Cable TV
Jagjit Singh Kohli appointed as Siticable CEO
MUMBAI: Jagjit Singh Kohli is joining Siticable as CEO. He will be inducted on the board of ETC Networks, which Zee Telefilms had acquired in 2002, of which he was CEO. In this capacity, he will continue to look after the interests of the ETC group channels.
Kohli will operate out of Mumbai. “Kohli is taken in as Siticable CEO because of his background, relationship with the cable operators and knowledge of the industry,” a source said.
One of the thrust areas of Siticable, the wholly owned subsidiary of Zee Telefilms, will be to roll out triple play.
In the wake of this development, Kohli will cease to be a director in Win Cable which he had floated along with Yogesh Radhakrishan and Yogesh Shah and later sold to Hathway Cable and Datacom. “He can’t be involved in two multi system operators (MSOs) who are rivals,” the source said.
Kohli was also instrumental in establishing the Hinduja-owned Incablenet as one of the leading MSOs in the country. After differences cropped up, he, along with Radhakrishnan and Shah, left to launch ETC Networks and Win Cable.
The trio still run Broadband Pacenet India which offers broadband services and is developing a set-top box for triple play.
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.
