Distribution
Cable & b’band solutions co C & D Tech acquired by KPS Capital
MUMBAI: KPS Capital Partners has announced the acquisition of C & D Technologies, Inc. and its affiliates through a newly created subsidiary. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP acted as legal advisor to KPS and its affiliates.
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based C & D manufactures, designs, supplies and services fully integrated standby power systems to regulate and control power flow and provide standby power. It is a leader in solutions and services for the utility, telecommunications, uninterruptible power supply, cable, broadband and renewable energy markets.
C & D operates four manufacturing plants located in the United States, Mexico and China , with sales and distribution in Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and India. The Company has approximately 1,400 employees.
KPS managing partner David Shapiro said: “We are proud to acquire C & D and look forward to working closely with CEO Armand Lauzon and the Company’s management team to aggressively develop the C & D platform both organically and through strategic acquisitions. Is a leading global provider of energy storage solutions and services, with a long history of innovation, quality and service to its customers. As a result of the acquisition of KPS, C & D is now well capitalized, with a solid and Access to strategic, operational and financial resources of KPS “.
C & D CEO Armand Lauzon said: “We are very excited about this partnership with KPS for the next stage of growth and evolution of C & D. C & D strives to offer its customers quality, technology and services of unparalleled quality. Focus and commitment, as evidenced by its 26 years of successful investments in global manufacturing and industry businesses. KPS’s focus on manufacturing excellence and its commitment to investment in research and development, accompanied by significant capital resources, will accelerate the Numerous C & D growth initiatives.”
New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has thrown open applications for fresh capacity on DD Free Dish, signalling a timely opportunity for broadcasters looking to expand reach without long-term lock-ins. The public service broadcaster has issued a dual notice for its 95th and 96th online e-auctions, aimed at filling vacant MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 slots on a pro-rata basis for February and March 2026.
The two auctions are tentatively scheduled to begin on January 27, with allotments valid from February 1, 2026. Applications for both auctions close on January 21 at 3 pm, giving channels a narrow window to get their bids in.
The 95th e-auction will cover vacant MPEG-2 slots, while the 96th will focus on MPEG-4 capacity. Participation is limited to satellite television channels holding valid downlinking and uplinking permissions from the ministry of information and broadcasting. International public broadcasters cleared by the ministry are also eligible.
As with previous rounds, channels have been grouped into buckets based on genre and language, with sharply differentiated reserve prices reflecting reach and demand.
For the MPEG-2 auction, Hindi and Urdu general entertainment channels sit at the top of the pile. The starting reserve price for bucket A+ in the first round is Rs 2,63,48,000. Movie, music and sports channels in Hindi and Urdu follow in bucket A at Rs 2,10,14,000. Bhojpuri channels and other Hindi and Urdu genres, excluding devotional content, fall under bucket B with a reserve of Rs 1,78,62,000. Hindi and Urdu news channels in bucket C start at Rs 1,33,27,000, while bucket D, which includes regional language channels, English news and devotional or spiritual channels, begins at Rs 1,13,96,000.
The MPEG-4 auction comes in at a far leaner price point. News and current affairs channels in Hindi, English or pan-India languages, grouped under bucket G1, start at Rs 13,41,000. Non-news genres under bucket G2 have a reserve of Rs 8,80,000. Regional languages such as Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati in bucket R2 begin at Rs 4,84,000. Southern language channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, grouped under bucket R1, start at Rs 81,000, the same reserve price set for other scheduled 8 regional languages in bucket R3.
Prasar Bharati has underlined that compliance will be closely watched. Broadcasters must ensure that at least 75 per cent of their monthly programming, excluding advertisements, aligns with the declared genre and language. Any deviation could trigger show-cause notices or even removal from the DD Free Dish platform.
For channels chasing reach in a crowded market, the message is clear. The window is brief, the prices are set and the audience is waiting. On DD Free Dish, visibility still comes cheap, but only for those ready to move fast.
