GECs
CloudTV rewrites the screen play with Swastik Stories partnership
MUMBAI: If mythology ever needed a modern reboot, CloudTV just handed it the remote. India’s first homegrown Smart TV OS has teamed up with Swastik Stories, the country’s first cultural storytelling FAST channel to stream India’s legacy in a way that feels as contemporary as a binge-worthy web series.
In a move that blends nostalgia with next-gen viewing habits, CloudTV users will now get free access to a vast library of mythological epics, reimagined legends, and original cultural narratives. With this addition, CloudTV’s FAST catalogue strengthens to more than 300 free channels, spanning entertainment, news, kids’ programming and mythology boosting value for its expanding base of 12 million-plus users across India.
Swastik Stories, the digital storytelling arm of Swastik Productions, has carved a niche by retelling India’s heritage with cinematic flair. Its big-screen storytelling, already popular across digital platforms, now lands directly on CloudTV-powered smart TVs, making cultural content a living-room experience once again. For new-age audiences discovering mythology through reels and short-form clips, this partnership brings scale, depth and visual richness to stories that have shaped India for centuries.
CloudTV COO and co-founder Abhijeet Rajpurohit said the collaboration aligns perfectly with their mission to build an “option-rich content library” that reflects the tastes of a truly pan-India audience. Calling it a fusion of “heritage and digital innovation,” he emphasised CloudTV’s ongoing effort to shape the future of connected entertainment by making quality content accessible to every household.
For Swastik Stories, the alliance marks another chapter in its journey of making cultural narratives relevant for the next generation. Swastik Stories founder and chief storyteller Siddharth Kumar Tewary said the goal has always been to tell India’s stories with “truth, craft and a feeling that speaks to today.” Partnering with CloudTV, he added, ensures those stories travel to “more homes and more hearts.”
The move comes on the heels of CloudTV’s earlier collaboration with Prasar Bharati’s WAVES OTT, extending India’s public-service and heritage content to smart TVs. Parallelly, CloudTV has been expanding into AdTech through CloudTV Ads, its dedicated connected-TV advertising platform offering immersive formats like 3D ads designed to elevate viewer engagement without compromising experience.
By weaving cultural storytelling into connected-TV tech and vice versa CloudTV and Swastik Stories are not just refreshing the content ecosystem. They’re ensuring India’s oldest tales meet its newest screens, creating a space where tradition streams seamlessly into tomorrow.
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.
