GECs
Bajoria on the Balaji trail?
MUMBAI: One of corporate India’s hungriest predators, Kolkata-based jute baron Arun Kumar Bajoria is reportedly on the trail again – and this time, he is believed to have set his sights on one of the biggest success stories in television – Balaji Telefilms.
Bajoria is reportedly consolidating his holding further in Balaji Telefilms. He had told news persons in September that he had picked up a near four per cent stake in the TV production house at Rs 66-68 purely as a strategic investment and would be looking to increase it if the share price went down by another Rs 10. Bajoria was not available for comment when contacted by indiantelevision.com.
However, according to senior industry sources, Balaji Telefilms had not received any intimation on the extent of Bajoria’s buying binge in the company, until late this afternoon.
Neither has the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) been informed about any market buying activity which may have resulted in the jute baron’s stake crossing the five per cent creeping acquisition limit.
The latest available shareholding pattern in the production house pegs the (Ekta) Kapoor family’s stake at 57.79 per cent. This means the possibility of a hostile takeover is remote. Institutional investors’ 12.83 per cent holdings in the company include foreign institutional investors’ (FIIs) stake of 9.36 per cent. While a tad less than 12 per cent is lying with the Indian public, private corporate bodies own 16.91 per cent stake in the company.
The Balaji Telefilms scrip closed today’s session with a gain of 6.6 per cent on the BSE after peaking at its intra day 52-week high of Rs 109.50 earlier in the day. Over 0.3 million shares to the tune of Rs 33.3 million have been traded on the counter on the BSE alone.
Meanwhile, Padmalaya Telefilms company secretary (in Hyderabad) Ram Kumar, told indiantelevision.com that media reports stating that Bajoria has also acquired a substantial stake in the Zee Group company are rumours and that the company has no information of Bajoria taking up a substantial stake.
Bajoria is known to surreptitiously takeover companies and had earned the title of ‘corporate raider’ three years ago when he had acquired a 15 per cent stake in Nusli Wadia’s Bombay Dyeing.
The good news for Balaji watchers is that ICICI Securities has issued a buy recommendation for the stock. Is the magic back at the Ekta Kapoor-Shobha Kapoor led production house? Observers believe the duo has ridden over the doubts that had crept out about the extent to which Balaji could sustain its programming on the top of the charts with channel partners such as Star and Sony.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
