Asianet News
Asianet was founded in 1993 by Sasi Kumar and Regi Menon, initially as the first Malayalam satellite channel that also broadcasts news. Asianet News is one of Kerala’s most watched news channels in Malayalam, the local language. According to 2017 data, by Indiantelevision.com. the channel had a viewership of 43 percent and topped the charts for 31 weeks that year. Asianet News has a sister channel Asianet, a general entertainment channel that features fiction serials, entertainment shows and film-based shows. The channel is owned by Rajeev Chandrasekhar through Jupiter Capital Private Limited. Chandrasekhar is a three-time Member of the Parliament of Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He represents the Bharatiya Janata Party, India’s ruling party at present.
Audience Share
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Ownership Type
Private
Geographic Coverage
National
Content Type
Free-to-air / Satellite + Cable
Media Companies / Groups
Jupiter Capital
Ownership Structure
Asianet News (Malayalam) is owned by Asianet News Network Private Limited. Shares of Asianet News Network Private Limited are divided among: Jupiter Capital Private Limited (89.52 %) and Fedex Finance Private Limited (10%). The remaining 0.48% is held by M.S. Ram (0.1%), Amit Gupta (0.1%), Sugandha Commotrade Pvt Limited (0.27%) and Phulchand & Sons Investment Pvt Ltd (0.01%).
Jupiter Capital is owned mainly by three companies – RC Stocks and Securities Private Limited (44.02%), Jupiter Global Infrastructure (20.38%) and Minsk Developers Private Limited (35.52%). 0.08% of shares of Jupiter Capital are held by K. Venkatrarame Gowda. Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Vectra Consultancy Services Private Limited owns all the three companies. Moreover 99.97% share of Vectra Consultancy Services Private Limited is owned by Rajeev Chandrasekhar and 0.03% share is owned by his wife and daughter.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar owns 99.97% of RC Stocks and Securities Private Limited directly and through Vectra Consultancy Services Private Limited.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar through RC Stocks and Securities Private Limited and Vectra Consultancy Services Private Limited via Jupiter Capital Private Limited owns 39.38% share of Asianet News Network Private Limited.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar also owns 88.62% of Jupiter Global Infrastructure directly and through Vectra Consultancy Services Private Limited.
Similarly, Rajeev Chandrasekhar owns 99.88% of Minsk Developers Private Limited directly and through Vectra Consultancy Services Private Limited.
Hence, Rajeev Chandrasekhar owns 87.30% share of Asianet News Network Private Limited and through this company he controls Asianet News.
Kunje Venkatarame Gowda owns 11.38% of Jupiter Global Infrastructure Private Limited. He also has minority shares in Jupiter Capital (0.08%), RC Stocks and Securities Private Limited (0.03%) and Minsk Developers Private Limited (0.13%) and through these companies holds 2.19% of Asianet News Network Private Limited and 10% share of the company is held by Fedex Finance Private Limited.
Voting Rights
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Individual Owner
Group / Individual Owner
Fedex Finance Private Limited
Fedex Finance Private Limited is owned by four companies: Westex Infotech Private Limited (49.68%), Fedex Securities Limited (20.20%), Trinity Finsec Private Limited (17.98%), White Water Mass Media Private Limited (12.12%), the remaining 0,02% are equally shared among 5 individuals.
Kunje Venkatarame Gowda
Kunje Venkatarame Gowda owns 11.38% of Jupiter Global Infrastructure Private Limited. He also has minority shares in Jupiter Capital (0.08%), RC Stocks and Securities Private Limited (0.03%) and Minsk Developers Private Limited (0.13%) and through these companies holds 2.19% of Aisanet News Network Private Limited.
He is also a Director in many of the Jupiter Capital related companies.
General Information
Founding Year
1993
Affiliated Interests Founder
founded Asianet Communications Limited as the first ever satellite television channel in a regional language, telecasted in Malayalam. Sashi Kumar’s first engagement with television in India was as one of the first newscasters in English for Doordarshan and later as a News and Current Affairs Producer. As he took a break from TV he worked as the first West Asia Correspondent for The Hindu daily.
In addition, Sashi Kumar later became the head of the Press Trust of India (PTI) where he set up the TV Division.
Sashi Kumar exited Asianet in 1999. He then founded the Media Development Foundation, MDF, a non-profit public Trust for promoting excellence in journalism. Through MDF he set up the Asian College of Journalism, ACJ -India’s premier journalism institution. Sashi Kumar also ventured into the movie industry later, when he directed a full-length Hindi feature film entitled, “Kaya Taran” in 2004. He also acted in a Malayalam feature film opposite Malayalam superstar Mammooty in a movie called “Loudspeaker”, that brought him critical acclaim. He is the member of Empowered Committee on Information, Communication and Technology in the Prime Minister’s office.
Sashi Kumar’s uncle, was a Moscow based businessperson. In 2006 Menon pulled out of Asianet and turned over control to Rajiv Chandrasekhar.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
is the CEO of Asianet News and Media Entertainment Ltd since 2016. He is also the Chief Operating Officer of Jupiter Capital Ventures, the company behind Asianet News. Earlier he was the Director of Mergers and Acquisitions, Nova Medical Centers Private Limited, and Associate Director of Ernst and Young. Gupta is also the Director of Upugo and Surgg Private Limited, Edvista Educational Services Private Limited, and India Radio Ventures Private Limited.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
is the Edtior-in-Chief of Asianet News.After the death of T. N. Gopakumar he filled in as a replacement. Earlier Radhakrishnan served as the Associate Editor of India Today magazine for two decades. He holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of Kerala. It is widely believed that Radhakrishnan is inclined towards Leftist ideology.
Affiliated Interests other important people
is a Director of many of the other companies of Jupiter Capital Private Limited including Kannada Prabha Publications Limited, Bharat Media Publications Private Limited, PVK Shelters (India) Private Limited, Minsk Developers Private Limited, Jupiter Global Infrastructure Private Limited, Suryasamudara Holiday Resorts (Karnataka) Private Limited, Nirmaaya Retreats Private Limited, Asianet Infrastructure Private Limited and Jupiter Capital Investment and Finance Private Limited and many more.
is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, an English news channel. Goswami is also the Director of ARG Outlier Media Asianet News Private Limited, SARG Media Holding Private Limited, SARG Global Digital Private Limited.
Contact
ASIANET NETWORK PRIVATE LIMITED.,
Benshe Tower, Housing Board Junction
Trivandrum– 695001, KERALA.
Tel.: 0471 3092601.
Email: girishks@asianetnews.in
Website: www.asianetnews.com
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
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Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
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Advertising (in % of total funding)
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Market Share
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Further Information
Meta Data
Most data for the channel is available publicly, and in the documents declared with the registries at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. The company has been written to, by email on the 25th January 2019 and by courier on the 1st February 2019, seeking information and confirmation of data related to the channel and the company. The company has not responded yet.