nassim Taleb, Skin in the Game & Antifragile
Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
Some workout is better than no workout. Just start, and don’t miss two days in a row.
Your comfort food
Indian (paneer) or Italian (pizza)
A quote or philosophy that keeps you going when the chips are down
I know the pieces fit because I watched them fall apart (from the song Schism by Tool)
Your guilty pleasure
I have a major sweet tooth
The last time you tried something new
Yesterday. As an entrepreneur, you are always trying out new things in your business and daily life.
A life lesson you learned the hard way
If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. I would say yes to too many things earlier on in life, and that wouldn’t leave enough space to focus on the most important ones.
What gets you excited about life?
Waking up every day and building a little part of the India story. This is going to be such an amazing decade for India to grow on all fronts.
What’s on top of your bucket list?
Hitting a hole-in-one at golf. I’ve been playing for 20 years and haven’t yet gotten one!
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Those who see action in inaction and inaction in actions are truly wise amongst human beings (The Bhagavad Gita).
One thing you would most like to change about the world
End war. We can peacefully coexist on this planet with different faiths & nationalities.
An activity that keeps you motivated and charged during tough times
Spending time in nature, going for long walks with my wife and golfing.
What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?
I’m generally an eternal optimist and tend to see things with a positively coloured lens. You can’t get too down about life as an entrepreneur because if you let yourself, there are 1000 reasons you can use to justify being down.
Your go-to stress buster
A quick sprint or high-intensity cardio workout session.
Brands
ZEEL transfers syndication business, invests Rs 505 crore in IP push
Restructuring, stake buy and FCCB moves signal sharper content strategy
MUMBAI: In the content economy, owning the story is half the battle monetising it is the real game, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises is doubling down on both. The company has approved the transfer of its syndication and content licensing business to its wholly owned subsidiary ZI-IPR Enterprises, alongside an investment of Rs 505 crore aimed at strengthening its play in content intellectual property (IP) acquisition, management and monetisation. The move, effective April 1, 2026, will see the business transferred on a slump sale basis at book value, including all associated assets, liabilities and commercial rights effectively consolidating IP operations under a more focused structure.
At its core, the restructuring signals a strategic shift. As content consumption increasingly fragments across digital and global platforms, the value of IP lies not just in creation but in how efficiently it can be distributed, repackaged and monetised across markets. By housing its syndication engine within ZI-IPR Enterprises, ZEEL appears to be building a more agile and scalable ecosystem, one that can better extract value from its vast content library while adapting to evolving distribution models.
But the company’s ambitions are not limited to restructuring. ZEEL has also approved an investment of up to Rs 20.09 crore in Culture of Real Experiences (CORE), acquiring a 51 per cent stake in the entity. The move expands its footprint into the broader creative and experiential space, suggesting a push beyond traditional broadcasting into areas where content, culture and immersive experiences intersect.
At the same time, ZEEL has moved to tidy up its financials, approving the redemption of $23.9 million in outstanding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and cancelling an unused $215.1 million commitment. The twin steps are expected to ease pressure on its treasury, freeing up capital and improving financial flexibility as the company invests more aggressively in its IP strategy.
Taken together, the decisions reflect a company in recalibration mode streamlining legacy structures, sharpening its focus on content ownership, and exploring new avenues for growth. In a market where the lines between television, streaming and experiential entertainment are increasingly blurred, ZEEL’s latest moves suggest it is not just creating content, but building a system to make that content travel further and pay better.
