Digital
Bright Outdoor posts double-digit profit growth as digital billboards drive demand
MUMBAI: Bright Outdoor Media Limited reported a 10 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 10.08 crore for the first half of fiscal 2026, propelled by booming demand from real estate, entertainment and FMCG clients scrambling for digital billboard space.
The Mumbai-based firm, which operates 50 large-format digital LED billboards across the city, saw total revenue climb nearly 10 per cent to Rs 63.31 crore in the six months to September. EBITDA rose faster still—up 14 per cent to Rs 14.98 crore—as the company’s shift towards higher-margin digital inventory paid off. Net profit margin held steady at 16 per cent.
Bright added 12,000 square feet of advertising space during the period, taking its total footprint to 315,000 square feet across 490 prime display units nationwide. The expansion included exclusive advertising rights on high-traffic transit projects such as the Navi Mumbai Metro and Western Railways.
Charman and managing director Yogesh Lakhani attributed the performance to “strategic digitisation” and partnerships with marquee events including Filmfare awards and ABP Network’s India @2047 Summit. The 45-year-old company maintains a zero-debt balance sheet—a rarity in capital-intensive outdoor advertising.
Bright has now launched Bright 360° Media Solutions, bundling out-of-home advertising with digital, print, radio, PR and influencer campaigns.
Chief executive Mukesh Sharma promises “a full calendar of marquee events” to deepen client engagement and crack open new revenue streams.
India’s first listed outdoor media company, which debuted on the BSE SME platform in March 2023, remains bullish on the second half. With digital out-of-home spending surging and transit advertising booming, Bright is betting its luminous screens will keep the cash registers ringing.
Digital
OpenAI’s Stargate lead Peter Hoeschele exits with two senior leaders
Trio behind compute push set to join new startup amid leadership reshuffle
SAN FRANCISCO: Peter Hoeschele, a key figure behind OpenAI’s early Stargate data centre initiative, has exited the company, according to a report by The Information.
The departure is part of a broader leadership shift, with two other senior executives, Shamez Hemani and Anuj Saharan, also set to leave in the coming days. All three are expected to join the same new startup, although details about the venture remain under wraps.
The trio played a central role in OpenAI’s Stargate effort, an initiative aimed at building large-scale data centre capacity in-house to reduce reliance on external infrastructure providers. Their exits mark a notable moment for the company’s compute strategy as it continues to scale rapidly.
OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to The Information, “We’re grateful for the contributions Peter, Shamez, and Anuj have made to OpenAI and wish them the very best in what comes next.” The company also pointed to the recent appointment of Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute organisation, signalling continuity in its infrastructure roadmap.
OpenAI has indicated that it does not plan to directly replace Hoeschele’s role, suggesting a possible restructuring of responsibilities within the team.
As competition intensifies in the race to build next-generation AI systems, leadership changes in core infrastructure teams are likely to draw close attention. For now, the spotlight shifts to what this departing trio builds next, and how OpenAI adapts as it scales its ambitions.
