GECs
ARY acquires global rights to India fashion week
NEW DELHI: With an eye to make more aggressive forays in the Indian market and exploit the popularity of Indian events and content abroad, the Dubai-headquartered ARY group has snapped up the international telecast rights of India fashion Week.
So, fashion followers across the world will now be able to catch all the action at Lakme India Fashion Week 2005, which is being held here from 20-26 April 2005, on ARY Digital Network in Pakistan, Middle East, North America and Europe.
ARY Digital is also looking to further strengthen its fashion portfolio and plans to invest in Indian designers and fashion brands and help them set up a base in Pakistan, thereby helping the Indian fashion design industry to expand its reach to a wider audience-base.
Announcing this at a press conference here today, ARY Digital Network president & CEO Salman Iqbal said, “ARY Digital Network is proud to be the international TV partner for Lakme India Fashion Week 2005. Our decision to broadcast this event was based on the fact that a common heritage, common historical linkage, and a common cultural bond bind both India and Pakistan and there is no better example of this than the fashion from our two countries.
He added that the successful response received of the fashion week coverage prompted ARY to “deepen our association this year.”
Over the years, ARY Digital Network has been using the medium of television entertainment as a catalyst in building bridges between India and Pakistan as well as Indian and Pakistani expatriates living in the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Europe, America and Canada.
According to Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) DG Rathi Vinay Jha, the proprietor of LIFW, “FDCI is extremely pleased to partner with ARY Digital Network to provide a wider footprint for India’s largest fashion event. This partnership takes Lakme India Fashion Week one step closer to the numerous international markets that our designers are targeting.”
IMG, which handles the commercial aspects and management of LIFW, too expressed immense satisfaction on this association. Said IMG/TWI (South Asia) managing director and senior vice president Ravi Krishnan, “This alliance will provide LIFW the right exposure among international audiences.”
The fashion trade event in the country, LIFW 2005 aims at providing a platform to develop business opportunities for India fashion industry professional. Top-notch professional in the fashion industry came together in December 1998 to form the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).
As the flagship channel of the network, ARY Digital is a channel designed to present viewers entertainment that can be watched by the entire family. ARY Digital boasts of six region specific beams broadcasting as customized channels: ARY Digital – Pakistan, ARY Digital – Middle East, ARY Digital – UK, ARY Digital – Europe, ARY Digital – India and ARY Digital – USA. The network recently acquired the license for DTH (direct-to-home).
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
