Cable TV
Subhash Chandra’s brothers step down as Siti Networks promoters
Mumbai: There’s change in the list of promoters at Siti Networks (earlier known as SitiCable). The national Indian MSO informed the Bombay stock exchange last week that – as part of a family arrangement and agreement – Jawahar Lal Goel, Laxmi Narain Goel and Ashok Kumar Goel along with their respective family members and persons acting in concert with them have been declasifeid as ‘promoters.’
All three are brothers of Essel group (of which Siti Networks is a part) promoter Subhash Chandra. Over the past few years, Chandra has been working on separating the roles of his brothers and settling the ownership structure within the Essel Group (of which Siti Networks is a part).
Around eight years ago, he gave independent charge to Laxmi Narain, Jawahar and Ashok Goel. Although seen as one group, the businesses are run independently. Their moving aside as promoters of Siti Networks is a continuation of the division process.
Chandra’s two sons Punit and Amit are looking after his media interests in Zee Entertainment Enterprises with Punit functioning as the MD and Amit being given the responsibility of international sales and digital.
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.
