Movies
ITC Kitchens of India to feature on Inox’s menu
Mumbai: Multiplex chain Inox Leisure Ltd on Wednesday announced its partnership with ITC Ltd’s Ready-to-Eat gourmet brand Kitchens of India to introduce a redefined, innovative F&B experience across all multiplexes of Inox in India.
With this partnership, Inox aims to add a new experience in the cinema halls through a trusted range of 100 per cent natural, Indian gastronomical delights. The new additions to the menu will provide more options to Inox customers, whether ordering at cinemas or from the comfort of their homes through food-ordering apps, said the statement.
Effective 29 September, customers across the country can have access to authentic Indian cuisine including Vegetable Pulao, Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani, Dal Makhani, Rajma Masala, Pindi Chana and Steamed Basmati Rice as part of the service, it added.
“With the addition of Kitchens of India range we are expanding the choices for our patrons by offering an aromatic and flavourful dining experience with their loved ones while watching the movie,” said Inox Leisure Ltd vice president food & beverages operations Dinesh Hariharan. “Consumers will greatly benefit from this collaboration by receiving an array of authentic local culinary delights across the country, served in premium spill and leak proof packaging. This collaboration is a critical stepping stone in our endeavors to strengthen Inox’s F&B service brand as well as our bond with our patrons, by offering them newer preferred choices.”
Inox’s new F&B roadmap also includes introducing new processes and innovations including making their food available on online food ordering platforms Swiggy and Zomato. Recently, Inox became the first cinema chain in India to get listed on the table reservation and food discovery platform EazyDiner. Inox sells food under three brands – Café Unwind, Insignia and Delights. Intending to extend the hospitality to new audiences, Inox plans to position these into full-service restaurant brands to target non-cinema consumers.
“Through this partnership with Inox, Kitchens of India will aim to help redefine and shape a new horizon of cinema and food experience for movie-goers,” said ITC Ltd VP of marketing services (foods division) Shuvadip Banerjee. “As citizens gradually resume out-of-home leisure, entertainment experiences and activities, food safety and hygiene continue to be of paramount importance to consumers. With Kitchens of India featuring on Inox’s menu hereon, consumers will not only enjoy the benefits of convenient indulgences in regal Indian delicacies while enjoying their movie, but will do so with a safe, hygienic and a reliable brand.”
Hollywood
Paramount eyes $24bn Gulf support to fund Warner Bros Discovery merger: Reports
Sovereign funds line up funding as media giants chase streaming scale
NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance is in talks to secure nearly $24 billion in equity commitments from Gulf sovereign wealth funds to support its planned takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a WSJ report.
The funding push comes as Paramount Skydance advances its proposed $110 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carries an equity valuation of $81 billion and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
At the heart of the financing plan are three major Gulf investors. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is expected to contribute roughly $10 billion, while the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding are likely to make up the remainder.
Crucially, the proposed investments are structured as non-voting stakes. This means the Gulf backers would not have direct control in the combined entity, a move designed to ease regulatory concerns in the United States. Paramount executives reportedly do not expect the deal to trigger scrutiny from bodies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or the Federal Communications Commission.
If completed, the merger would bring together a formidable portfolio of entertainment and news assets, including CNN and CBS. The combined entity aims to better compete in a fast-evolving media landscape where streaming platforms are steadily pulling audiences away from traditional television.
The deal reflects a broader shift in global media, where scale is increasingly seen as essential to survive the streaming wars. By pooling content libraries, technology and distribution, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting on size and synergy to drive future growth.
The involvement of deep-pocketed Gulf investors also underscores the growing role of sovereign wealth in shaping global media consolidation, particularly at a time when high-value deals demand equally large financial backing.
With shareholder votes and regulatory milestones still ahead, the proposed tie-up remains one of the most closely watched media deals of the year. If it clears the final hurdles, it could redraw the competitive map of the global entertainment industry.
