News Broadcasting
Chandra’s foreign holdings to be transferred to Indian investment company
MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms Ltd. (ZTL) chairman Subhash Chandra will be transferring his foreign holdings to an investment company in India. Under ZTL’s demerged restructuring into separate entities, this is seen as a move to comply with the uplinking regulations on foreign holdings in news channels which are capped at 26 per cent.
The total foreign shareholding in Zee Telefilms is 54.69 per cent. While the holding of foreign promoters is 22.77 per cent, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have 31.51 per cent.
As part of the corporate restructuring, ZTL is spinning off its news and regional channels into Zee News Ltd (ZNL). According to the formula that has been worked out, 137 ZNL shares will fetch 100 shares in ZTL.
“Chandra will be transferring his foreign holdings to an Indian registered investment company. This will help Zee comply with the uplinking guidelines for the news business,” says Essel Group chief executive officer of corporate strategy and finance Rajiv Garg.
The shares to be issued to FIIs in ZNL will have to fall within the 26 per cent cap. Foreign shareholders will, thus, be given preference shares of equivalent value to bring it under limit. Along with this, the promoters’ foreign holding will be transferred to an investment vehicle in India.
The foreign holding of promoters is primarily through Delgrada Ltd. which has 19.98 per cent stake in Zee Telefilms. Delgrada is an overseas corporate body (OCB) owned by Chandra. The balance 2.79 per cent is held by Lazarus Investments Ltd.
In the fiscal ended 31 March 2006, Zee posted a turnover of Rs 2 billion from its news and regional channels line of business and a net profit of Rs 161 million. “Zee News Ltd targets a turnover of Rs 2.5 billion in FY07 and Rs 2.9 in FY08,” says Garg.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
