Essel Group completes 100 years: Dr Subhash Chandra outlines vision for Attention Economy and the next century of growth

Essel Group has completed 100 years of its remarkable journey, marking a major milestone in Indian business history. On the occasion, Essel Group Chairman Dr Subhash Chandra spoke about innovation, resilience, and the Group’s ambitious plans to dominate the evolving Attention Economy through technology and digital platforms.

New Delhi: Essel Group, a multi-faceted Indian business conglomerate, has marked a historic milestone in its journey. It has completed 100 years of delivering value across the globe. Essel Group has created a lasting impression across the world, rising from humble beginnings in 1926 to a multi-faceted conglomerate with a diverse presence across a gamut of businesses. Commemorating the special occasion, Dr Subhash Chandra said, “Essel Group’s journey has been one of persistence, resilience, innovation, and growth. Our belief that progress must create value for society and the nation at large has guided the pioneering steps undertaken by the Group across every business dimension. My brothers and I are extremely proud to mark this momentous milestone of 100 years that has been built by generations of vision and courage to venture into the unknown and truly leave an imprint of a century across every industry."

The Next 100 Years of Essel Group

Essel Group continues to nurture its entrepreneurial spirit by expanding into newer business segments. It is India’s very own start-up and is building for the future with enhanced capabilities in content, technology, and the digital landscape. Technology will be the main focus area for the Group, further leveraging its true potential for the existing businesses. 

To garner a significant share of the Attention Economy, Essel Group is building integrated, future-ready platforms. These platforms can capture, sustain, and convert engagement into long-term value. The Group’s approach for the future is firmly aligned with India’s growth ambitions to drive innovation. Its focus is on creating opportunities that will define the next phase of economic and cultural evolution for our Nation on the global map. 

Dr Chandra said, "Essel Group’s journey has evolved alongside our Nation, and I am proud to note that together, we have unlocked economic value and enabled social transformation to drive national progress.” Since 1967, Essel Group has reinvented itself by achieving the paradigm shift from a traditional business to a global conglomerate with a start-up culture. Nurturing its start-up mindset and keeping a sharp focus on profitability, the Group has never shied away from closing certain businesses, which did not rise to the desired value-delivery levels.

Over the last century, the group diversified into multiple business sectors, including packaging, home entertainment, amusement park, news, content distribution, infrastructure, real estate, education, technology, lifestyle, and more, positively impacting the lives of billions of people across 190+ countries. The Group has not only contributed towards the establishment of the Indian business landscape in the pre-liberalization era, but it has also strengthened the economic development of our Nation by significantly enhancing its hard power and soft power. Through its pioneering initiatives, which have set up not just companies, but entire industries in itself, Essel Group has created an ‘Impression of a Century’, generating employment opportunities for over 10 million people across the Nation.