Brands
Hindustan Media YoY PAT up 28% on higher ad revenue
BNEGALURU: A 19 per cent YoY and a 7.8 per cent QoQ increase in advertising revenue ramped up Hindustan Media Ventures Limited (HMVL) total revenue by 28.2 per cent during the quarter ended 30 December, 2015 (Q3-2016, current quarter). The publisher that publishes Hindi newspaper Hindustan, Hindi socio cultural magazineKadambini and children’s Hindi magazine Nandan among others, reported ad revenue of Rs 181.2 crore in Q3-2016 as compared to the Rs 152.2 crore in Q3-2015 and Rs 168.2 crore in Q2-2016.
HMVL total revenue in the current quarter increased to Rs 251.6 crore, 12.8 per cent more YoY than the Rs 223 crore and 2.3 per cent more QoQ than Rs 245.9 crore. The company’s PAT in the current quarter increased 28.2 per cent (18.6 per cent margin) YoY to Rs 46.9 crore (16.4 per cent margin) as compared to Rs 36.6 crore and was 4.1 per cent more QoQ than Rs 45 crore (18.3 per cent margin).
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
Circulation revenue in Q3-2016 increased 6.3 per cent YOY to Rs 54.2 crore as compared to Rs 51 crore and increased 1.5 per cent as compared to Rs 53.4 crore.
HMVL EBIDTA in the current quarter increased 26.8 per cent YoY to Rs 71.2 crore (28.3 per cent margin) as compared to Rs 56.2 crore (25.2 per cent margin) and was almost flat (0.2 per cent higher QoQ) as compared to Rs 71.1 crore (28.9 per cent margin).
Total Expenditure in the current quarter increased eight per cent to Rs 180.3 crore as compared to the Rs 166.8 crore in Q3-2015 and was almost flat QoQ as compared to Rs 180.2 crore.
Cost of raw materials consumed increased 3.4 per cent YoY to Rs 89.6 crore as compared to Rs 86.7 crore and was 4.5 per cent more QoQ than Rs 85.75.
Employee Benefit Expense (EBE) increased 25.3 per cent YOY to Rs 31.2 crore as compared to Rs 24.9 crore and was 4.3 per cent higher than the Rs Rs 29.88 crore in Q2-2016.
Company speak
HMVL chairperson Shobana Bhartia said, “We are pleased to report another quarter where our revenue growth was faster than the industry’s. Growth was powered by a good festive season that fuelled advertising spends across most sectors, state elections in Bihar as well as our internal initiatives. Benign raw material prices and operational efficiencies contributed to higher profitability. We continue to build on the momentum of the previous quarters, strengthening our presence in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand while retaining our dominant market position in Bihar and Jharkhand. We are confident that the steps we are taking to move to the next level of growth will continue to deliver value to our shareholders.”
Brands
Samsung India mobile chief quits after 18 years
Raju Antony Pullan’s exit leaves a gaping hole at the top as Chinese rivals tighten their grip
GURGAON: Raju Antony Pullan has had enough. The senior vice-president and head of Samsung India’s mobile phone business has put in his papers after 18 years at the Korean giant, a tenure long enough to have watched the company stride to the top of India’s smartphone market and then stumble, badly, as Chinese upstarts muscled in.
Pullan, who ran sales, marketing and every last function of the smartphone business, tendered his resignation on Thursday and is currently serving out his notice period. Samsung has not named a successor. It has a second line of leadership waiting in the wings, Aditya Babbar and Hiren Rathod among them, but no decision has been made on who steps up.
The timing is awkward. Samsung has been haemorrhaging market share to Chinese brands and now clings to a top-two position only in the premium segment, where it scraps it out with Apple. Losing the man who stewarded the mobile business through its best and worst years hardly helps steady the ship.
A company that once owned India’s smartphone market is now fighting to stay relevant in it. Pullan’s departure is less a footnote than a flashing red light.
