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Best Deal TV registers Rs 3 crore in sales in first month
MUMBAI: When newbie Best Deal TV launched so late in the day as a home shopping channel, the naysayers emerged saying that CEO and cofounder Raj Kundra (the co-owner of Rajasthan Royals) was throwing good money after bad. The home shopping television market is dominated by south Korean major, which runs Shop CJ (erstwhile Star CJ Alive) and HomeShop18. And with DEN Networks setting up a joint venture to promote DEN SnapDeal TV Shop, the market was clearly looking crowded and competitive. Star India in fact took note of this when it decided to sell out its stake in Star CJ Alive to PE firm Providence Equity.
A month and a half into the business, Best Deal TV co-promoter Raj Kundra (the other partner is Akshay Kumar) says Best Deal TV is doing very well, thank you. He reveals that the newbie has managed to generate Rs 3 crore in sales in the month since its launch.
“We are on target to reach our first year’s gross sales target of Rs 150 crore,” he says. “Our chairperson actually delivered the 10,000th order to one of our customers personally.”
The channel’s USP is that celebrities like Sonakshi Sinha, Malaika Arora Khan, Bipasha Basu and more, will be endorsing their products.
Kundra recently roped in well known home-grown kitchen appliances brand Sumeet Appliances to sell its reputed mixer grinder on the channel. The deal is for three years and will be renewed depending on the sales the product chalks up.
He reveals that the idea to join hands with Sumeet came from his personal concerns to address Sumeet’s distribution issues. Having known Sumeet Appliances MD Ajay Mathur for a long time, Kundra was surprised to know that the once leading kitchen mixer-grinder brand was having distribution issues.
“I was appalled to find out that most of the 30,000 to 40,000 Sumeet products, which were being sold in the market were all fakes. Ajay shared how it was next to impossible to lodge litigation at each and every fakes in the market. That’s when I suggested that they re-launch the product with Best Deal TV,” shares Kundra.
When asked if Best Deal TV will have exclusive rights in selling all Sumeet products, Mathur clarifies, “Not for all products, but we are introducing the new and improved Sumeet mixer grinder, the ‘Grinder Man’ through Best Deal TV, which will also have exclusive selling rights for it.”
Best Deal TV will, however, have to go through the grind if it wants to penetrate the Rs 2,200-odd crore Indian home shopping market.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
