Cable TV
Maharashtra Budget; tax levied on cable TV up by 50 per cent
MUMBAI: Get set to pay more for your cable TV connection. The state finance minister Jayant Patil presented a surplus budget of Rs 305.85 crore for 2006-2007 in the Assembly. With a view to mop up an additional revenue of Rs 500 crore, Patil proposed a hike in taxes which included a 50 per cent hike in entertainment duty levied on cable operators, among other items.
Unchanged since the year 2000, this increase means that your monthly cable bills could rise anywhere between Rs 5 to Rs 15.The amount would differ from place to place, as specified by the state government.
According to news reports, those areas under municipal corporations, such as Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur, would see their tax rise from Rs 30 to Rs 45. Also, Grade-A municipal council areas would now pay Rs30 instead of Rs 20, while Grade-B & C municipal council zones would pay Rs15 instead of Rs10.
“This hike will pinch the consumer. This is extremely unfair, especially, when the government recently reduced the tax on DTH services from Rs90 to Rs30 per connection,” said a Sena MLC Anil Parab to a Mumbai newspaper.
“We cannot charge our customers in slums an exorbitant amount. They can’t even pay Rs30 as tax. So, we subsidise the rate by charging other customers more. We are likely to do the same to implement this hike,” said Cable Operators & Distributors’ Association president Ganesh Naidu in the same news report.
The Budget also proposes a hike in taxes on other items like liquor, motor vehicle tax on four wheelers and water charges. But, the Budget does bring some cheer for state finances. Apart from a revenue surpus for the second year in a row, this year’s total plan outlay is Rs 14, 829 crore and growth is projected to be 8.6 per cent.
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.
