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American Tower Corporation closes Viom acquisition
MUMBAI: American Tower Corporation announced that it has closed its previously announced acquisition of a 51 per cent controlling ownership interest in Viom Networks Limited (Viom), an owner and operator of over 42,000 communications sites in India. With this acquisition, ATC will own 57,000 towers in India.
The total consideration for the acquisition consisted of a cash payment of approximately Rs 76 billion (Rs 7,600 crore) as well as the assumption of approximately Rs 51 billion (Rs 5,100 crore) in existing rupee-denominated debt. American Tower used borrowings under its existing revolving credit facilities as well as cash on hand to satisfy the cash portion of the purchase price.
Commenting on the acquisition, American Tower Asia executive president and president for Asia, Amit Sharma said, “The acquisition of Viom makes us the leading independent telecom infrastructure provider and will allow us better serve our customers as they expand their 3G/4G network reach and capacity. It will also enable us to play a key role in providing critical communications real estate and vital passive telecom infrastructure essential to the Indian government’s Digital India Initiative.”
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.
