Help at hand to handle your cash prize

CNBC TV18 to assist KBC winners on investment decisions with Kaun Rahega Crorepati.

August 13, 2005 is a date Tarun Bansal won't forget in a hurry. That was the day his favourite actor, Amitabh Bachchan, signed him an autograph on a Kotak Mahindra cheque "" his prize for winning Rs 12.5 lakh on the second season of Kaun Banega Crorepati's 35th episode.

But it seems Bansal hasn't had his fill of appearing on the small screen. He's now set to make an appearance on another show "" this time it's called Kaun Rahega Crorepati (KRC) on CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz that goes on air in the first week of November.

And no prizes for guessing that this time the show is aimed at educating winners of KBC II who've won Rs 12.5 lakh and above on how to invest their prize money intelligently.

The show will feature KBC II winners and their immediate family members who will discuss what they plan to do with the prize money.

The channel has managed to rope in leading investment advisors and finance experts like Shikha Sharma, MD, ICICI Prudential, Amitabh Chaturvedi, CEO, Reliance Capital, Nilesh Shah, president, Kotak Mahindra, and Rajiv Sabharwal, COO of ICICI Home Finance, to name a few who've agreed to appear on the show.

The experts will recommend lucrative plans to help KBC winners make informed decisions on investments.

"It's an attempt to help people who have acquired wealth through a stroke of luck to spend their money responsibly," points out Ajay Chacko, marketing head, CNBC.

He feels, "Star TV has put its money on dinner tables; now we would like to provide viable financial solutions to winners, a majority of whom are from the regular middle class." Since Star TV agreed to give CNBC access to winners of its show, the channel has been talking to those participants who've won around Rs 12.5 lakh and above on KBC II.

Chacko admits, "We've been toying with the idea of a show on financial management of prize money for some time now." With nearly six episodes in its bank, the channel is initially looking at a total of 13 episodes that will be hosted by Vivek Law, head, consumer desk, CNBC TV18 and Awaaz.

Each episode will feature one KBC II winner along with his/her immediate family and a leading financial advisor who will educate winners about financial instruments that can help them preserve and grow their prize money.

Depending upon the prize money, the channel may also get a panel of guest advisors to give participants a range of investment options "" from shopping for luxury brands to investing in real estate and automobiles.

Refusing to divulge details of the channel's outlay for the show, Chacko maintains it's a small budget show independently handled by the channel. "While we haven't tied up with anybody, we're in the process of finalising the sponsors for the show," he explains.