Brands

How PVR is revolutionizing community movie-viewing in India

Published

6 years ago

November 14, 2019

MUMBAI: India is often the land of contradictions. For everything that is true about India, its opposite is also equally true. It’s no wonder then that despite producing the highest number of movies in the world, India’s screen density remains one of the lowest in the world.

As per FICCI Frames Report 2018, India only has 9,600 cinema screens compared to over 40,000 in both China and the US. This despite the fact that in the year 2017, India produced over 1807 films, more than the combined output of China (944) and the US (789), put together. To put it in perspective, India has an abysmal screen density of 8 per million in comparison with 117 per million in the US.

This anomaly was first noticed by Ajay Bijli, CMD PVR Ltd, more than two decades ago when he forayed into the cinema business with the opening of the first PVR Cinema in Delhi in 1997. Today, PVR commands 821 screens, at 172 properties, in 70 cities (including India and Sri Lanka). On Monday, PVR also launched its first 12-Screen Superplex at Vegas Mall, Dwarka, New Delhi.

Unveiling the property, PVR Cinemas CEO Gautam Dutta said, “In FY 19-20 we have been successful in crossing the 800-screen milestone and are now looking forward to expanding further. With this we are bringing the city’s first LUXE; designed to offer an unparalleled experience.”

From four to 821 screens: PVR journey so far

PVR Cinemas launched India's first Multiplex Cinema PVR Anupam, a four-screen cinema, at Saket, New Delhi, in 1997. In 2004, PVR launched India’s then-largest multiplex cinema PVR Bangalore, with eleven screens. This was also PVR’s first property outside the Delhi NCR region.

Two years later, PVR was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and in 2008 it achieved the target of 100 screens in India. All this while, PVR also invested in enhancing the movie-viewing experience and in 2011, it launched PVR’s Director’s Cut, a 7-star movie viewing experience.

Around 2012, PVR went into an acquisition overdrive and bought Cinemax that helped the multiplex chain cross 200 screens. In 2016, PVR acquired DT Cinemas from DLF for Rs 433 crore, adding 32 more screens operating under DT Cinemas to its portfolio. Just two years later, it acquired SPI Cinemas, a leading cinema player in South India with 76 screens operating under brand names like – Satyam Cinemas, Escape, Palazzo, The Cinema and S2. The deal, worth Rs 850 crore, helped PVR Cinemas cross 700-screen milestone and established it as a dominant player in South India.

Speaking on the acquisition, PVR CEO Gautam Dutta said: “It was a natural course of progression for PVR to strengthen its standing in different regions of the country. South is an extremely important market and SPI Cinemas had a magnanimous hold over the region. The acquisition proved to be a profitable investment, with PVR being able to consolidate its position in the country and also in reaping the benefits of making a well-established entry into the region.”

With the addition of 12 Screen Superplex, PVR now commands 821 screens in India, including a 9-screen property in Sri Lanka.

Digitising the movie screen

From opening India’s first multiplex in 1997 to launching India’s biggest multiplex in 2004, PVR has maintained its leading position by constantly investing in new technologies to enhance movie-viewing experience. The multiplex chain has been at the forefront of scaling up premium cinema formats to offer a mix of “exhibition” and “hospitality” experience with deep audience engagement.

PVR has now various movie viewing premium screens in its portfolio like – Gold Class, Directors Cut, Imax (both in 2D and 3D), 4DX (launched in 2015 in partnership with CinemaCon), PVR PXL, (home-grown large screen format), PlayHouse (Kid’s Auditorium), PVR Onyx (India’s first LED screen cinema), and PVR Utsav (catering specifically to Tier-II and Tier-III cities).

In 2018, out of the total 73 new screens opened by PVR Cinemas, 20 were premium screens (Gold Class, IMAX, 4DX, PXL, Playhouse).

At present, PVR operates 4 screens of Director’s Cut, 37 screens of Gold Class, 9 of IMAX, 16 of 4DX, 08 of P[XL], 12 of Playhouse and 1 of PVR Onyx across the country.

Apart from these, PVR is also investing in a host of new cutting-edge technologies. PVR Cinemas and CJ 4DPLEX, the world’s leading cinema technology company; signed a deal at CinemaCon 2019 to open 10 ScreenX theatres in India by 2021. Screen X is the world’s first multi-projection immersive cinematic platform which provides moviegoers a 270 degrees viewing experience by expanding the scene onto the side walls.

In October, PVR unveiled India’s first D-BOX motion seats across five screens in Mumbai. It is also managing PVR Audit-Air-Ium: a clean air theatre format.

Strategy for Tier-II, Tier-III cities: PVR Utsav

India’s screen count remains low primarily due to lack of cinema penetration in tier II, tier III and tier IV cities. This presents a large untapped potential for multiplex chains and belatedly businesses are shedding their exhibitions in entering smaller Indian cities with premium movie viewing formats.

