Riniki Bhuyan Sharma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1973-07-31)31 July 1973 (age 52) 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 | |
| Children | 2 |
Riniki Bhuyan Sharma (born 31 July 1973) is an Indian politician and businesswoman.[1] She is the wife ofHimanta Biswa Sarma, the current chief minister of Assam and managing director of Pride East Entertainment, the largestmedia house of Assam.[2]
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 attendedSt. Mary's High School[1] before moving on toCotton College, where she graduated with a degree inPolitical Science.[3] Following her undergraduate studies, she pursued a law degree at Government Law College in Guwahati.[1][4]
She is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Pride East Entertainments,[2] which is a parent company of severalAssamese channels. It includes, twonews 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]
She is married toHimanta 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]
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]