Riniki Bhuyan Sharma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 31 July 1973 Guwahati, Assam, India |
| Alma mater | Cotton College (BA) Government Law College (LLB) |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Organization(s) | News Live Rang Ramdhenu Indradhanu North East Live Time8 |
| Spouse |
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
Riniki Bhuyan Sharma (born 31 July 1973) is an Indian politician and businesswoman.[1] She is the wife of Himanta Biswa Sarma, the current chief minister of Assam and managing director of Pride East Entertainment, the largest media house of Assam.[2]
Early life
[edit]She was born on 31 July 1973, in Guwahati. She comes from a notable family, with her father, Jadav Chandra Bhuyan, being a well-known industrialist.[1] Riniki's early education took place in Guwahati, where she attended St. Mary's High School[1] before moving on to Cotton College, where she graduated with a degree in Political Science.[3] Following her undergraduate studies, she pursued a law degree at Government Law College in Guwahati.[1][4]
Career
[edit]She is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Pride East Entertainments,[2] which is a parent company of several Assamese channels. It includes, two news channels (News Live & Northeast East Live),[5] three entertainment channels (Ramdhenu, Rang & Indradhanu) and one Assamese News paper (Niyamiya Barta).[1][6][7]
Recently, Pride East Entertainments Pvt. Ltd., headed by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, successfully acquired the digital news platform Time8.[8]
Personal life
[edit]She is married to Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam's current Chief Minister.[9] They met as students while studying in Cotton College, and Himanta shared his ambition of becoming Chief Minister with her.[10] They have two children: a son, Nandil Biswa Sarma, and a daughter, Sukanya Sarma.[11]
Controversy
[edit]In September 2023, Congress alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, through her company M/s Pride East Entertainments Private Limited, had allegedly obtained a grant of ₹10 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).[12][13]
Riniki Bhuyan Sarma denied the allegations, claiming that her company had neither applied for nor received any subsidies, even though it was eligible. She also filed a ₹10 crore defamation lawsuit against Gaurav Gogoi, accusing him of running a "slanderous campaign" against her business.[14][15]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "In Conversation with Riniki Bhuyan Sharma: Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Media Tycoon of Northeast". guwahatiplus.com. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ a b "PRIDE EAST ENTERTAINMENTS PRIVATE LIMITED - Company, directors and contact details | Zauba Corp". www.zaubacorp.com. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ "Himanta was sure of becoming CM even in his college days, says wife Rinki Bhuyan". Hindustan Times. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Live, Assam News (24 March 2021). "Riniki Bhuyan Sharma Biography - Success, Achievements, Education, Background, Controversies". Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Media Ownership Monitor: Who owns the media in India? | Reporters without borders". RSF. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "Pride East". prideeast.com. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ "The Sarma Family". india.mom-rsf.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Live, Northeast (1 June 2023). "Assam's media behemoth Prideeast Entertainments acquires Time8". Northeast Live. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Guwahati, PTI. "Himanta was sure of becoming CM even in his college days, says wife Rinki Bhuyan". Hindustan Times.
- ^ "30 years ago, Himanta Biswa Sarma told his wife he will become CM one day". India Today. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma Is A Proud Dad As Son Starts Law School". NDTV.com. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ Lahiri, Ishadrita (13 September 2023). "Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says Himanta 'helped wife's firm get Rs 10-cr govt subsidy', Assam CM denies". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "Details of agro processing cluster projects under APC Scheme" (PDF). Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "Assam CM's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma files Rs 10 crore defamation case against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi". The Economic Times. 23 September 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Assam CM's wife files 10 crore defamation case against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi". The Times of India. 24 September 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 29 August 2024.