NDTV Prime celebrates social entrepreneurship with new reality show

NDTV Prime seeks to integrate entertainment with entrepreneurship with the launch of ‘The Real Deal’, a reality show to celebrate Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investors. The 10-episode show is slated to go on air from March 25, 2016 and will be telecast on Fridays at 9 pm.

Conceptualised as the world’s first impact investing TV show and 360-degree property on social entrepreneurship, ‘The Real Deal’ will find, feature and fund India’s best profit social entrepreneurs by bringing them face to face with potential impact investors. This reality game format will bring together two of India’s hottest and biggest issues – social change and entrepreneurship.

The idea germinated through Shikha Uberoi, former tennis champion and sister of actor Vivek Oberoi, in the quest for making something bigger than the show and “do something which is impactful and which does not disappear with a television show”.

Apart from 12 contestants and five judges, investors will also be an essential part of the show.

Announcing the show, Shruti Verma Singh, Head, Channel Strategy and Brand, NDTV Prime, said, “In the age of start-ups, NDTV Prime is making an effort to promote entrepreneurship with a difference, that impact society at large. We are proud to facilitate and provide a common ground for entrepreneurs and impact investors. The show is the first of its kind and we are confident that our viewers will appreciate the effort when the show airs end of March.”

Talking about the various challenges that the contestants would have to face, Verma said, “These are challenges that will basically identify certain qualities of these social entrepreneurs and will highlight who they are as individuals, which will enable investors to invest in them.”

She added, “We see such a show as a great opportunity and believe that there is a target audience for this kind of show as well. Not everybody wants to watch aggression, fights and such stuff, they want to watch some good positive stories too.”

The Real Deal Gala, hosted in association with The Hans Foundation in Mumbai last week, saw potential investors, including Audrey Selian, Co-founder, Artha Initiative; Jayesh Parekh, Managing Partner, Jungle Ventures; Vikram Gandhi, Founder, Asha Impact; Radha Kapoor, Founder and Director, Indian School of Design and Innovation; and Amar Singh, CEO-Founder, Clove Dental, to name a few.

Lauding NDTV’s efforts, General Mehta, CEO, The Hans Foundation, said, “There are astonishing success stories of the impactful work done by people across the country. Recognitions like these will encourage more people to take up projects in the interest of the community. The Hans Foundation is always open to financing small grass-roots organisations that operate directly in the communities that they serve.”

Clove Dental and Leprosy Mission have been roped in as sponsors.