GECs
Finecast to host India’s First Addressable TV Summit
Mumbai: On 7 December 2022, GroupM’s addressable TV company Finecast will host India’s first addressable TV summit, “Addressable TV and Beyond,” in Mumbai.
The event will highlight how the TV industry is undergoing a transformation, with India on track to become the third largest TV market in the next three years. It will aid distributors, advertisers, and broadcasters in comprehending the evolving media landscape.
At the summit, GroupM’s Finecast, in collaboration with Kantar, will also unveil the report “The Changing Landscape of Indian Television,” which will highlight the rapidly changing media consumption habits that will make it more difficult for broadcasters and brands to accurately predict the future of TV viewing in India.
The report will highlight TV viewing trends and provide insight into how Indian consumers engage with and consume TV content.
GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said, “Changing landscape possibilities have opened new possibilities for TV advertisers. Brands need futuristic spaces to reach their target audience as TV consumption patterns continue to evolve. Our report with Kantar is designed to be a guide that will help in exploring what current and new capabilities exist for TV advertisers.”
GroupM India president of data, performance & digital products Atique Kazi said, “Television advertising in India continues to grow both on linear and even faster on connected TVs. At our inaugural event, “Addressable TV & Beyond,” we are enriching conversations on what holds in the future of TV advertising, the use of data, and technology with the TV ecosystem to make TV advertising more welcomed for brands and viewers.”
The day-long event will feature multiple sessions that will discuss the changing landscape of television in India and showcase some ground-breaking research to take leaps forward in measurement to what’s next in the Finecast roadmap: Leading the charge in addressable TV.
The sessions will look at the current and new capabilities available to TV advertisers in India, as well as how a prominent advertiser uses media to drive measurable business growth.
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.
