Essel Group has made significant contributions to manufacturing, production, and industrial sectors.
Published: May 21, 2026 9:40 AM IST
Someone rightly said that some companies build profits, while others build history that shapes a nation’s future. Essel Group is indeed one of them that changed the history of Indian corporations and whole industries. Essel Group, founded in 1926 in Haryana, has now completed 100 years. Essel Group initiated many schemes and reforms, setting new trends in the Indian market.
Jagannath Goenka initiated the foundation of Essel Group. It originated on a small scale but with complete vision, dedication, and hard work. Essel Group has succeeded, through vision and hard work, to create a distinct identity for itself both within India and the world. It has expanded its presence in many sectors, including media, infrastructure, education, entertainment, and technology.
Led by Jagannath Goenka and successfully spearheaded by the visionary Dr. Subhash Chandra as the Chairman of the Group, and his brothers – Shri Jawahar Goel, Shri Laxmi Narain Goel, and Shri Ashok Goel, Essel Group is amongst the few Indian business conglomerates to have successfully passed down its rich legacy across six generations.
Also Read: 100 years of Essel Group: From typewriters to teleprompters, the meteoric rise of media giant over years
The Essel Group gained much of its recognition in the media industry. In 1992, the launch of Zee TV, the first private Hindi entertainment channel in India, represented a major shift away from TV programming dominated by government-run channels. Zee TV provided viewers with an exciting new option for watching and enjoying Indian entertainment.
Following this, the establishment of Zee News in 1995 made history as India’s first 24-hour private news channel. However, the Essel Group was not only working in television at this point; they also entered the Direct to Home (DTH) industry by launching Dish TV in 2004. This helped to create a new era of DTH services in India. As a result, Dish TV became one of the first and largest DTH operators in India. The Essel Group also made a significant effort to build its presence in the MSO business as well.
However, Zee did not remain limited to this. In the amusement and family recreation industries, the Essel Group has made tremendous strides. The Essel Group built India’s largest amusement park and Asia’s largest themed water park, providing a new dimension for the entertainment industry in India and significantly enhancing the family recreation culture of India.
In the education realm, perhaps one of the best accomplishments of Essel Group is the launch of Kidzee. Launched in 2003, Kidzee is now one of the largest networks of pre-schools in the country. The success of Kidzee has contributed significantly towards creating a movement toward modern, organised approaches to early childhood education in India.
In addition, Essel Group has made significant contributions to manufacturing, production, and industrial sectors. Essel Group has grown to include everything from supplying processed grains throughout India, producing HDPE products, to refining precious metals such as gold. Shirpur Gold Refinery is the first gold processing plant in India and is the largest gold processing plant in Asia.
