Cable TV
Hathway Cable & Datacom acquires 61.15 per cent shares of its Nanded subsidiary
MUMBAI: It’s acquisition and consolidation time in cable TV land. Multisystem operator Hathway Cable & Datacom informed the BSE on 27 November 2024 that it had acquired the balance 61.15 per cent equity stake ( 20,54,832) equity shares from the existing shareholders (including Hathway MCN Pvt Ltd – a Hathway offshoot) of Hathway Cable MCN Nanded Pvt Ltd (“Hathway Nanded”), a subsidiary of the company for an aggregate cash consideration of Rs. 11 (Rupees eleven only).
The acquisition of equity shares is for consolidation of business operations. Post-acquisition, Hathway Nanded has now become a wholly owned subsidiary of Hathway Cable & Datacom.
Hathway Nanded, incorporated in India on 11 March 2008, runs cable TV operations and has a presence in Nanded, Maharashtra. It had a turnover of Rs 5.58 crore in FY 2023-2024, Rs 7.08 crore in FY 2022-2023 and Rs 8.79 crore in FY 2021-2022.
It informed the stock exchange that one of the transferors (out of eleven), namely Hathway MCN Pvt Ltd, is a related party of Hathway Cable and the acquisition is on an arm’s length basis. None of the company’s promoter / promoter group / other group companies have any interest in the above transaction. No governmental or regulatory approvals were required for the acquisition.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
