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UTV hopes kids channel creates Hungama
MUMBAI: Ronnie Screwvalas UTV Software Communications, which is launching a kids channel through its recently floated subsidiary United Home Entertainment (UHE), has finally homed in on a name Hungama.
Detailing the funds route for Hungama, Screwvala said UHE proposed to raise Rs 750 million through private placement for which Lazard India had been appointed as fund managers. The remaining Rs 250 million would be equally shared between Screwvala himself and UTV (Rs 125 million each). Screwvala holds a majority 51 per cent stake in UHE while UTV holds the remaining 49 per cent equity.
Screwvala said UHE was on target as far as its proposed August launch of Hungama was concerned. Contentwise, the channel would be 90 per cent live action and only 10 per cent animation, Screwvala said.
As far as the distribution platform is concerned, UTV is talking to three players – Star, Sony and ESPN Star Sports. These three happen to be the same platforms that Disney is in talks with as well. The difference with Disney, however, is that it is in talks with Zee-Turner too. Information available with indiantelevision.com indicates that Disney will finalise its distribution partner by July.
As for Hungama, there are three distinct prime time bands that have been identified. The 9 am to 11 am slot is targeted at two-and-a-half to five-year-olds, the 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm band for 4 to 8-year-olds and the 4 pm to 7:30 pm slot for 8 to 16-year-olds.
Queried as to what would constitute the pre-schooler segment, he said it would be mainly muppet and puppet-based shows that would keep in mind educational requirements as well.
Screwvala says UHE finally settled on Hungama after shortlisting eight names. The name came up tops through polling among a sample group of 3,800 kids and 1,200 mothers from across 15 cities (13 Hindi-speaking, Hyderabad and Chennai).
Detailing the pre-launch promotional plans for Hungama, Screwvala said a 15-city roadshow would kick off end-May for a Hungama board hunt. One kid from each city would be chosen as a member of the board of the channel and would be responsible for routing feedback from their individual cities as to how kids were responding to the channel. Screwvala stressed that this was not some gimmick but what the kids had to say would be taken very seriously, so much so that every quarter the kids would represent their cities at the hungama board meeting.
The chosen 15 would have their own websites through which they would be interacting with other kids.
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Business Today MindRush returns to Mumbai, spotlight on India’s edge in a fractured world
Policymakers and corporate heavyweights gather to map supply chains, energy security and markets
MUMBAI: As fault lines widen across global trade and geopolitics, Business Today is doubling down on India’s moment. The 14th edition of Business Today MindRush & Best CEOs Awards lands in Mumbai on March 28, pitching India’s strategic edge at the centre of a fragmenting world.
The day-long summit, presented by PwC, will bring together a tight mix of policymakers, industry leaders and market voices to decode shifting supply chains, maritime strategy, defence priorities, energy security and capital markets—sectors now deeply entangled with geopolitics.
M Nagaraju, secretary, department of financial services, ministry of finance, will headline the event, setting the tone for discussions that aim to track how India is repositioning itself amid disrupted trade routes and volatile energy dynamics.
The speaker slate reads like a cross-section of India Inc’s command centre. Krishna Swaminathan will zero in on sea lanes and supply chains, while Prashant Ruia is set to push the case for self-reliance in oil and gas. Ashish Chauhan will weigh in on capital markets at a pivotal juncture, as a panel featuring Vibha Padalkar, Sanjiv Mehta, Amish Mehta and Sanjeev Krishan debates navigating economic uncertainty.
Leadership under pressure will be another running theme. Madhavkrishna Singhania, Sharvil Patel, Karan Bhagat and Anurag Choudhary will unpack how businesses are steering through disruption. Arun Alagappan will turn the spotlight on fertilisers, Arundhati Bhattacharya will reflect on leadership transitions, while Anish Shah and S Vellayan will outline blueprints for building future-ready conglomerates.
The event will close with Aroon Purie setting the broader editorial lens, before the Best CEOs Awards recognise standout corporate leadership across sectors.
At a time when the global order looks increasingly splintered, MindRush 2026 is positioning itself as more than a conference—it is a signal that India intends not just to navigate the churn, but to shape it.
