GECs
Zee Learn PAT more than doubles for FY-17
BENGALURU: The Essel Group’s core education company Zee Learn Limited (ZLL) reported 2.43 times consolidated profit after tax (PAT) in the year ended 31 March 2017 (FY-17, current year) as compared to the previous year. The company reported consolidated PAT of Rs 36.65 crore (20.5 percent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) in FY-17 as compared to consolidated PAT of Rs 15.08 crore (10 percent of TIO) in FY-16. ZLL’s consolidated TIO in the current year was Rs 178.91 crore, it was Rs 151.57 crore in FY-16.
The company’s consolidated simple EBIDTA (excluding other income) in FY-17 grew 44.1 percent to Rs 62.33 crore (34.8 percent EBIDTA margin) from Rs 43.27 crore (28.5 percent EBIDTA margin) in the previous year.
Board declares dividend
The ZLL board has recommended a dividend of 5 percent (Re 0.05 per equity share of Re 1 each) for FY-17 for all its equity shareholders subject to approval of its shareholders.
Segments
ZLL has two segments – Education; and Construction and Leasing. Education segment reported 15.7 percent growth in operating revenue in FY-17 to Rs 161.17 crore from Rs 139.25 crore in the previous year. The segment reported 69.5 percent growth in operating profit at Rs 48.99 crore in FY-17 as compared to Rs 28.91 crore in FY-16.
Construction and Leasing segment reported operating 43.8 percent higher revenue of Rs 17.71 crore in FY-17 from Rs 12.32 crore in the previous year. The segment’s operating profit in FY-17 declined 14 percent to Rs 4.36 crore from Rs 5.07 crore in FY-16.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by ZLL for FY-17
Consolidated Total Expenses in FY-17 increased 6.7 percent to Rs 126.38 crore (70.6 percent of TIO) from Rs 118.49 crore (78.2 percent of TIO) in the previous year. Consolidated Purchase of Education Goods and Television Content increased 3.5 percent in FY-17 to Rs 34.82 crore (19.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 33.65 crore (22.2 percent of TIO).
Consolidated Employee Benefits Expense in FY-17 declined 0.5 percent to Rs 24.97 crore (14 percent of TIO) from Rs 25.09 crore (16.6 percent of TIO) in FY-16. The company’s Consolidated Selling and marketing expense in the current year was 6.1 percent lower in FY-17 at Rs 19.66 crore (11 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 20.95 crore (13.8 percent of TIO) in the previous year.
Consolidated Other expense in FY-17 was 57 percent more at Rs 36.58 crore (20.4 percent of TIO) as compared to Rs 23.30 crore (15.4 percent of TIO) in FY-16. Consolidated Finance Costs in FY-17 reduced 5 percent to Rs 18.98 crore (10.6 percent of TIO) from Rs 19.98 crore (13.2 percent of TIO) in the previous year.
Company speak
ZLL CEO Debashankar Mukhopadhyay said, “Company witnessed consistent growth across all business segments, which strongly underlines the fact that our franchisee and parent’s confidence towards company brands is growing every year. ZLL has invested considerable resources in developing learning insights, student learning materials and e-content for pre-schools and K-12 schools. We closed FY-17 on a new high, with a positive drive and are confident of sustaining this growth. The high demand for the all-new Kidzee 2.0 was overwhelming, as it surpassed all our expectations. With new product introductions coupled with our existing offerings, we are confident that our growth momentum will continue. Qualitative improvements in our network coupled with strong focus on franchisee relationship and availability of varied tailor made children / student specific programs will be pivotal in aiding our planned growth for the future.
ZLL CFO Umesh Pradhan said, “With rising scale and rationalizing of vendors, the company has prudently managed cost of goods while simultaneously improving quality. We perceive these initiatives as potent operating and profitability margin boosters. The consistency of our performance is the result of managing our business dynamically and executing our strategy with even greater rigour and discipline. Our sustained focus on investing behind brands, sharpening our execution capabilities and driving market development has enabled us to keep winning with consumers in a rapidly changing market.”
Notes: (1) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
(a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
(b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.
(2) The numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
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GECs
Pocket FM partners with Indian Open Pickleball 2026
Audio platform joins forces with major tournament to engage young fans.
MUMBAI: Pocket FM just served up a perfect partnership because when audio storytelling meets pickleball’s fast-paced rallies, even the sidelines start listening. Pocket FM, the world’s largest audio series platform, has announced a strategic partnership with Indian Open 2026, one of India’s biggest pickleball tournaments organised by Global Sports in Hyderabad in association with Pickl’Out and Crosscourts Sports Club.
The collaboration brings Pocket FM’s immersive storytelling to one of the fastest-growing emerging sports in India. Pickleball, known for its accessibility, energy and strong community appeal, is rapidly attracting younger, digitally savvy audiences making it an ideal platform for Pocket FM to deepen its cultural relevance.
Under the partnership, Pocket FM will enjoy extensive on-ground and digital visibility throughout the tournament, which begins on 1 April 2026. This includes centre court branding, venue-wide presence, presenting rights for select matches, player lounge branding, team jersey integration, and strong integration across live streaming and social media.
Pocket FM, SVP and global head for brand marketing and partnerships Vineet Singh said, “Pickleball is building a strong connection with young and engaged audiences in India. This partnership allows us to connect with people in a meaningful way through strong on-ground presence and digital visibility.”
Global Sports and Indian Open 2026, founder Hemal Jain added, “Partnering with Pocket FM adds an exciting new dimension to the experience. As a brand that has built deep resonance with young audiences, Pocket FM is a strong fit for the energy and ambition of this tournament.”
The move reflects Pocket FM’s continued strategy of aligning with emerging passion points and building deeper engagement with communities driven by competition and shared experiences.
In a country where sports and stories often collide, Pocket FM isn’t just sponsoring a tournament, it’s turning every rally into a narrative, proving that the best audio moments sometimes happen when the paddle meets the ball.
