Cable TV
Zoom rolls out red carpet for ‘Glam Awards’
MUMBAI: Zoom, the lifestyle channel from the Times group has brought glamour to the forefront. The channel held the Tuscan Verve Zoom Glam Awards where it succeeded in letting subtle elegance take over from the flaunt-it attitude. Taking a step forward from two of its successful shows, Page 3 and Popkorn, the Glam Awards is a channel positioning statement.
Hosts Kamal Sidhu & Ash Chandler
Hosted by Kamal Sidhu and Ash Chandler, it was one of the glitziest nights for the glamour industry as local celebrities went for understated elegance in gracing this first time held event. Colours were everywhere with many opting for sophistication and class, emphasising a confident attitude as opposed to brashness.
Zoom looked to redefine the red carpet business by inviting a select gathering of people who epitomized personal style.Although the show looked to the past and present, it was also a powerful statement for a return of grace and sensuality in today’s fast paced life.
An anticipated 200 odd guests including celebrities, very limited media presence, socialites and trend-setters walked the red carpet into a world of glamour and prestige.
The celebrity culture has coined a phrase for its high profile glamour red carpet dressing. And, Indian style icons seem to be backing away from glitter. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com COO Upen Roop Rai said, “There has been incredible anticipation to this event. It went off even better than imagined.”
The event had international standard performances by Shibani Kashyap, Shaheen Shaikh, Carol Gracias, Anchal Kumar and Diandra Soares. The finale act was performed by ex Miss India and Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia. The fresh new look at the glamour and glitz of Bollywood dance extravaganzas seen in the performances by the models is set to have the town talking.
Models Carol, Diandra & Anchal dancing to “Kaisi paheli”
A select gathering of guests graced the sit down function and all the awardees created a version of silver-screen stardom with amazing grace, in accepting the honour bestowed on them.
Suave industrialist Gautam Singhania when accepting the Most Stylish Businessman Award said, “India is on the move. Zoom has helped change the image that businees people are boring. This award reveals our glamourous side.”
Pooja Bedi, Bipasha Basu & Ritu Kumar
Bollywood actor John Abraham said, “It feels nice to know that my simplicity is recognised as a glam quotient today.”
Young designer Gaurav Gupta said, “Glamour is relative to time and perception. It is an honour to be recognised for how I present myself.”
“People are fascinated by the world of glamour that is almost attainable – which is what celebrities are about,” Rai said. “The whole pageantry of dressing up is such an indulgence for our niche gathering. And, getting recognized for it is part of the emotion of the event.”
The winners seem to be forging a new low-key evening look that blurs the boundaries between day and night where comfort is key. Among the celebs present were Mandira Bedi, Bipasha Basu, Anil Chopra, Hariharan, Bappi Lahiri, Neena Gupta, Dipannita Sharma, Pooja Bedi,, Nethra Raghuraman, Shruti Seth, Ashish Raheja, Art Surendranath, Shiny Ahuja,Kelly Dorji and Times Group MD Vineet Jain.
In showcasing an event that highlights glamour among individuals from across different fields in society, Zoom has awarded stylish stalwarts in a glitzy night that will be remembered by all. The following are the winners of the Zoom Glam Awards held at the Hilton, Mumbai:
Most Glam Actor ( Female) : Kareena Kapoor
Most Glam Actor (Male) : John Abraham
Most Talked About Debutant ( Male) : Kunal Kapoor
Most Talked About Debutant ( Female) : Vidya Balan
Most Stylish Businessman : Guatam Singhania
Glam Sports Star : Yuvraj Singh
Politician With Panache : Prafful Patel
Glam Music Star : Himesh Reshammiya
Glam Women’s Wear Designer ( Contemperory) : Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Glam Women’s Wear Designer ( Indian) : Ritu Kumar
Glam Men’s Wear Designer : Narendra Kumar Ahmed
Glam Debutant Designer : Gaurav Gupta
Glam Model ( Male) : Muzamil Abraham
Glam Model ( Female) : Neha Kapoor
Glam Photographer : Atul Kasbekar
These awards are a logical extension of the Zoom brand identity of being a ‘Glamour & Lifestyle Television’ channel. Speaking to Indiantelevision.com prior to the event, the channel’s national sales head MK Anand said, “This event will emphasize the fact that Zoom is reaching new standards of excellence in the television industry.”
Gautam Singhania receives his award from Ritu Kumar
Recognising individuals in areas of fashion, music, business and politics amongst other categories, Zoom focused on the individual’s style and attitude. “The Awards is a step to recognize glam which is such an important quotient in our society today,” said Anand.
Tuscan Verve, with its inimitable brand, reputation and all-round glamour was the main sponsor to the event. The other sponsors were National Institute of Fashion and Design, Reliance, D’Damas, Flying Cats, Pepsi, Sony Ericcson and the co-sponsors were Chateau Indage, Evian, Seagrams and Bright Advertising.
Zoom will telecast a curtain-raiser including clips from Behind The Scenes and Red Carpet, on 7 May at 9 pm and the final event will be aired on 14 May at 9 pm.
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.
