GECs
Essel Shyam Communication plans to raise Rs 600 million via IPO
MUMBAI : Essel Shyam Communication Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Essel Group and Shyam Group, is looking at an initial public offering (IPO) size of Rs 600 million to fund its expansion plans.
The company plans to set up four teleports, three of which are to be funded from the IPO proceeds. While it has obtained licenses for Mumbai and Noida (in the outskirts of Delhi), the other two teleports will come up at Cochin and Chennai or Hyderabad. The company has earmarked Rs 130 million from the IPO towards installation of teleports and Rs 15 million for playout facilities.
“We hope to come out with the IPO in January-February. The final size will be decided through the book building process. We are looking at Rs 600 million and if there is a necessity, we will fund it through internal accruals,” Essel Shyam Communication ED and whole time director Lalit Jain tells Indiantelevision.com.
The new facility at Noida will be for Ku band. Essel Shyam has an existing teleport in Noida where Zee and several other channels are uplinked. The new teleports in Mumbai and Noida are expected to be completed by 2007.
For the expansion of VSAT operations, the company plans to invest Rs 85 million. Essel Shyam, which has seven hubs, proposes to add another three.
The fund requirement for expanding deployment of DSNG (digital satellite news gathering) vans is Rs 80 million. These services are offered to customers for the purpose of news gathering, content transfer, live coverage and live uplinking of events. A further investment of Rs 175 million is planned to extend its existing BPO of 32 seats to a BPO/KPO of 500 seats. This will include KPO of 70 seats. New businesses will need Rs 50 million (Rs 10 million for system integration and Rs 40 million for radio frequency identification).
Post-IPO, the promoters’ holding, which stands at 97 per cent, will faill to 70 per cent. Essel Shyam has filed Draft Red Herring Prospectus for an IPO with SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) and proposes to offer 55,00,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each through the book building process.
The company is into the business of providing various services related to satellite communication such as VSAT, teleport, SNG/DSNG and BPO facilities. The company is providing teleport services to channels of Zee Group, Janmat, Zoom (Times Group), IBN 7, Hungama TV. Several regional channels like Shalom TV, MM TV, Sangeet Bangla, Total TV and Sudarshan TV are also using Essel Shyam’s teleport. The company has recently set up a modern facility for TV Channels from studio to the cable distributor.
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.
