Cable TV
DishTV hires Reliance Cap’ Kataria as HR chief
MUMBAI: DishTV has appointed Pushkar Singh Kataria, as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) with immediate effect.
In his new role, Kataria will be responsible for reshaping the organisational structure. He will also provide strategic leadership, oversee talent management and drive HR excellence. The announcement comes ahead of DishTV and Videocon’s merger post which Kataria will be leading the HR operations of the merged entity — Dish TV Videocon Limited.
Prior to joining DishTV, he served as the chief people officer and President at Reliance Capital.
DishTV group CEO Anil Dua stated: “Having worked across all specialized areas of the HR domain, he comes with solid experience. With DishTV at the cusp of significant transformation, this experience should stand us in good state, on both business and employee fronts. Kataria’s leadership and dynamism will help us steer future growth in this new phase of our journey.”
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Kataria has worked in various organizations such asReliance Capital, Vedanta Resources and Praxair. Kataria brings in understanding and knowledge about the industry, and showcases expertise in many aspects of human resources management including organisational development, talent management and performance management. He has also introduced several change management initiatives.
Kataria, an engineer by training, has done his post-graduation in HR. His interests includes travelling and cricket.
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.
