Hindustan Media Ventures Limited has released its Q3 FY26 earnings call transcript while simultaneously seeking shareholder approval for the appointment of Shri Sameer Singh as Managing Director. The company demonstrated stable operational performance during the quarter with positive momentum in its core print segment.

Q3 FY26 Financial Performance

The company's print business showed resilient performance with sequential gains led by advertising revenue uptick and steady circulation base. The print segment reported healthy margin expansion during the quarter.

Segment-wise Performance Analysis

The English print segment demonstrated strong performance with advertising revenue of Rs. 179.00 crores, showing 16% sequential growth despite festive calendar shifts. Circulation revenue remained steady sequentially with 8% year-on-year growth.

Hindi print segment experienced marginal decline of 4% year-on-year in advertising, primarily due to high base effects. Circulation revenue of Rs. 38.00 crores held steady for the Hindi segment.

Managing Director Appointment Process

Concurrently, the company has issued a postal ballot notice dated February 3, 2026, seeking shareholder approval for appointing Shri Sameer Singh as Managing Director. Singh, currently serving as Chief Executive Officer and Group CEO of HT Media Limited, will be appointed for a five-year term starting March 1, 2026.

The proposed remuneration structure includes basic salary of Rs. 243.00 lakhs annually with ceiling limit of Rs. 316.00 lakhs, housing allowance up to Rs. 121.00 lakhs with Rs. 158.00 lakhs ceiling, and special allowance of Rs. 44.00 lakhs with Rs. 59.00 lakhs ceiling.

Management Commentary and Outlook

During the earnings call, management highlighted consistent operational progress characterized by stable topline performance and steady growth in overall profitability. The core print segment continues demonstrating resilience with growth on both annual and sequential basis, driven by strong advertising performance in English language titles.

Management noted that pricing improvements and disciplined cost management contributed to margin expansion. Newsprint costs remained lower than previous year, supporting profitability improvements. The company maintained tight control over discretionary spending including marketing and administrative expenses.

Digital Business Growth

The digital segment delivered strong performance with operating revenue of Rs. 67.00 crores, representing 30% year-on-year growth and 9% sequential improvement. While the segment reported losses of Rs. 23.00 crores, margins showed significant improvement both sequentially and annually, validating the company's digital-first strategy.

Hindustan media ventures has reported a significant decline in its operational performance during the third quarter, with the company's EBITDA turning negative. The media company posted an EBITDA loss of ₹7.60 million in Q3, marking a stark contrast to the gain of ₹18.00 million recorded in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Financial Performance Overview

The year-on-year comparison reveals the extent of the operational challenges faced by the company during the quarter. The swing from positive to negative EBITDA represents a total deterioration of ₹25.60 million in operational performance.

Operational Impact

The negative EBITDA indicates that Hindustan Media Ventures faced operational headwinds during the third quarter, with the company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization falling into negative territory. This metric is crucial for assessing a company's operational efficiency and core business profitability.

The transition from a positive EBITDA of ₹18.00 million in the previous year's third quarter to a loss of ₹7.60 million highlights the challenges in the media sector and the company's specific operational difficulties during this period. This performance metric reflects the company's ability to generate cash flow from its core business operations before accounting for financing and accounting decisions.