Ronnie Screwvala: India's Latest Evangelist for Entrepreneurship (and Failures)

Ronnie Screwvala says India needs more entrepreneurs. But that’s been a hard sell in a culture where parents prize a high-salaried, stable corporate gig instead of the unknown entrepreneurial journey. So, he’s taken it upon himself to sell the latter. And who better? Screwvala is known for his work in media and storytelling. In 1990, he set out to build UTV, a media company that spanned TV, film, and gaming. Over the years, UTV took gambles on films with heart and a social message, thinking beyond formulaic Bollywood films. In 2012, he sold UTV to Disney. Throughout his media carer, he’s been on countless lists--Esquire, Newsweek, Time--as an “influential” figure. Now, he’s using that influence to evangelize entrepreneurship through his first book, Dream with Your Eyes Open. I met Ronnie for breakfast in Delhi to discuss his book, his new ventures, and his thoughts on how to create social change in India. Chhabra: Why did you write the book? Screwvala: I was moving out of entertainment and media after 20 years. It was a good transition point when I was meeting a lot of entrepreneurs. Meeting them, I started to look back to see if the entrepreneurial ecosystem had really changed in the last 20 years.