GECs
Star India gets aggressive with global programme syndication sales
MUMBAI: Leading Indian media and entertainment major Star India is quite confident that its new catalogue of historical dramas and contemporary soaps and series will gain traction as it continues with its international syndication drive. In an interaction with World Screen, Star India president international business and domestic distribution Gurjeev Kapoor said: “Our new line-up of shows like Love Ka Hai Intezar (The Wait For Love), Dhhai Kilo Prem (Imperfect Love), Tu Suraj Mein Saanj Piyaji (Soulmates season two) and Nimki Mukhiya (The Accidental Mayor) are generating a lot of interest. These shows have already captured the attention of audiences in India and are now on their way to winning [over] audiences worldwide.”
According to Kapoor, Star India’s shows have begun to get traction in almost every territory globally–right from the US to the UK to Europe and the CIS, Latin America and Southeast Asia. In some of these markets, partners or sales agents have been helping the broadcaster to find buyers; in some of them, Star India’s programme syndication team in Mumbai and other regions is driving the sales. In Latin America, the company has partnered Latin Media Corp, for Europe and CIS it has been working with Intellecta Srl while in Southeast Asia it has been selling directly.
The efforts have yielded results. For instance, Saras & Kumud (Saraswatichandra) has done well in seven Latin American nations, including Chile and Peru. Then Yours Truly, Paakhi (Tumhari Paakhi) has got a favourable response in Peru. Kapoor told the magazine that this has enthused the company to invest in dubbing a few more of its top shows.
Kapoor pointed to out that Is Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon has been its most successful breakthrough and it made history by becoming the first-ever Indian drama series to air in Turkey. “It broke many viewership records by quadrupling the channel ratings in that slot for our partner Kanal 7. This paved the way for many more Indian series on local Turkish television and Turkey continues to be a big market for us.”
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are some of the Southeast nations that have been lapping up a lot of the content Star India has been dishing out. Among the shows that have done well in the region, Kapoor said, are Mahabharat, Diya Aur Baati Hum, Veera and Chandra Nandini.
Kapoor is also looking at adding to its partnerships for selling its programme formats. Star India has a partnership with Eccho Rights for three or four of its shows and is in conversation with other partners in local markets.
He believes that good storytelling can traverse borders and cultures and forms the core of Star India’s international business. “Programme sales have been a driver in expanding Star India’s content footprint across the world. This is an area where we were good but we want to grow exponentially,” Kapoor concluded.
Amen to that!
GECs
Sahara One reports financial results, notes director exit and business realignment
Muted revenues, steady expenses and strategic adjustments shape company’s current phase
MUMBAI: In a tale where the sands seem to be slipping faster than they can be gathered, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited has reported another quarter of wafer-thin income and widening losses, even as a boardroom exit adds to the unease.
The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that its board, in a meeting held on April 4, approved its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2025. The numbers paint a stark picture. Total income for the quarter stood at just Rs 0.13 lakh, unchanged sequentially and sharply down from Rs 0.26 lakh a year earlier.
Losses, meanwhile, deepened. The company posted a net loss of Rs 24.16 lakh for the quarter, compared to Rs 18.81 lakh in the June quarter and Rs 39.69 lakh in the same period last year. For the six months ended September 2025, the cumulative loss stood at Rs 39.69 lakh, while the full-year loss for FY25 was reported at Rs 60.72 lakh.
Expenses continued to outweigh income by a wide margin. Total expenses for the quarter came in at Rs 24.30 lakh, led by employee benefit costs of Rs 6.51 lakh and other expenses of Rs 17.78 lakh. Earnings per share remained in the red at Rs (0.11) for the quarter.
The balance sheet reflects a company with significant assets on paper but limited operational momentum. Total assets stood at Rs 23,065.57 lakh as of September 30, 2025, broadly unchanged from March 2025. Equity share capital remained steady at Rs 2,152.50 lakh, while total equity was reported at Rs 18,004.85 lakh.
Cash and cash equivalents saw a modest uptick to Rs 6.75 lakh from Rs 4.68 lakh earlier, supported by a positive operating cash flow of Rs 180.01 lakh for the period.
Yet, beneath these numbers lies a more complex narrative. The company’s auditors flagged their inability to obtain sufficient evidence to form a conclusion on the financial statements, citing lack of access to records. They also raised concerns over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, pointing to insufficient funds, delayed recoveries, and stalled content investments.
Adding to the governance overhang, the company disclosed that Rana Zia has resigned as whole-time director, effective October 16, 2025, citing other professional commitments. The resignation, noted and accepted by the board, also brings an end to her role across company committees.
Regulatory pressures continue to loom large. The Securities and Exchange Board of India has already initiated penal actions for non-compliance with listing norms, with trading in the company’s shares remaining suspended. There is also a risk of promoter demat accounts being frozen.
Legacy legal issues remain unresolved. A substantial deposit of Rs 694,027.88 thousand linked to the long-running OFCD dispute involving Sahara group entities is still under the purview of the Supreme Court of India. Restrictions on asset disposal continue to weigh on the company’s financial flexibility.
Operationally, challenges persist across multiple fronts. Advances worth Rs 1,92,916 thousand given for film content remain stuck, with delays in project completion and uncertain recoverability. The company’s YouTube channel, despite being operational, has generated no revenue for over three years due to compliance lapses. In a further twist, management has indicated that revenues may have been fraudulently diverted through unauthorised changes to its AdSense account, with a police complaint in the works.
There are also missed revenue opportunities. Television content rights continue to be used by a related party despite the expiry of the licence agreement, with fresh negotiations still underway.
For now, Sahara One Media and Entertainment Limited appears caught between legacy disputes and present-day operational hurdles. As losses linger and governance questions mount, the road to recovery looks less like a sprint and more like a slow trudge through shifting sands.
