Cable TV
Calcutta HC extends Digicable Comm’s interim order till case disposal
KOLKATA: Granting relief to Digicable Comm, the Calcutta High Court has extended the interim order till the disposal of the case.
Earlier too, the Calcutta High Court had put the stay order on the cancellation of the registration of Kolkata-based multi-system operator (MSO) till 6 April, 2015, citing that “Digicable Comm, having been in business for quite some time and would suffer irreparable loss and injury, unless appropriate ad-interim protection is granted to them.”
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, DigiCableComm Services VP – operations & technology Lokesh Agarwal said, “Our matter was listed in the Hon’ble High Court under Hon’ble Justice I.P. Mukerji, with regard to DigiCable Comm DAS license for Kolkata and Howrah. Interim order already granted is extended till the disposal of the case.”
It should be noted that in July 2014, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had cancelled the registration of Digicable Comm. Services.
Digicable Comm, a joint venture (JV) between Digicable (51 per cent) and Kolkata-headquartered Multicar Group (49 per cent) was formed in the year 2009, to gain the foothold in the West Bengal market.
Digicable Comm was always hopeful that after appealing to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and moving to the High Court, the decision would be in favour of the MSO. “We are happy to get the stay order extended from the High Court. Slowly we will expand in the region and are consolidating,” added Agarwal.
MHA had cancelled the company’s permanent registration on 18 July, 2014 due to denial of security clearance.
“Now we will do our best and expand in West Bengal,” Agarwal signed off.
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.
