Cable TV
Arasu Cable to now foray into broadband service with Railtel
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa owned Arasu Cable may be struggling with getting the licence to operate in the digital addressable system (DAS) areas, but it is now gearing up to launch its broadband service in collaboration with Railtel Corporation of India.
With this, the Chennai based multi system operator (MSO) will give its customers affordable broadband services, through cable TV connection.
It was in August, when during the Assembly session, Jayalalithaa declared that Arasu Cable, which currently provides cable TV connections at Rs 70 per month to its close to 70 lakh customers, will foray into broadband.
The service, according to Tamil Nadu Information department secretary T K Ramachandran will start in a couple of months.
The interested cable operators are currently being trained about the new service. The government plans to complete the training in every district by the end of the month.
The pilot project was conducted in Vellore with around 1,000 subscribers being given access to the service. The tariffs have not yet been fixed, but the schemes are in place.
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.
