Hindustan Media Ventures Limited reported a consolidated net profit of ₹51.17 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (Q1FY26), a significant 398% increase from the ₹10.24 crore recorded in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. The sharp turnaround in profitability was driven by strong operational performance in its core newspaper business, which more than offset losses from its discontinued OTTplay streaming service. The Board of Directors approved the unaudited financial results on August 4, 2026, under Regulation 30 of the SEBI Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.

Revenue from operations for the consolidated group stood at ₹197.18 crore, up 19.8% year-on-year from ₹164.60 crore in Q1FY25. Total income, including other income, reached ₹244.06 crore, compared to ₹191.32 crore in the prior year period. EBITDA for the quarter stood at 283M rupees versus 92M rupees in the same period last year, with the EBITDA margin expanding significantly to 14.3% from 5.6% year-on-year, reflecting meaningful improvement in operating efficiency. Statutory auditors S.R. Batliboi & Co. LLP issued an unmodified review conclusion on the financial statements.

The primary driver of the profit surge was the continuing operations segment, which generated a post-tax profit of ₹55.63 crore, up from ₹26.07 crore in Q1FY25. EBITDA from continuing operations was ₹75.15 crore, reflecting improved operating leverage despite a slight decline from the ₹79.31 crore recorded in the immediately preceding quarter. This growth was achieved while managing total expenses at ₹174.96 crore, a moderate increase from ₹161.30 crore in the previous year. Employee benefits expense remained stable at ₹35.04 crore, while finance costs increased slightly to ₹2.27 crore from ₹1.47 crore. The company operates under a single reportable segment: Printing & Publishing of Newspaper & Periodicals.

Conversely, the discontinued OTTplay business continued to weigh on overall results, reporting a loss after tax of ₹4.46 crore for the quarter, compared to a loss of ₹15.83 crore in Q1FY25. The board had decided to discontinue the OTTplay business effective March 31, 2026, ceasing new subscription offers from that date. Consequently, the financial results for the current and prior periods have been restated in accordance with Ind AS 105 "Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations." The reduced loss in the current quarter indicates progress in winding down the unprofitable unit.

Key Financial Metrics

The table below summarises the key financial metrics for the quarter:

What the Numbers Show

The divergence between revenue growth and profit expansion highlights significant margin improvement in the core publishing business. The EBITDA margin expansion to 14.3% from 5.6% year-on-year underscores the scale of operating efficiency gains achieved during the quarter. While revenue grew by nearly 20%, EBITDA from continuing operations more than doubled, suggesting fixed cost absorption efficiencies or favorable mix shifts within the newspaper portfolio. The substantial reduction in the loss from discontinued operations further insulated the bottom line, allowing the group to report near-record quarterly profits. Standalone results mirrored this trend, with standalone net profit rising to ₹50.87 crore from ₹10.03 crore in the previous year, driven by similar dynamics in the holding company's operations.

Hindustan Media Ventures reported a sharp year-on-year improvement in its Q1 consolidated financial results, with net profit more than doubling and revenue registering a healthy uptick compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The results underscore a significant recovery in the company's profitability metrics alongside top-line growth.

Q1 Financial Performance

The company's consolidated net profit surged to 556M rupees in Q1, compared to 261M rupees in the same quarter of the previous year, reflecting a substantial year-on-year increase. On the revenue front, Hindustan Media Ventures posted consolidated revenue of 1.97B rupees, up from 1.64B rupees recorded in the year-ago period.

The following table summarises the key financial metrics for Q1 on a year-on-year basis:

Key Highlights

• Net profit more than doubled on a year-on-year basis, rising from 261M rupees to 556M rupees.
• Revenue grew year-on-year from 1.64B rupees to 1.97B rupees, indicating improved business activity.
• Both top-line and bottom-line metrics showed positive movement compared to the prior-year quarter.

The year-on-year improvement in both revenue and net profit reflects a meaningful strengthening of Hindustan Media Ventures' financial position during the quarter under review.