Meet Ronnie Screwvala, Founder Of UpGrad And Shark Tank India 3’s New Judge

Published By: Chirag Sehgal

Last Updated: December 19, 2023, 14:30 IST

Shark Tank India Season 3 is set to premiere in January. (Photo Credits: Instagram)

Entrepreneur and film producer Ronnie Screwvala co-founded UpGrad in 2015.

Shark Tank India is preparing for its highly anticipated third season, building on the success of its initial two seasons. In an exciting development, the show’s creators have revealed a notable addition to the judging panel for the upcoming season. The newly announced judge is none other than billionaire entrepreneur and film producer Ronnie Screwvala. Renowned for his role in founding UpGrad, RSVP Movies, and serving as the former head of UTV Motion Pictures, Screwvala brings a wealth of experience to the panel. With a storied history in the film industry and a successful entrepreneurial journey, his expertise is poised to enrich the platform. Born into a Parsi family in Mumbai, Ronnie Screwvala pursued his education at the Cathedral and John Connon School, followed by Sydenham College.

Ronnie Screwvala, currently boasting a net worth exceeding Rs 12,000 Crore according to DNA, embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in the 1970s as a toothbrush manufacturer. Subsequently, in 1981, he diversified into establishing a cable TV business. The pivotal moment in his career occurred in 1990 when he founded UTV, which initially gained prominence as a television producer before venturing into film production. A significant milestone unfolded in 2012 when Ronnie orchestrated the sale of his UTV stakes to Disney for a sum exceeding a billion dollars. Following this, he continued to make strides in the entertainment industry by launching RSVP Movies in 2014 and UpGrad in 2015. The latter endeavour was a collaborative effort with three IIT graduates—Mayank Kumar, Phalgun Kompalli, and Ravijot Chugh.

As a creative film producer, Ronnie Screwvala has made major contributions to the Indian film industry, producing blockbuster movies like Swades, Jodhaa Akbar, Fashion, Uri and Kedarnath, among others. His outstanding work as a producer earned him a National Award for the film Rang De Basanti and three Filmfare Awards, for various projects. Ronnie was previously married to Manjula Nanvati, with whom he shares a daughter named Trishya Screwvala. His second marriage was with Zarina, who played a crucial role as a co-founder in RSVP Movies.

Meanwhile, the official Instagram handle of Shark Tank India recently shared the exciting news of the film producer and entrepreneur joining the judges’ panel. Sharing a unique video, they captioned, “#SharkReveal. We have with us Shark Ronnie Screwvala, Co-Founder and Chairperson, upGrad, as the newest Shark in the Tank.”

Ronnie Screwvala joins the OG panellists, including Aman Gupta, Anupam Mittal, Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, and Peyush Bansal, alongside newly introduced judges such as Amit Jain, Ritesh Agarwal, Deepinder Goyal, Azhar Iqubal, Radhika Gupta, and Varun Dua. Shark Tank India Season 3 is set to premiere in January.

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