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Zee Turner: Budget should stop double taxation from broadcasters

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NEW DELHI: Broadcasters have expressed the hope that the government will ease the taxation structure for the initial three to five years and introduces policies that promote domestic manufacturing of set top boxes because the high import duty and taxes like octroi and other taxes were acting as a bottleneck in smooth transition to digitalisation.

Zee Turner CEO Arun Poddar told indiantelevision.com today that irrational rates were dissuading Indian entrepreneurs from investing in the production of STBs. He hoped the government would introduce policies that promote domestic manufacturing of STBs.

Listing his expectations from Union Budget 2007-08 being presented on 28 February, Poddar appealed for doing away with double taxation from broadcasters. He said since media was part of the entertainment as well as a service industry, broadcasters were charged both entertainment tax and service tax.

 

He said the entertainment industry was in the transition mode from analogue to digital and it was extremely imperative for the government to take steps that not only accelerate the process but also make this industry an interesting and appealing investment proposition for Indian manufacturers.

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Service tax remained one of the crucial and unresolved issues in the entertainment industry and should be sorted out in the forthcoming Union budget. While service tax is levied on the electronic media, the print media is exempted from any such taxation. This is despite the fact that both print and electronic fall under media and entertainment industry. There was therefore need to create a level playing field for all, and take measures to bring electronic at par with print media.

 

“The 400,000 exemption limit from service tax has led to ‘appalling confusion and dissatisfaction’. While the last mile cable operators are able to take undue advantage of this exemption limit, multi system operators (MSOs) and broadcasters were being penalized,” Poddar said. The last mile cable operators conveniently avoid passing the service tax to MSOs by under declaring their subscriber base by almost 80 to 85 per cent. MSOs and broadcasters paid service tax but could not recover this from the last mile operators.

He expressed the hope that the government would bring about clarity on how service tax should be charged or should waive the exemption limit completely.

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Brands

Page Industries posts steady Q3 growth, declares Rs 125 interim dividend

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MUMBAI: It’s time to brief the markets: Page Industries is showing that even when regulations tighten, it can still keep its footing in the innerwear business. The Bengaluru-based apparel major has reported its financials for the quarter ended 31 December 2025, delivering a performance that remains steady and well put together.

The company’s top line showed plenty of elasticity this quarter. Revenue from operations stretched to Rs 1,38,675.71 lakhs, a healthy jump from the Rs 1,29,085.82 lakhs reported in the preceding quarter. Compared to the same period last year, which stood at Rs 1,31,305.10 lakhs, it’s clear the brand’s grip on the market isn’t loosening. Total income for the quarter, including other finance gains, reached a comfortable Rs 1,39,919.03 lakhs.

However, it wasn’t all smooth silk. The Government of India’s new unified Labour Codes, covering everything from wages to social security, officially kicked in on 21 November 2025. This regulatory shift forced Page Industries to account for a one-time “exceptional item” cost of Rs 3,500.42 lakhs to cover incremental employee benefits and related obligations. Despite this Rs 35-crore legislative snag, the underlying business remained robust. Profit before tax stood at Rs 25,625.35 lakhs after the exceptional hit, and without that one-off cost, the figure would have been a more muscular Rs 29,125.77 lakhs. Net profit for the quarter came in at Rs 18,953.64 lakhs.

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Total expenses rose to Rs 1,10,793.26 lakhs, driven largely by raw material consumption of Rs 30,162.65 lakhs and employee benefits of Rs 23,310.66 lakhs. Even so, the company’s operational strength ensured the bottom line remained firmly stitched together.

For shareholders, the news is particularly “fitting.” The Board has declared a third interim dividend for 2025-26 of Rs 125 per equity share. The record date has been set for 11 February 2026, with the payment scheduled on or before 6 March 2026. This follows two previous interim dividends of Rs 150 and Rs 125 declared earlier in the financial year, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sharing the spoils of its success.

Looking at the nine-month stretch ending December 2025, Page Industries has amassed total income of Rs 4,04,090.59 lakhs, with total comprehensive income of Rs 58,231.49 lakhs. While the basic earnings per share for the quarter dipped slightly to Rs 169.93, compared to Rs 183.48 in the same quarter last year, the year-to-date EPS remains a solid Rs 524.57.

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Auditors at S.R. Batliboi & Associates LLP have given the results a “limited review” thumbs up, reporting no material misstatements. It seems that, as far as Page Industries is concerned, the business remains as well-constructed as its famous Jockey briefs.
 

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