Cable TV
Jio Platforms engages Gurpreet Phull as head-content & alliances
MUMBAI: He’s been at Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL) for the past three months and Gurpreet Phull has kept his joining the MDA group company low-key. Today, however, he came out and announced on Linkedin that he is “on a new journey. This time for the larger impact, to the new revolution” as head – content & alliances, JioTV Os, Jio App Store, Jio Homes and Jio Devices.
He has been on the content distribution and alliances side for the past decade. Beginning May 2015 till February 2019 at Bharti Airtel as lead- content alliances and acquisition strategy- DTH and mobile TV app, he was one of the founding members of Airtel Xtream. Moving on he joined Dish TV from February 2019 to November 2021 as head product marketing and content marketing strategy. He heeded the call from OTTPlay CEO & founder Avinash Mudaliar to head partnerships and growth at HT Digital Streams and he stayed there for three years until the JPL offer came his way.
However, the B.Tech and IIM-C post graduate, began his working life as a software engineer at BirlaSoft and then worked in Raymond for almost four years, first, as a senior management trainee for a year and a half ,and then straightaway in the CEO’s office as his executive assistant. He also had a nine-month spell at Myntra which gave him exposure to the ecommerce world.
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.
