Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : May 21, 2026 6:20 PM IST
100 Years of Essel Group: The ZEEL legacy in advancing health awareness, crisis communication, and public understanding in India over decades
As Essel Group completes 100 years, its journey reflects far more than just usual business growth - the journey mirrors how information itself has transformed public life in India and across the world, especially in moments of health crisis and uncertainty. From everyday health awareness to one of the most defining global pandemics in modern history, the Group's media ecosystem, led by ZEEL, has played a role in carrying critical information into millions of homes across the country.
In 2021, when the world was in the grip of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, lives had been disrupted on an unimaginable scale. Health systems were under pressure, fear and uncertainty were widespread, and people depended heavily on television screens and mobile phones for clarity, updates, and guidance. It was at this moment when the need for properly fact-checked information became the soul of each body on this planet. The need for timely information was not just a part of communication anymore - it turned into an essential element for survival.
That same year marked the 95th anniversary of Essel Group. Under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Subhash Chandra, the moment that would traditionally be associated with celebration took a different direction. Recognising the gravity of the global health crisis, he chose restraint over ceremony. Instead of marking the milestone publicly, he expressed that the Group would wait and celebrate its 100th year together, once the world had moved beyond the immediate crisis.
Taking to X (then Twitter), Dr Chandra had written: "Today is landmark day in our history being 95th year of existence of Essel Group. Congratulations to all past, present & future Esselites. We are not celebrating due to Covid. We will celebrate 100th year together. God bless us all."
Essel Group has kept the Chairman's promise as it is celebrating its historic 100-year centenary today (21 May 2026). But how things unfolded in these years of complete challenges is not just a story but an interesting journey. And here is how it all happened...
As the pandemic unfolded, ZEEL's network of channels and news platforms became part of a continuous information flow that reached audiences across cities, towns, and rural regions. With rapidly changing health advisories, lockdown updates, vaccination drives, and expert medical briefings, television remained one of the most trusted and accessible sources of information -- especially in all the isolated areas where networking remains a challenge still.
The powerful media coverage done by all the journalists in the ZEEL group was not only gripping and informative, it also helped many take progressive and the right decision to act against the spread of the virus. From daily updates, to guidelines, and more importantly, the part where ZEEL took the initiative to aware people about all the safety and preventve measures -- all of these made the public more aware about the pandemic situation.
In short, when the entire nation was under lockdown, ZEEL helped each and every soul to get a proper hold of all the required information that helped them stay connected to the entire world. And not just the urban cities, the widespread networking of the media group ensured that these messages were sent to even those who are residing in the most isolated parts of the country. ZEEL made sure to uphold the real power of media in disbursing information and guiding people througout.
The pandemic years marked a turning point in how health information was consumed. It became immediate, continuous, and deeply personal. Families relied on real-time updates, expert discussions, and news alerts to navigate an evolving crisis. In such a landscape, broadcast platforms became a bridge between medical systems, government communication, and the public -- helping translate complex health information into accessible, actionable understanding.
As Essel Group completes a century, its journey through the pandemic years remains a reminder of how deeply public health and information systems became interconnected. It also highlights how essential timely, trusted communication was in shaping awareness, behaviour, and response during one of the most challenging health crises of our time.
