Cable TV
Kolkata cable TV network rebuilding after cyclone Amphan
KOLKATA: Amid the Covid2019 crisis, several districts of West Bengal including Kolkata had been devastated by powerful cyclone Amphan last month. Cable TV and broadband service providers are reeling across the state due to huge infrastructural losses. Although the players are putting high effort to normalise connections, many areas are still in dire straits. Siti Cable director Suresh Sethia estimates that 1-1.5 lakh set-top boxes and fibres of few crores have been damaged across the state.
Sethia says that none of the operators had the preparation to protect themselves from this disastrous cyclone given its magnitude. Even now, some areas in Kolkata have seen electricity resume a few days ago while there are areas in West Bengal where electricity is still a challenge. This coupled with limited manpower due to Covid2019 is making the task tougher.
He adds that more than 1,50,000 trees fell down and a number of lampposts which bear cables were razed. The operators have to work from scratch in those areas.
Talking about the magnitude of damage, he states more than 50,000 set-top-boxes have been damaged of Siti Networks. However, the numbers might increase. Along with that, there are many control rooms where headends have been blown away incurring more losses.
Siti Cable teams have been working round-the-clock to normalise the situation. Many of the workforce are staying in office for 20-25 days to ensure the network is on everywhere. However, he also adds that now they are looking at rebuilding it. All players in Kolkata have come to work together in the crisis and very soon they may have a common plan of pulling the cables and maintaining them together.
Sethia happily shares that majority of consumers have understood the situation. While they were also struggling with damages from the cyclone, they started contacting cable operators after eight days. “Had the cables be underground, maybe the disruption would have been less,” he believes. While Siti Networks is now focusing on rebuilding the network after temporary damage control, it will look at more underground cable lines.
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.
