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IMC to hold international communications convergence from 16 March
MUMBAI: Though India is one of the fastest growing telephony markets in the world, the concern is to increase penetration in the rural areas which has a teledensity of just around 1.8 per cent.
Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) is holding its fourth annual international communications convergence which will address this issue. The two-day event, “Connecting India – The Global Challenge,” will be held in Mumbai starting 16 March.
Addressing a press conference, IMC telecom committee co-chairman KV Seshasayee said the urban-rural divide needs to be addressed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), telecom operators and finance companies with easy funding. “There is a consumer demand in rural areas and technology has evolved to increase reach in rural areas. We can drive penetration with wireless and Wi-max technology. The focus of the event will be to debate on how rural communications can go up,” he pointed out.
The event, aimed at providing a platform for government policymakers, leaders of industry and other stakeholders, expects to attract participation of over 300 Indian and foreign telecom experts. IMC has extended concessional registration facilities to students who can attend the two-day conference at a fee of Rs 300 while others will have to pay Rs 3,000.
Among the top speakers are Maharashtra’s minister for Finance and Planning Jayantrao Patil, chairman of Dishnet Wireless Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, Telecom policy analyst strategy and policy unit, ITU, Geneva Lara Srivastava, Asia Pacific Telecommunity, Bangkok executive director Amarendra Narayan, SR Telecom Inc. regional sales director Andreas Kiefer, Bangkok, ZTE Corporation China director Technical (Marketing) Jiang Xue Feng, Technical, Ericsson India Pvt. Ltd. GM Bo Ribbing and SingTel India country director Arun Dagar.
The Indian experts participating in the seminar include Motorola India Pvt. Ltd regional manager Avinash Bector, Government of India USF administrator Shantanu Consul, Supreme Court advocate Pavan Duggal and Telecom consultant S Ramani Iyer.
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.
