GECs
The first-of its-kind crowd-sourced Book on Ummeed
MUMBAI: Zee TV, India’s leading broadcaster, recently announced an evolution in its core proposition to ‘Har Lamha Nayi Ummeed’– A line that captures the beauty of re-discovering a new ray of hope with every moment of life. The channel, with its rich programming content that resonates with this proposition, has emerged as a beacon of hope to millions of viewers over the years. Apart from setting inspiring examples for the masses through the journeys of its strong, resilient fiction show protagonists and lending a national platform for celebrating the common man’s talent through its non-fiction formats, Zee TV’s endeavors of spreading hope have extended beyond the realms of just television content – the most recent case being ‘Hum Hai … Ummeed-e-Kashmir’ where the channel, along with its philanthropy partners, organized star-studded charity concerts to raise funds and provide shelters for the rehabilitation of flood-afflicted citizens of Jammu & Kashmir, Assam & Vishakhapatnam. As an interesting extension of its constant mission of spreading Ummeed, Zee TV recently invited its loyal viewers to share their personal ummeed stories – Real life accounts of their journeys of hope, successes and triumphs over any daunting obstacles and challenges life posed them with.
The channel has received an overwhelming response and some very intriguing and inspiring stories of tiding over trials with the power of hope! Zee TV believes that the country has a lot to benefit from reading about these motivating accounts of Ummeed and plans to bring them to the masses in a book specially written and curated by author Rashmi Bansal — a writer, entrepreneur and a youth expert with six best-selling books on entrepreneurship, each of which have sold more than 1 million copies and been translated in 10 languages. She is also one of India’s most sought-after motivational speakers. Her books – be it I Have a Dream, Poor Little Rich Slum, Follow Every Rainbow, Take Me Home or Arise Awake, have captured the journeys of enterprising women, students, slum-dwellers and small-town entrepreneurs.
Every single Ummeed entry shared by Zee TV’s viewers will be showcased on the channel’s official website, 10 entries per week will be featured on air through astons on Zee TV, the top 25 will make their way into the special book being curated by Rashmi Bansal while perhaps a select handful of the best stories will go on to inspire Zee TV’s upcoming shows.
Elaborating on Zee TV’s plans in this regard, the channel’s Business Head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “Zee TV has and will always stand for Ummeed. It is its articulation that will change to reflect the changing times. So, as we recently evolved our core proposition to Har Lamha Nayi Ummeed, making it even more relevant to our viewers’ daily lives, we set out in search of inspiration. We called out to our own viewers to share their most moving, motivating accounts of triumphs and victories – stories where they held on to Ummeed and stayed afloat, tiding over tribulations and challenges, only to emerge winners. We’ve received an overwhelming response with thousands of people writing in with diverse subjects and issues. These are stories waiting to be told, as they have the potential to inspire. With Rashmi having made a significant contribution towards encouraging India’s youth, shaping careers and fostering entrepreneurial spirit, we are pleased to partner with her in bringing alive some of these most impressive crowd-sourced stories of Ummeed. Rashmi will curate and author a special book for Zee TV that will tell each of these truly inspiring Ummeed stories in the way only she can!”
Rashmi Bansal said, “Zee TV understands the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the common man of India. While my passion as an author, has been writing about those who’ve made such dreams come true. So, when their team approached me to write and curate a book based on stories of ‘ummeed’ shared by thousands of their viewers, I thought – wow, what a powerful idea! Such a book will definitely create a huge and positive impact. The challenge now lies in identifying the most deserving entries whose stories provide true inspiration and hope. The task is not easy, as fascinating stories continue to pour in … but it’s very satisfying. My work on the book has just begun and we hope to showcase some truly inspiring role-models who will lend ummeed to countless others!”
The book will be released on 2nd October, 2015 – the anniversary of Zee TV.
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
