Cable TV
IMCL launches innovative packages for subscribers to stay connected
MUMBAI: IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd (IMCL), the media vertical of the global Hinduja Group, has implemented a slew of innovative products and solutions to help its Local Cable Operators (LCOs) and its millions of subscribers across India to ensure access to quality content amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
IMCL – which owns a digital cable platform (InDigital) and the only HITS platform (NXTDIGITAL) in the country – has rolled out a significantly low-cost package for subscribers called the Vishesh Manoranjan Pack.
This pack, which gives subscribers access to over 400 television channels, includes the popular NXT Value Added Services package, comprising up to 20 unique channels for its subscribers. The package can be activated immediately and LCOs can make the payment till16 April 2020. The credit period effectively allows for LCOs to collect the payment after the lockdown is lifted.
Further, to ensure uninterrupted dissemination of critical information during this challenging period, IMCL has worked with its LCO partners to activate its special InfoPack, at zero cost for customers who are unable to make any payment. This will enable subscribers to stay connected with all Doordarshan channels, including news and entertainment.
These packages come close on the heels of a slew of initiatives taken by IMCL to ensure safety of its LCOs and subscribers. IMCL has provided critical awareness and education through its national network of LCOs, multiple platforms and portals – in 11 languages, through posters, pamphlets, e-books and video messaging. To help subscribers remain connected, IMCL has extended its online recharge facility through Easebuzz, where subscribers can make their payment directly to their LCOs online, thereby eliminating any level of interaction.
IMCL CEO Vynsley Fernandes said: “We remain committed towards the well-being of our LCO partners and subscribers. At the time of a global crisis, our endeavour is to consistently create awareness and the dissemination of critical information, to ensure the safety and protection of all our stakeholders. These packages, especially our InfoPack at zero cost, are in line with that philosophy.”
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.
