GECs
Exide gets Superbrand status
NEW DELHI: The Superbrands Council comprising eminent professionals from the corporate world has recently listed Exide among the top brands in India.
According to an official statement, Exide was selected out of 711 leading Indian brands across 98 categories. Exide will be featured in the Superbrands volume as being one of the strongest brands in India.
In an official statement, Exide Industries Limited chairman S.B. Ganguly said, “The Superbrands status for Exide clearly reflects the brand identity, its value and its association with the consumers in India. On this occasion, we wish to reiterate once again our commitment to provide world class batteries and associated services to all our customers.”
Considered to be the Oscars of branding, the Superbrand status is conferred after exhaustive research in each category. The research aims to identify those brands in each category, which offer significant emotional and/or physical advantages over its competitors, which customers want, recognise and are willing to pay a premium for.
The Superbrand Council, composed of doyens of business, industry, advertising, marketing and media – then reviews each of these brands and pronounce judgment.
As is apparent, the entire process circumvents any ranking by market shares but focuses on the more permanent but harder to achieve criteria of brand image and perception. Hence the brands’ mind dominance; goodwill, consumer loyalty, trust and emotional bonding are the factors, which influenced the selection.
Participation is strictly by invitation. If the Council has not
selected a brand (and there were only 134 selected in all), a brand just cannot participate. Hence Superbrands has proved to be extremely aspirational in every country it exists.
Superbrands is a concept that started 10 years ago in the UK to chronicle case studies of exceptional brands. It now has a presence in 26 countries including USA, Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and Singapore and now in India.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
