Twinterview

Forbs Life

Ronnie Screwvala

Founder , Unilazer Ventures

Rohinton Soli Screwvala, popularly knows as "Ronnie" Screwvala, was the founder of the UTV Group (now Walt Disney India) and producer of films like A Wednesday, Barfi and Chennai Express. This media industry veteran owns Unilazer Ventures, which has funded start-ups like zivame.com and lenskart.com. Apart from entrepreneurship, Screwvala is also passionate about philanthropy and runs the Swades foundation, which works for rural development.


Entrepreneurial insights from one of the best in the business
  • Forbes India : Stay tuned to #UnleashIndia #Twinterview as @RonnieScrewvala will be joining us any moment now!
  • Forbes India : You can read the #Twinterview by following both our handles or by clicking here: http://t.co/PSAr3uiiIj
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala is here for the #UnleashIndia #Twinterview ! Welcome sir, and thank you for joining us!
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india welcome all and ready to go ...
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala, a few questions about your early years as an entrepreneur first? #UnleashIndia
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala How did your early years as a pioneering cable provider inform your entrepreneurial journey? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india Taught me Three things-Know Your customer/ we went door to door for a full year - personalized / and Perseverance ...
  • Forbes India : Bombay first knew @RonnieScrewvala as a theatre person. Does he still exist? What did Entrepreneur Ronnie learn from theatre? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : . @forbes_india -Theatre taught me Confidence and Communication - imagine being in front of a live audience-teaches you a lot #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india Theatre also taught me how important it is to be a strong communicator - internally to teams/ to customers to investors ++
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala If you had to name one reason why UTV succeeded, what would it be? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india #UnleashIndia -wish life had One word answers-the "two" would be Passion and Culture - never underestimate the IMP of culture
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala Do you think India's film industry is start-up-friendly? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india I always felt the Outsider in the Movie Industry- but everyone there treated me with great warmth and patience #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india But Yes it is start up friendly one as there is no entry barriers - anyone with a great story+better vision and perserverance
  • Forbes India : You can read the #Twinterview by following both our handles, clicking on our Q's or by clicking here: http://t.co/PSAr3uiiIj
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala How much of a difference exists between producing a movie and funding a start-up? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india #UnleashIndia -In both cases your looking for the Key person - Entrepreneur or Director and then you back her/his Vision
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india -there is a myth that creating content is more risky than most sectors - Not True
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala a few more questions about start-ups and India now. #UnleashIndia
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala Would you agree that there are major deficiencies in the Indian startup eco-system? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india There are many - good news is there is a lot of attention that has given many the impetus to take the leap ..contd..
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india lets not follow the Herd!As when you follow the herd all you see is the back side of the person in front of you #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india - most still think getting funded is the break through moment without which you cannot start up - WRONG
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala What do you essentially look for in a company before investing? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india - Always its the Entrepreneur - the core team- the scalability of the space - the need being fulfilled - how disruptive ...
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india Its Vision most importantly and well articulated too #UnleashIndia
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala What has been your biggest professional failure, and what did you learn from it? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india There can never be a "biggest" failure - as there will be even more later- so biggest is At That Moment always #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india -I failed in college and at that time it was big failure but now i can laugh and write about it #UnleashIndia
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala, Tell us 2 things that an entrepreneur should keep in mind while starting out? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india - Failure today is a setback tomorrow - and you need to re calibrate as Failure is a Comma not a Full Stop..#UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india Missed Opportunities sometimes are bigger failures than failures itself - many sit and mull for too long and miss out ...
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india 2 Things- Do you have the Risk taking ability AND will you stay the course?? Entrepreneurship is not an "outing" get clear
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala How do you decide when it is the right time to exit a company? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india Exits can never be timed - and do not try to time them. Many today plan to start with "exit" in mind - its a disaster...
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india - your core is to build a business and not worry about exits and not plan for them or time them
  • Forbes India : And now, @RonnieScrewvala, we have 2 questions from our readers
  • Forbes India : .@jhunjhunwalalok asks: What keeps @RonnieScrewvala motivated as an entrepreneur, as a leader? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india @jhunjhunwalalok -3 things -Being Disruptive/Looking round the bend for new trends/what Impact will i create...#UnleashIndia
  • Forbes India : Himanshoo S Singh @iZorba asks : Culture or profits, which one should be the number one priority? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india - Running a profitable Co is a Goal - Culture is an imp means to achieve that - Get your Culture right and profits will flow
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala With the advent of digital media, has the erosion of traditional media platforms begun? #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india #UnleashIndia - Digital media will augment the base and not erode- India is a market of 1.3 billion and all will co exist #
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india - Demographics will take to different media over time and over years TV/Radio/BigScreen have always grown the base not eroded
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala Another couple of questions have comein from our readers
  • Forbes India : .@ram4iy asks: Do you @RonnieScrewvala think there is scope for startups in movie making? If yes, what are they #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india @ram4iy #UnleashIndia i did answer that earlier ....
  • Forbes India : .@SiddVirkar asks: @RonnieScrewvala , do you think Indian market is open for crowdfunding Indian entrepreneurs' R&D for tech products?
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india @SiddVirkar Crowd Funding is still new for India as we do not have the mind set of Giving + need to answer"whats in it for me"
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india @SiddVirkar But i do think crowdfunding will grow and needs an inflection point -
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala Here's the final Q: Creative professionals resist systems. Businesses need systems. What advice would you offer... [1/2]
  • Forbes India : ...to entrepreneurs in creative businesses? [2/2] @RonnieScrewvala #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india First-Creating something out of nothing is a very complex process and so should not be be little as lacking Porcess
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india #UnleashIndia -Second some have processes you can document and when you Innovate the process is in your vision/passion/belief
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india So before pass judgement of look at the cup always half full-try it your self and you will realize it needs more discipline
  • Forbes India : .@RonnieScrewvala, Thank you for taking out time to speak to us! We look forward to seeing you at the summit this evening at 6 #UnleashIndia
  • Ronnie Screwvala : @forbes_india Was great to interact - hope it was helpful to a few ...Look forward ...#UnleashIndia