Cable TV
Hathway files FIRs against illegal disruption in Pune
MUMBAI: One the leading MSOs in India, Hathway Cable & Datacom Limited, undertook stringent action against recent disruption of its services in Pune by lodging three FIRs in multiple police stations across the city.
In a series of incidents recently, fibre optic cables of Hathway provided by Tata tele-services were cut at multiple locations in the city by unknown parties leading to disruption of Hathway services and causing inconvenience to several Hathway customers.
Due to the fibre cuts, Hathway signals were disrupted and lost for around 4 to 6 hours during the crucial ICC World Twenty20 matches including the semi-final encounter between India and West Indies, which led to huge consumer angst and created a lot of dissatisfaction to several Hathway customers. The fibre cuts caused by certain unknown parties seemed to be a deliberate and an intentional attempt to disrupt Hathway services in Pune and tarnish the brand image of the company, especially, during a high decibel event like the ICC World Twenty20. Hathway suspects that the agenda was to destabilise Hathway in the city and cause revenue loss.
Senior Hathway officials in Pune immediately took measures to counter this act of fibre cutting by illegal means by lodging FIRs across three major police stations in the city, demanding a probe.
Once the police investigation is out, Hathway seeks to take legal measures against the culprits.
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.
