iWorld
Tanla Platforms faces growth hurdles amid mixed Q2 FY25 performance
Mumbai: Tanla Platforms’ second-quarter results for the fiscal year 2025, disclosed on 17 October 2024, reveal a business grappling with mounting expenses and stagnant revenue. Despite a series of strategic efforts, including the recent ValueFirst acquisition, the cloud communications company encountered a modest revenue decline compared to the previous year, alongside increased operational costs that pressured profitability.
The company’s revenue from operations dipped to Rs 1,00,072.28 lakh, a slight reduction from Rs 1,00,859.22 lakh in the corresponding quarter last year. Total consolidated income remained nearly flat at Rs 1,01,098.10 lakh, showing only a minimal increase from Rs 1,01,493.34 lakh in Q2 FY24. Meanwhile, expenses surged to Rs 85,025.81 lakh, driven primarily by higher service costs and employee benefits, eroding the gains made from cost-control initiatives earlier in the year.
“Our continued focus on enhancing operational efficiency has yielded some positive outcomes, but the evolving market dynamics present formidable challenges,” stated Tanla Platforms, chairman and CEO, D. Uday Kumar Reddy. The company’s service costs grew by 0.9 per cent, indicating the struggle to optimise expenses while sustaining the quality of operations.
Tanla reported a profit before tax of Rs 16,072.29 lakh for the quarter, down from Rs 17,872.33 lakh a year earlier. Net profit attributable to shareholders also declined to Rs 13,021.15 lakh from Rs 14,254.99 lakh in Q2 FY24. The company’s earnings per share fell to Rs 9.70 from Rs 10.60, highlighting the strain on shareholder returns amid rising operational pressures.
A deeper look at the expenses reveals an escalation in employee benefits, which rose 23 per cent to Rs 5,437.11 lakh, reflecting the cost of retaining talent in a competitive market. Additionally, depreciation and amortisation expenses increased by 3.8 per cent to Rs 2,344.08 lakh, indicating substantial investments in technology and infrastructure.
The results also underscore Tanla’s ongoing strategic efforts, such as the acquisition of ValueFirst, which are yet to fully realise the anticipated synergies. The financials for the half-year ended 30 September 2024, showed a revenue increase to Rs 2,00,292.77 lakh from Rs 1,91,970.43 lakh in the same period last year, largely attributable to consolidating ValueFirst’s operations. However, profit before tax for the half-year saw a modest decline, signalling potential headwinds ahead.
Tanla’s current assets increased to Rs 2,24,991.07 lakh, up from Rs 2,03,782.46 lakh as of March 2024, driven by higher trade receivables and cash reserves. This bolstered liquidity provides some buffer, but also raises questions about cash flow management, as trade receivables growth may indicate delayed collections.
With the CPaaS market becoming increasingly competitive, Tanla faces the challenge of reinvigorating its growth trajectory while managing costs. The company’s reliance on expanding its client base and introducing new product offerings will be pivotal in driving future performance. Investments in digital infrastructure and potential acquisitions may further strain margins in the short term, but could pay off with stronger growth in the long term.
iWorld
T20 World Cup ’26: India–England semi-final sets global streaming record of 619 million views on JioHotstar
India–England semi-final records 65.2 million peak streams
MUMBAI: The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 set a new milestone in global sports streaming, as the India–England semi-final drew record digital audiences on JioHotstar.
The match on 5 March registered 65.2 million peak concurrent viewers, the highest ever recorded for a live event on any streaming platform worldwide. The semi-final also generated 619 million views, making it the most streamed T20 international match in history.
The landmark audience numbers were driven largely by viewers in India, setting a record achieved within a single market, rather than through aggregated viewership across multiple countries.
The high-scoring encounter between India national cricket team and England cricket team produced 499 runs across both innings, fuelling widespread fan engagement across platforms.
According to the International Cricket Council, the digital record surpassed the previous global benchmark of 65 million concurrent viewers, set in November 2024 by another international streaming platform.
Across television and digital platforms combined, the semi-final reached more than 320 million viewers, while total watch time exceeded 23 billion minutes, making it the most watched T20 international match ever.
“This World Cup demonstrates the immense passion of cricket fans and the progress made in bringing the game closer to audiences worldwide,” said ICC chairman Jay Shah.
“This moment reflects the scale of cricket fandom in India and the technological capability required to serve hundreds of millions of viewers simultaneously.”
JioStar vice-chairman Uday Shankar, said the audience surge underscored the future of large-scale digital entertainment.
“One in every three Indians tuned in to watch the second semi-final. Delivering such an experience at scale requires the very best of technology,” he said.
The 619 million views during the match also eclipsed the 533 million views recorded during the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the final yet to be played, the 2026 tournament has already set multiple benchmarks in audience reach and digital engagement.
India will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on 8 March at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and streamed on JioHotstar.
