Cable TV
Hinduja Ventures increases stake in Indusind Media
MUMBAI: The Hinduja group is in a consolidation mood. Especially in its media business. Group company Hinduja Ventures informed the Bombay stock exchange today that it was buying both ordinary and preferential shares of Indusind Media & Communications Ltd (IMCL) from another Hinduja venture Grant Investrade Ltd (GIL).
IMCL runs the InCable Net, IN Digital, IN2Cable and IN Phone businesses, while GIL is getting ready to aggressively roll out its HITS platform NXT Digital after its launch last year.
In the communiqué, HVL has stated that it will be buying 43.03 lakh Rs 10 face value shares (equal to 5.82 per cent of IMCL’s paid up capital) of IMCL at a premium of Rs 456 per share, and it will also purchase 7.04 million preference shares (equal to 26.02 per cent of IMCL’s paid up preference capital) of Rs 10 each at par from GIL.
HVL’s holding in IMCL will rise to 61.91 per cent from 56.09 per cent once the transaction is completed by 20 July 2016.
IMCL, according to the notification had a turnover of Rs 434- odd crore and a net worth of 139.20 crore in the year ended 31 March 2016.
Observers say that the transaction will allow some funds to be infused into GIL as it moves to take NXT Digital to its next phase.
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.
