News Broadcasting
Ronnie Screwvala to mentor start-ups in ET Now’s new show
MUMBAI: Times Television Network’s business news channel ET Now has launched a new show Starting up with Ronnie Screwvala to provide a platform to millions of aspiring entrepreneurs who, tomorrow can shape country’s economy.
Screwvala, one of the few first generation entrepreneurs, will mentor aspirants from across the country in a six episode series, which will go on air from 11 April. The show will air every Saturday at 10.30 am. As part of each episode, three entrepreneurs will get a chance to seek Screwvala’s advice on specific issues they may be facing in their business. From scaling it up to funding, from finding talent to talking on the Goliaths, ET Now has put all cards on the table for discussion.
The entries have been selected after various rounds of filtration. The show will have premature ideas to evolve concepts addressed and mentored by Screwvala.
Speaking about the association, Screwvala says, “I have recently released my book Dream With Your Eyes Open, which aims to champion the cause of entrepreneurship in the country. This show is a perfect extension of the book and through this we want to inspire success, demystify failure and urge people to dream, and dream big. I am glad to partner with ET Now, who is also working towards the same cause. I hope my book and this show gives people the conviction to follow their dreams and make them believe that it’s all possible and can be done.”
ET Now managing editor R Sridharan adds, “ET Now is a channel that provides differentiated content in the business news genre. We go beyond being a provider of information, and want to maintain our standing as the go to channel for anyone wanting to understand more about the finance and investment. As a business news channel, we have always tried to be the first to identify and define development in the financial ecosystem of the country. This show will act as a platform for the entrepreneurs and will reinforce the current Make in India philosophy of the country.”
“Television is a powerful medium to convey a message and that’s something that triggered me to come on board with ET Now. We all think India is a highly ranked entrepreneurs nation but the reality is something else. We are ranked between 140 and 150 and Israel is way over us and that’s because what we have is family legacy, and tremendous lack of first generation entrepreneurs. We have to understand entrepreneurship is not about earning livelihood but generating employment in huge number. Moreover entrepreneurship is not restricted to male gender. More female entrepreneurs today will ensure a dignified tomorrow. We have to come out of the society perception of grasping a quality job as soon as possible and one who fails to get a job goes on for entrepreneurship. The show is not a promotion of my book and there will be no investing to the ideas during the show. I will just mentor ideas by asking ten questions,” Screwvala tells Indiantelevision.com.
The editor and anchor of the show Sonali Krishna adds, “Start ups today are extremely important for the country, but on one side where we have encouraging success stories making headlines, on the other hand there are numerous failures. The show is to convey a message to India at large that don’t start something for the sake of doing it but back it with substantial conceptualisation. Getting Ronnie on board for the show is a great feat and we are looking ahead to provide essential inputs that may help a start up to convert itself to established.”
The show will be cross-promoted within Times Television Network and at the moment, there are no sponsors on board, ET Now spokesperson informs Indiantelevision.com.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
