Cable TV
Hathway Cable cuts cord with Patiala venture in Rs 25 lakh deal
MUMBAI: Cable TV MSO and broadband provider Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd has flogged its entire 49 per cent stake in Hathway Patiala Cable Pvt Ltd for a cool Rs 25,00,000, the company announced on 24 March.
The broadband behemoth completed the share transfer around 4:00 p.m. (IST), washing its hands of the Patiala operation by selling 71,175 equity shares to Jujhar Constructions & Travels Pvt Ltd.
“The investment in Hathway Patiala was passive investment and had no contribution to the consolidated turnover and net worth of the Company for the FY2023-24,” the firm declared in its regulatory filing.
Jujhar Constructions, a real estate and transportation outfit incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956, already has ties to Hathway Patiala through its director and shareholder Gurdeep Singh. Singh, who has been pulling strings at Hathway Patiala, will now see his firm take complete control of the cable operation.
The cable giant was quick to note that Jujhar has no connection to Hathway’s promoter groups or other affiliated companies, maintaining that the transaction doesn’t constitute a related party deal.
For Hathway, this move appears to be less about cutting losses and more about trimming the fat from its extensive cable empire, with the Patiala operation apparently contributing nothing to the company’s bottom line last financial year.
The transaction was promptly reported to regulators under disclosure requirements of the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
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.
