Cable TV
HVL receives NCLT nod for amalgamation of Grant Investrade
BENGALURU: Hindustan Ventures Ltd (HVL) has informed the bourses that it has received sanction from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for the scheme of amalgamation between its fully owned subsidiary and transferor company Grant Investrade Ltd (GIL) and itself (transferee company) w. e. f. 31 October 2017. HVL has said that on receipt of the certified copy of the order, it will proceed to file the necessary papers with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) to render the scheme effective. HVL further said that since GIL was its wholly owned subsidiary, no consideration would be paid, neither would any shares be issued.
As reported by Indiantelevision.com earlier, the board of directors of HVL had approved the amalgamation scheme subject to approval from the National Company Law Tribunal. HVL has business interests in media, real estate and treasury while GIL is in the business of running channels on cable TV and treasury. Earlier, GIL housed the headend in the sky (HITS) business of HVL which has now been merged with the cable TV business under Indusind Media and Communications Limited (IMCL), which is also a subsidiary of the company.
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.
