MAM
Zee TV returns to top spot after 19 weeks as Zee Cine Awards clicks
MUMBAI: After stepping into the second rank in the Hindi GEC (general entertainment channel) hierarchy, Zee TV has taken a week to climb to the tentpole position as its four-hour Bollywood awards show Zee Cine Awards on 20 January attracted audiences.
Zee TV‘s upward crawl to the No. 1 position has come after 19 weeks in the fourth week of 2013.
The awards show rated a whopping 3.9 TVR, contributing 31 GRPs (gross rating points), as Zee TV collected 237 points in the week ended 26 January. The channel’s overall viewership was up 22 GRPs from a week earlier.
Zee TV had ranked No. 1 last in week 36 of 2012 when it had aired the ‘mahasangram’ of three of its fiction shows. This is also the first time after digitisation in the four metros that the flagship Hindi GEC of Zee Entertainment Enterprises reached the top position.
The 13th edition of Zee Cine Awards had rated 4.38 TVR in 2012. Apart from Zee Cine Awards most of the fiction shows of the channel including Fear Files (1.6 TVR) saw a dip in viewership in the fourth week.
“Such award functions are premium properties and have always delivered, giving good mileage to the brands associated. However, there was audience fragmentation because of which the show (Zee Cine Awards) could not perform as well as it did last year. There was ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ on Sony and repeat telecast of ‘Colors Golden Petal Awards’ on Colors, both coinciding with one-and-a-half hour airing time of Zee Cine Awards,” a senior media planner said.
The other annual Bollywood awards function that was telecast this year was Colors Screen Awards, which too had recorded 3.9 TVR over four hours on 19 January.
Meanwhile, Star Plus slipped to the second spot with a loss of 13 GRPs at 228 GRPs in week 4. The channel’s leading shows like ‘Diya Aur Bati Hum’ (4.1 TVR), ‘Ek Hazarome Meri Behena hai’ (1.4 TVR) and Nach Baliye (2.4 TVR) lost viewership.
Colors too lost six GRPs to register 204 GRPs. The fiction shows of the channel have seen marginal change in viewership. The channel had repeat telecast Colors Screen Awards (1.5 TVR for three hour run) and Colors Golden Petal Awards (1.6 TVR for two-and-a-half hour airing) in week 4 that helped the channel compensate the loss of viewership. In the earlier week Colors had earned 31 GRPs from Colors Screen Awards.
Sony Entertainment television (Set) added 16 GRPs in week 4 on the back of the television premiere of Karan Johar‘s recent flick ‘Student of the Year’ on 26 January. The film notched a TVR of 4.2 for three-and-a-half hour airing. The movie contributed around 29 GRPs to the total of 203 GRPs that the channel collected in week 4.
Set also winded up the sixth season of its biggest reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati on‘ 26 January. The grand finale of the show clocked 3.1 TVR for two hours telecast, contributing around 12 GRPs to the channel.
The second Hindi GEC of Set, Sab clocked 151 GRPs (previous week 146 GRPs) while Star Plus’ sister channel Life OK ended week 4 with 120 GRPs (previous week 128 GRPs).
Sahara One with 23 GRPs (previous week 25) remains at the bottom of the ladder.
Brands
Maruti Suzuki posts record FY26 profit of Rs 14,445 crore, dividend at Rs 140
Sales hit 24.22 lakh units as Q4 revenue crosses Rs 50,000 crore mark
NEW DELHI: Maruti Suzuki India Limited reported its highest-ever annual performance for FY2025-26, with record sales volumes, revenue and profit, alongside a dividend of Rs 140 per share.
The company posted net sales of Rs 1,74,369.5 crore for the full year, marking a 20.2 per cent increase over FY2024-25. Net profit stood at an all-time high of Rs 14,445.4 crore, up slightly from Rs 14,297.6 crore in the previous year.
Total sales for the year reached 24,22,713 units, compared to 22,34,266 units last year. Domestic sales accounted for 19,74,939 units, while exports rose sharply to 4,47,774 units from 3,32,585 units a year earlier. The company retained its position as India’s top passenger vehicle exporter for the fifth consecutive year, contributing 49 per cent of total exports.
Exports of the made-in-India e VITARA, the company’s first battery electric vehicle, expanded to 44 countries, highlighting its growing global footprint.
In the January to March quarter, Maruti Suzuki recorded its highest-ever quarterly sales of 6,76,209 units, an increase of 11.8 per cent year-on-year. Domestic sales stood at 5,38,994 units, while exports touched a record 1,37,215 units.
Quarterly net sales crossed the Rs 50,000 crore milestone for the first time, reaching Rs 50,078.7 crore, up from Rs 38,839.1 crore in the same quarter last year.
Operating profit, measured as EBIT, rose 30.4 per cent to Rs 4,409.2 crore, reflecting improved operating efficiency. However, net profit declined 6.9 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,590.5 crore, primarily due to mark-to-market impacts.
The company said growth in the second half of the year was supported by a reduction in GST rates, which boosted demand in the domestic market. However, production constraints remained a challenge, with around 1,90,000 pending customer orders at the end of the year, including nearly 1,30,000 in the small car segment. Dealer inventory levels were also low, at about 12 days of stock.
During the year, Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Limited was amalgamated into the parent company, effective 1 December 2025, with financials restated from 1 April 2025 for comparability.
The board recommended a dividend of Rs 140 per share, up from Rs 135 in FY2024-25, marking the highest payout in the company’s history.
With strong export momentum, improving domestic demand and continued capacity constraints, Maruti Suzuki enters FY27 balancing growth opportunities with supply-side challenges, even as it strengthens its position in both conventional and electric vehicle segments.
