Music and Youth
Times Group’s ENIL not appealing after Red FM permitted to participate in auctions
MUMBAI: Times Group’s Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL), which operates one of India’s most popular radio stations- Radio Mirchi, had earlier approached the Madras and Delhi High Courts in light of the conditional approval given to Sun TV Group’s radio network by the Madras HC. The hearing for the same was adjourned to 21 August. However, with the recent Red FM verdict, allowing the network to participate in the Phase III auctions, ENIL has decided that it will not appeal further.
ENIL MD and CEO Prashant Panday said, “We are very happy with the final order the Delhi HC has given. It removes the conditional approval worry of ENIL. So, we are not appealing any further.”
The e-auctions will take place in New Delhi on 27 July from 9:30 am onwards. The Delhi High Court, which had earlier permitted Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd, which runs Red FM to take part in the mock e-auction, on 26 July, gave permission for the network to take part in the main e-auction for FM Phase III.
ENIL had approached both, Madras and Delhi High Courts, due to the conditional approval given to Sun Group companies, namely Kal Radio, Sun TV and South Asia FM Ltd. In a previous interview, Panday stated that the conditional approval “puts the radio industry in a tizzy.”
Panday had earlier said that ENIL was opposed to a conditional approval to Sun Group, and clarified that ENIL had no problem if Sun Group participated in the auctions.
Explaining ENIL’s stand, Panday said, “Conditional would put the whole auction process in jeopardy. Since all cities progress simultaneously in this auction, removing any winning bidder later (if required) is impossible. If still done, it will harm the interests of other bidders whose strategies could have been different had they known this. That is why we did not want conditional approval for Sun. We were fine with any final decision. The conditional approval allowed Sun TV to participate, however, the result of which, will be kept in a sealed cover and produced before the Court. As you know, TOI Group has been against the revocation of their (Red FM) license.”
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
