Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has joined hands with ‘Ideabaaz’ Tech, an integrated start-up platform, to launch a new intellectual property titled ‘Ideabaaz’. The announcement was made via a joint statement released on Monday.

‘Ideabaaz’, the brainchild of Jeet Wagh and family, is positioned as a unique startup-focused reality show designed to discover, mentor, and fund aspiring entrepreneurs from India’s Tier II and Tier III cities. The platform aims to bridge the urban-rural innovation gap by offering young minds exposure to resources, expert guidance, and capital — areas where budding entrepreneurs from smaller towns often struggle to break through.

According to a Business Standard report, the show will premiere on ZEEL’s flagship Hindi entertainment channel Zee TV and will also stream on ZEE5, enabling it to reach a global audience of over 1.3 billion viewers across languages and platforms.

Jeet Wagh, founder of ‘Ideabaaz’, expressed optimism about the partnership: “Our mission is to create an ecosystem where ideas are nurtured, talent is celebrated and opportunities are accessible to all. Tapping into the nation’s vision towards technology and innovation, coupled with the network reach and strength of ‘Z’ (ZEEL), we believe this is the right moment to build a new wave of start-ups that can shape India’s future.”

A ZEEL spokesperson also commented on the collaboration, calling it an organic extension of the company’s mission: “For over three decades, ‘Z’ has redefined the content ecosystem through unique offerings that entertain and engage. This partnership with ‘Ideabaaz’ Tech aligns with our vision of purposeful entertainment — content that blends creativity with technology-led innovation.”

The development comes amid ZEEL’s ongoing efforts to recalibrate its growth strategy. As of March 2025, the company reported cash and cash equivalents worth Rs 2,406 crore, as per its latest investor presentation. However, ZEEL recently failed to secure a majority vote to increase its promoter shareholding. The presentation, released in May, also revealed that the broadcaster is actively exploring value-accretive M&A opportunities to drive scale.

In a related move, ZEEL in June announced a strategic equity partnership with Bullet, a content-tech start-up focused on micro dramas. Through that deal, ZEEL is expected to either invest in or acquire a stake in the platform — further underlining the company’s commitment to backing future-ready IPs and formats.