# Niret Alva

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Indian television producer

Niret Alva Born Bengaluru Occupations Co-founder and Chairman [Miditech ] Years active 1988 – present Known for Producer, Anchor and Media Educator Spouse Anuja Chauhan Children 3 Parent(s) Margaret Alva, Niranjan Alva

**Niret Alva** is an Indian television producer who co-founded television production company Miditech Studios along with his brother Nikhil Alva.[1]

[Miditech Studios](https://www.miditechstudios.com) first made a documentary series on the environment, *[Living on the Edge](/source/Living_on_the_Edge_(Indian_TV_series))* for [Doordarshan](/source/Doordarshan), that won a Panda Award more familiarly known as the Green Oscar.[2] They also went on to make documentaries for the BBC, Discovery, Channel News Asia, ITV and National Geographic, before entering the entertainment genre around 2004,[3] with [MTV Roadies (2003)](/source/MTV_Roadies), *[Indian Idol](/source/Indian_Idol)* (2004–2009), *[Galli Galli Sim Sim](/source/Galli_Galli_Sim_Sim)* ([Sesame Street](/source/Sesame_Street)) (2006),[4] and *[Wheels](/source/Wheels_(TV_series))* (1998) ([BBC World](/source/BBC_World)).[5][6]

## Early life and education

Niret Alva was born in [Bangalore](/source/Bangalore) – the first child of lawyers Niranjan and [Margaret Alva](/source/Margaret_Alva). Alva has two brothers, [Nikhil Alva](https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/A9qbsPrgnXAARsbr8w03LM/Nikhil-J-Alva--The-big-boss-of-reality-TV.html) and Nivedith Alva, and a sister, Manira Alva Pinto.[7][8] His name is a [portmanteau](/source/Portmanteau), wherein the first two letters are from his father Niranjan, and the last three from his mother, Margaret Alva.[5] The family moved to Delhi in 1974 when his mother was elected to the [Rajya Sabha](/source/Rajya_Sabha) (the upper house of India's parliament). She went on to serve as minister of state in [Rajiv Gandhi](/source/Rajiv_Gandhi) and [Narasimha Rao](/source/P._V._Narasimha_Rao)'s governments. A prominent parliamentarian, she served four consecutive terms in the Rajya Sabha and one in the [Lok Sabha](/source/Lok_Sabha).

Alva is a graduate in history from [St. Stephen's College, Delhi](/source/St._Stephen's_College%2C_Delhi), has a post graduate diploma in journalism from the [Indian Institute of Mass Communication](/source/Indian_Institute_of_Mass_Communication) (IIMC), Delhi, and is a recipient of a certificate from the Radio Netherlands Training Centre in Hilversum (Holland) for a news and current affairs course in television. He earned a law degree (LLB) from [Mumbai University](/source/Mumbai_University).[9]

## Career

Niret joined the [Press Trust of India](/source/Press_Trust_of_India), television, as a trainee reporter/scriptwriter in January 1988. Beginning his career when television was still government-controlled in the late 1980s, he moved on to become a correspondent with *Eyewitness*, a monthly independent video news magazine, owned by [Hindustan Times](/source/Hindustan_Times) Television in 1990. He covered subjects such as Indian attitudes toward sex, caste violence, the dangers of the civilian use of the army and the capture of [Rajiv Gandhi](/source/Rajiv_Gandhi)'s assassin.

In 1992, he co-founded [Miditech Studios](https://www.miditechstudios.com), a television software production company, along with his brother [Nikhil Alva](https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/A9qbsPrgnXAARsbr8w03LM/Nikhil-J-Alva--The-big-boss-of-reality-TV.html). Miditech Studios conservation and sustainability series, *[Living on the Edge](/source/Living_on_the_Edge_(Indian_TV_series))* won a Panda award, familiarly known as the Green Oscar, at [Wildscreen](/source/Wildscreen) in Bristol in 1996.

