Hisar to Delhi with Rs 17 in pocket & a suitcase full of dreams: The amazing story of Dr Subhash Chandra

New Delhi: 46 years ago, a young man made a journey from Hisar in Haryana to Delhi. He had just Rs 17 in his pocket but there was no penury when it came to his dreams.

He dreamt big and had the extraordinary determination needed to turn them into reality – today the world knows him as media mogul Dr Subhash Chandra.

 

It was not an easy journey, but what kept him in good stead was the wisdom of his illustrious grandfather late Shri Jagannath Goenka. The doting grandfather wanted his grandson to imbibe three lessons of life: have no fear; never go back on your commitment; and do not stray from the path of truth.

Starting with trading in pulses around 1970, the young visionary worked hard to pay off his family debts and went on to make a fortune by exporting rice to the erstwhile USSR.

But he was not someone who would have rested on his laurels. 

With a penchant for testing the barriers – he actually knew none – Dr Subhash Chandra saw an opportunity in the yet nascent broadcasting industry, leading to the birth of Zee TV in 1992 - India's first private TV channel.

He was clearly a path breaker, someone who had the uncanny ability to see into the future. Who would have thought then that TVs would one day enter every home in our country but Dr Subhash Chandra had bet on the right horse and today Zee runs India's biggest bouquet of channels, reaching millions of homes worldwide.

Today, he has net worth of over several billion dollars but he has also provided direct employment to over 10,000 people - The Zee family.

Many victories and some disappointments later, Dr Subhash Chandra today stands as a colossus in the business sphere who also has a strong, deep-rooted commitment to the social cause.

He is the driving force behind a number of philanthropic initiatives like running 52,000 Ekal Vidyalayas.
  
Dr Chandra often says, “Only those people who adopt change can be successful, not the smartest or the most intelligent”.

Dr Chandra believes that he is in the 'third phase' of his life but given his focus on bringing a positive change in the society and his mastery in adapting to demands of this phase of life...it's certain his journey has just begun.

Get your copy of Dr. Subhash Chandra's autobiography - "Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time" from Amazon's Book Store - Buy Now