UFO Moviez has launched NOVA and opened properties in smaller cities in Punjab, Maharashtra, Andra, MP and Chattisgarh. Ajay Devgn’s NY Cinemas is eyeing 250 screens in the next 4-5 years with a primary focus on smaller cities. PVR has responded with PVR Utsav.

Dutta describes PVR Utsav as the “culturally and socially sensitive arm of PVR whose main objective is to provide hygienic, safe and secure cinematic experience to the aspirational audiences in tier II and tier III cities across the country. We are planning to enter into markets for the very first time such as Jaipur, Ajmer, Ambala, Patna, Bhubaneshwar and other cities.”

Future Course

The domestic theatrical market grossed Rs 102 billion in 2018. In addition, there are substantial earnings from F&B revenues which are estimated at around Rs 20 billion by FICCI Frames report. This growth in movie business means that PVR’s financials are in a strong position and its profits are increasing y-o-y.

Last month, PVR reported 35 per cent year-on-year growth in its consolidated net profit at Rs 47.67 crore for the second quarter ended September 30, 2019. Its consolidated revenue jumped by 37 per cent to Rs 979.40 crore as compared to Rs 714.65 crore in the year-ago period. PVR’s surging revenue and profits will give the company plenty of room to expand and invest in newer movie-exhibition formats.

There is also a huge untapped potential for expansion in smaller Indian cities and foreign markets as well. The overseas theatricals market for Indian films has grown to $30 billion in 2018.

PVR has just launched its 9-screen property in Sri Lanka and will add a 7-screen in Colombo soon. However, its domestic rival Carnival Cinemas has made significant inroads in foreign markets. In July 2018, it signed the largest overseas acquisition deal for any Indian multiplex. The company entered into a definitive agreement with Elan Group to acquire Novo Cinemas, which operates 104 screens in the UAE and Bahrain.

While for PVR, the next natural target would be to touch the milestone of 1000 screens, its nearest rival, INOX, is determined to close the gap with PVR. INOX already has over 600 screens in India and boasts of maximum new signings (around 900). INOX is a key challenger to PVR in metro cities and PVR’s expansion plans in smaller cities will face stiff competition from players like UFO Moviez and Devgn’s NY Cinema.

While expansion is key, PVR has to tread carefully and be mindful of its huge debt burden. As of September 30, 2019, the company's debt increased to Rs 1,282.52 crore from Rs 1,247.17 crore in March.

The company, however, is optimistic about its future, and rightly so. Dutta says the future growth looks very exciting.

“We are on course to achieve the annual target of opening more than 100 screens in the coming months. The expansion will not only happen in Tier I cities but in Tier II and Tier III cities as well. We plan to introduce new concepts in India which the Indian movie-going audience hasn’t heard of. Apart from the opening of cinemas in new cities, with our enhanced offerings, we wish to increase the market size in the developed cities as well,” he added.

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Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

1 week ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

1 week ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

Brands

BCCL profit jumps 53 per cent in FY25 as tax bill shrinks

Revenue rises 4.3 per cent to Rs 10,209.33 crore while deferred tax gain lifts bottom line sharply

Published

1 week ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman and Company (BCCL) has posted a sparkling set of financial results for the year ended 31 March 2025, proving that there is still plenty of ink and gold left in the ledger.

Revenue from operations climbed a steady 4.3 per cent, reaching Rs 10,209.33 crore compared to Rs 9,786.44 crore the previous year. When you sprinkle in other income, which rose 8.9 per cent to Rs 949.36 crore, the total income for the media behemoth hit a healthy Rs 11,158.69 crore.

While the income grew at a modest pace, the bottom line tells a far more dramatic story. The real headline is the 53 per cent surge in annual profit. How did they pull off such a feat? While Profit Before Tax (PBT) saw a gentle nudge upward of 2.7 per cent to Rs 1,610.00 crore, it was a vanishing act by the taxman that really did the trick.

Total tax expenses plummeted by 32.4 per cent, dropping from Rs 468.76 crore down to Rs 316.97 crore. This was largely thanks to a swing in deferred tax, moving from an expense of Rs 156.02 crore in FY24 to a benefit of Rs 39.44 crore this year.

Total income rose from Rs 10,658.55 crore in FY24 to Rs 11,158.69 crore in FY25, marking a 4.7 per cent increase. Total expenses grew at a slower pace, up 3.0 per cent from Rs 9,306.06 crore to Rs 9,581.45 crore. Profit before tax inched up 2.7 per cent, moving from Rs 1,567.02 crore to Rs 1,610.00 crore. However, the standout figure was net profit, which jumped sharply by 53.0 per cent, climbing from Rs 1,042.03 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,594.73 crore in FY25.

Despite the rising costs of doing business across the globe, BCCL kept a tight grip on the purse strings. Total expenses rose by just 3.0 per cent to Rs 9,581.45 crore. By keeping costs lower than the rate of income growth, the company ensured that the final figure, a net profit of Rs 1,594.73 crore, was nothing short of a front-page sensation.

In a world of shifting digital tides, it seems the BCCL ship is not just steady, but sailing into significantly wealthier waters.