Niret has scripted, directed and been associated with several international, award winning documentaries, including *The Great Descent* – a river rafting journey down the Brahmaputra after the massive flood of 2000, and *Operation Hot Pursuit* – an undercover documentary on the illegal [ivory trade](/source/Ivory_trade) between India and Japan.[10]

Alva teaches a media and communications course at Srishti Manipal University in Bengaluru.[11]

## Awards

- National Award for 'Outstanding Effort in Science and Technology in the Electronic Medium', awarded by President [APJ Abdul Kalam](/source/APJ_Abdul_Kalam).[12]

- Wildscreen Panda Award, better known as the Green Oscar, for Living On The Edge.[12][13]

- Asian Television Award for best Anchor in an Information Based series for Wheels on BBC world.[14] In 2019, Niret and Nikhil Alva and their production house Miditech was inducted into the Indian television Hall of Fame.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Personal life

Alva is married to Indian author and advertising executive [Anuja Chauhan](/source/Anuja_Chauhan) author of *[The Zoya Factor](/source/The_Zoya_Factor)* (2008) and five other best selling novels. They first met in 1989, during the production of a play in Delhi. They were married in 1994.[15] They have three children, two girls and a boy.[16]

## Filmography

Television Title Year Role Wheels (TV series) 1998 Host/Executive Producer Indian Idol (Reality-singing competition) (2004–2009) Executive Producer Galli Galli Sim Sim 2006 Executive Producer Parrivaar (TV series) ( 2007–2008) Executive Producer

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Brothers for Real"](https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/brothers-for-real/). *The Indian Express*. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Nikhil and Niret Alva get Green Oscar for their Living on the Edge series"](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/eyecatchers/story/19961115-nikhil-and-niret-alva-get-green-oscar-for-their-living-on-the-edge-series-833323-1996-11-14). *India Today*. 15 November 1996. Retrieved 17 April 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-bi_3-0)** Ojha, Abhilasha (29 September 2004). ["Miditech moves on"](http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/miditech-moves-on-104092901053_1.html). [Business Standard](/source/Business_Standard). Retrieved 29 September 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Adesara, Hetal (14 November 2005). ["'In terms of revenue, we are growing at just under 300% per year' : Niret Alva - Miditech president"](http://www.indiantelevision.com/interviews/y2k5/executive/niret_alva.htm). Indian Television. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-top_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-top_5-1) Belgaumkar, Govnd (15 December 2003). ["He's on TOP gear"](http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2003/12/15/stories/2003121501740300.htm). *[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu)*. Retrieved 29 September 2016.[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Ojha, Abhilasha (19 April 2008). ["Brothers in arms"](http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/brothers-in-arms-108041901031_1.html). [Business Standard](/source/Business_Standard). Retrieved 29 September 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dn_7-0)** Sujata Chakrabarti (4 June 2010). ["Niret Alva is not 'content' yet!"](http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_niret-alva-is-not-content-yet_1391756). *[DNA](/source/DNA_(newspaper))*. Retrieved 8 November 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ind_8-0)** ["Indian idols, really"](https://web.archive.org/web/20050508070837/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/01/06/stories/2005010600360100.htm). *[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu)*. 6 January 2005. Archived from the original on 8 May 2005.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["The dream merchants"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140116202559/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2007-06-08/news/27672037_1_miditech-indian-idol-alva-brothers). [The Economic Times](/source/The_Economic_Times). 8 June 2007. Archived from [the original](http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2007-06-08/news/27672037_1_miditech-indian-idol-alva-brothers) on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Barooah Pisharoty, Sangeeta (22 December 2003). ["And the winners are..."](https://web.archive.org/web/20040117195212/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/12/22/stories/2003122200550400.htm) *[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/12/22/stories/2003122200550400.htm) on 17 January 2004. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Niret Alva | Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology"](https://srishtimanipalinstitute.in/people/niret-alva). *srishtimanipalinstitute.in*. Retrieved 17 April 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IndiaTV_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IndiaTV_12-1) ["National Award for Miditech co-founder Niret Alva"](https://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k7/mar/mar41.htm). *Indian Television Dot Com*. 3 March 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Nikhil and Niret Alva get Green Oscar for their Living on the Edge series"](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/eyecatchers/story/19961115-nikhil-and-niret-alva-get-green-oscar-for-their-living-on-the-edge-series-833323-1996-11-15). *India Today*. 15 November 1996. Retrieved 21 March 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS OR INFOTAINMENT PROGRAMME PRESENTER"](https://www.asiantvawards.com/winners/2002-winners/). *Asian Awards*. Retrieved 21 March 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Nandini Narayanan (9 July 2009). ["Love Story"](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/supplement/story/20090720-love-story-740225-2009-07-08). *[India Today](/source/India_Today)*. Retrieved 8 November 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Bagchi, Shrabonti (21 July 2012). ["Three is the new two"](http://www.timescrest.com/coverstory/three-is-the-new-two-8356). *[The Times of India](/source/The_Times_of_India)*. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

## External links

- [MidiTech, official website](https://web.archive.org/web/20150511211120/http://www.miditech.tv/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Niret Alva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niret_Alva) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niret_Alva?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.