RONNIE SCREWVALA
Built UTV from a cable TV startup into India's largest media conglomerate, sold it to Disney, then reinvented himself as a sports entrepreneur and impact investor.
Ronnie Screwvala built UTV from scratch into India's largest independent media company, sold it to The Walt Disney Company for $454 million, and then — instead of retiring — launched upGrad (online education), invested in multiple sports teams, and became one of India's most prominent impact investors. The man sold his life's work to Disney and then decided he had not done enough. That is either ambition or insanity, and in Screwvala's case, the returns suggest it is the former.
Net Worth
$1.5 billion
Nationality
Indian
Time Horizon
Long-Term
Risk Appetite
7 / 10
CAREER & BACKGROUND
Born in 1955 in Mumbai to a middle-class Parsi family. Started in the cable television business in the 1980s, when cable TV was barely legal in India.
Founded United Television (UTV) in 1990, producing content for Indian television and eventually expanding into film production, animation, gaming, and broadcasting.
UTV became India's largest integrated media company. It produced Bollywood films, kids' content (with a Disney India partnership), and had broadcasting licenses.
In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired UTV for $454 million, making it one of the largest media acquisitions in Indian history.
After the Disney exit, Screwvala founded upGrad in 2015 — an online higher education platform offering degrees and certifications from top universities. upGrad has grown to over 2 million learners.
He also invested in sports through U Mumba (kabaddi team), Mumbai City FC (football), and U Sports. He launched his philanthropy through the Swades Foundation, focused on rural development in Maharashtra.
COMPANIES & ROLES
Founder of UTV (1990, sold to Disney for $454M). Founder and Executive Chairman of upGrad (2015).
Co-owner of U Mumba (kabaddi) and Mumbai City FC (football). Founder of Swades Foundation.
Previously in cable television. One of India's most active angel investors.
INVESTING STYLE & PHILOSOPHY
Long-term builder with a second-act mentality. Screwvala builds companies over decades, exits at the right time, and immediately starts building the next thing.
He is also an active angel investor in Indian startups, focusing on education, sports, and consumer businesses.
THE PLAYBOOK
Risk Approach
High but patient. Screwvala takes big bets — building India's largest media company, then starting an edtech platform from scratch in his 60s — but he builds slowly and deliberately.
He is not a blitz-scaling founder.
Money Habits
Lives in Mumbai. Known for being one of the most disciplined entrepreneurs in India — wakes up at 5am, works out, reads, and starts meetings by 8.
Despite the wealth, lives modestly by billionaire standards. Active philanthropist through Swades Foundation.
BIGGEST WIN
The Disney acquisition of UTV. Selling India's largest independent media company to The Walt Disney Company for $454 million was the ultimate validation.
Screwvala built UTV from a cable TV startup in the 1980s to a media conglomerate in 22 years.
BIGGEST MISTAKE
FINANCIAL PHILOSOPHY
Build what India needs, not what Silicon Valley builds. Screwvala has said that Indian entrepreneurs should solve Indian problems at Indian scale, not copy Western business models.
His investments focus on education, healthcare, and sports — sectors he believes will define India's next phase of growth.
FAMILY & PERSONAL LIFE
Married to Zarina Screwvala, who runs the Swades Foundation focused on rural development. Two children.
From Mumbai's Parsi community — a small but historically influential minority in Indian business and culture.
EDUCATION
University of Mumbai (Commerce degree). Did not attend an elite engineering or MBA program — unusual for an Indian billionaire.
Self-made through media entrepreneurship.
BOOKS & RESOURCES
His own autobiography about building UTV and the Disney exit
His book on education and upskilling
Founder survival guide
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QUOTES (5)
India needs education that leads to jobs, not degrees that lead to nowhere. That's why I built upGrad.
I built UTV from cable TV piracy into a company Disney wanted to buy. The journey matters more than the exit.
Impact investing is not philanthropy with lower returns. It is capitalism with a conscience. The returns can be just as good.
I sold my company to Disney and then started over at 60. Age is not a constraint. Curiosity is a fuel.
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