Brands
Hindustan Media Ventures reports 32 per cent higher PAT in FY-2014
BENGALURU: Hindi newspaper ‘Hindustan’, Hindi socio cultural magazine ‘Kadambini’ and children’s Hindi magazine ‘Nandan’ publishers Hindustan Media Ventures Limited (HMVL – not to be confused with HT Media Limited of Hindustan Times, Mint and Fever FM fame) reported a 31.58 per cent growth in PAT at Rs111.21 crore (15.24 per cent of Income from Operations or Op Inc) in FY-2014, as compared to the Rs 84.52 crore (13.28 per cent of Op Inc) in FY-2013.
Note: Rs 100 lakh = Rs100,00,000 = Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million
HMVL chairperson Shobhana Bhartia said, “We are glad to close the year with a strong growth in revenue and profitability. While our pricing initiatives have contributed to top-line growth, our sustained cost control measures have ensured an increase in profitability despite rising input costs.”
“This year’s performance also reaffirms Hindustan’s dominance in Bihar and Jharkhand and its stature as the fastest growing daily in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. With a strong brand, growing readership, and healthy balance sheet, we are confident that we will continue to deliver value to our shareholders,” added Bhartia.
Let us look at the other main numbers reported by HMVL for Q4-2014 and FY-2014
HMVL PAT in Q4-2014 at Rs 27.21 crore (14.80 per cent of Op Inc) was (-5.21) per cent lower than the immediate trailing quarter Q3-2014 PAT of Rs 28.79 crore (15.26 per cent of Op Inc, but 19.87 per cent more than the year ago quarter Q4-2013 PAT of Rs 22.70 crore (14.61 per cent of Op Inc).
HMVL reported slightly lower Op Inc in Q4-2014 at Rs183.18 crore (-2.53 per cent lower) than the Rs188.65 crore in Q3-2014, but 18.32 per cent higher than the Rs155.41 crore in Q3-2013.
For FY-2014, HMVL Op Inc at Rs 729.72 crore was 14.69 per cent higher than the Rs 636.27 crore in FY-2013.
HMVL Total Expense in Q4-2014 at Rs155.58 crore was (-1.09) per cent lower than the Rs157.30 crore in Q3-2014 and 18.52 per cent more than the Rs131.27 crore in Q4-2013. In FY-2014, Total Expense at Rs 600.04 crore was 10.02 per cent more than the Rs 545.41 crore in FY-2013.
Raw materials constitute almost half of HMVL’s Total Expense. The company spent Rs 80.76 crore (51.91 per cent of Total Expense) in Q4-2014 which was 0.16 per cent more q-o-q than the Rs 80.63 crore (51.26 per cent of Total Expense) in Q3-2013 and 27.52 per cent more y-o-y than the Rs 63.33 crore (48.24 per cent of Total Expense) in Q4-2013. In FY-2013, the company spent Rs 300.44 crore towards raw materials (50.07 per cent of Total expense) which was 13.47 per cent more than the Rs 264.78 crore (48.55 per cent of Total Expense).
The company says that EBITDA increased by 29 per cent to Rs 181.8 crore from Rs 141 crore primarily due to growth in advertising and circulation revenues.
It says that growth was partially offset by increase in consumption of raw materials due to increase in newsprint price and consumption.
It saw an 8 per cent increase in employee costs to Rs 86.6 crore from Rs 80.4 crore; a 7 per cent increase in other expenditure to Rs 191.4 crore from Rs 178.7 crore due to increase in advertising and sales promotions expense.
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
