DTH
Sun Direct to add remaining DD channels within 72 hours
MUMBAI: A week after notices were sent by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) to three DTH operators for not carrying the mandatory 24 Doordarshan channels, one of the three has decided that it will be adding the remaining six channels to its packages within the next 72 hours.
“Even before the notice was issued, we had initiated a technical upgrade that will facilitate to add more channels on the same transponder. We took steps nearly three months ago to import equipments and to upgrade our software,” says Sun Direct CEO Mahesh Kumar.
As far as the reply to the MIB notice is concerned Kumar says that he will be writing to the ministry post the addition stating that it is complying with the rules. He also mentioned that currently Sun Direct is carrying 18 DD channels and within the next three days, all 24 will be carried by it.
Last week Tata Sky had decided to respond to the MIB’s notice expressing his company’s inability to carry any more DD channels as it lacked the bandwidth on its existing transponders, and stating that new capacity it had signed up for on GSAT-10 has not been delivered to it despite several pleas to all the departments in ISRO, the MIB, department of space, WPC, and what have you. This leaves only Reliance Digital to decide a course of action regarding the notice given to it.
According to the MIB directive all DTH operators have to provide 24 DD channels irrespective of whether they provide them a-la-carte or in packages to their subscribers.
The channels which cable operators must show are DD National, DD News, DD Bharati, DD Urdu, DD Sports, DD India, DD Kashir, DD Punjabi, DD Girnar, DD Sahyadri, DD Saptagiri, DD Malayalam, DD Podhigai, DD Chandana, DD Bangla, DD North East, DD Bihar, DD Uttar Pradesh, DD Rajasthan, DD Madhya Pradesh, DD Oriya, Gyan Darshan, Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV.
DTH
Den Networks reports Rs 1,227 million FY26 profit growth
Revenue crosses Rs 10,009 million as margins improve and costs ease
MUMBAI: Not all signals are on screen some are buried in the balance sheet. Den Networks has reported a steady financial performance for FY26, with profit after tax rising to Rs 1,227.53 million, reflecting improved operational discipline despite a relatively flat top line. For the year ended March 31, 2026, the company posted revenue from operations of Rs 10,009.17 million, marginally higher than Rs 9,891.45 million in FY25. Total income stood almost unchanged at Rs 12,282.10 million compared to Rs 12,279.77 million a year earlier, signalling stability rather than aggressive expansion.
The real story, however, lies beneath the surface. Total expenses declined to Rs 10,648.32 million from Rs 10,691.30 million, driven by tighter cost controls across key heads. Employee benefit expenses dropped to Rs 548.64 million from Rs 651.52 million, while depreciation and amortisation expenses also eased to Rs 652.01 million from Rs 723.06 million, indicating a leaner operational structure.
As a result, profit before tax rose to Rs 1,633.78 million from Rs 1,588.47 million, while profit after tax improved to Rs 1,227.53 million, up from Rs 1,173.96 million in the previous year. Earnings per share stood at Rs 2.57, compared to Rs 2.46 in FY25, underlining incremental shareholder value creation.
On the balance sheet front, the company’s total assets expanded to Rs 43,416.76 million from Rs 42,496.64 million, supported by a sharp rise in bank balances to Rs 30,628.71 million. Equity also strengthened to Rs 38,532.74 million, reflecting accumulated profits and a growing financial cushion.
Cash flow dynamics, however, present a more nuanced picture. While investing activities generated a net inflow of Rs 632.80 million, operating activities saw an outflow of Rs 553.50 million, largely due to tax payments and working capital adjustments. The company ended the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 151.70 million, up from Rs 106.11 million.
Taken together, the numbers suggest a business that is prioritising efficiency over expansion holding revenue steady while tightening costs and strengthening its balance sheet. In an industry where growth often grabs headlines, Den Networks appears to be making a quieter statement: sometimes, resilience is the real signal.
