Cable TV
MSO Ortel strengthens digital payment services
MUMBAI: Multi-system operator Ortel Communications Limited (Ortel) has launched its new digital bill payment option using Paytm.
Ortel has made several efforts to bring in an easy way of paying bills for its customers. Apart from debit cards, credit cards, and net banking, customers of Ortel Communications can now pay their bills through mobile wallet, Paytm, without using cash. It further strengthens its digital payment options to reduce cash transactions for its customers offering more simplicity in their bill payment systems.
Commenting on the development, Ortel CEO and president Bibhu Prasad Rath, “We had already adopted online payment facilities in 2010 with an endeavor to provide our customers with multiple payment options. In addition to our online payment gateways, we will continue to provide more digital options to our customers as per their choice and convenience.”
Ortel services providers focused in the Indian states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.
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.
