BENGALURU: Hindi newspaper ‘Hindustan’, Hindi socio cultural magazine ‘Kadambini’ and children’s Hindi magazine ‘Nandan’ publishers Hindustan Media Ventures Limited (HMVL - not to be confused with HT Media Limited of Hindustan Times, Mint and Fever FM fame) reported a 21.1 per cent growth in Total Income from operations (TIO) in Q1-2015 to Rs 222.6 crore as compared to the Rs 183.88 crore in Q4-2014 and 18 per cent more than the Rs 177.3 crore in Q1-2014.

HMVL Q1-2015 PAT at Rs 33.9 crore (15.3 per cent of TIO) was 24.6 per cent more than the Rs 27.21 crore (14.8 per cent of TOI) reported in the immediate trailing quarter and 11.9 per cent more than the Rs 30.30 crore (16.1 per cent of TOI) in the year ago quarter Q1-2014.

Let us look at the other numbers reported by HMVL for Q1-2015

HMVL’s total expenditure (TE) in Q1-2015 at Rs 167.2 crore (75.1 per cent of TIO) was 7.5 per cent more than Rs 155.58 crore (84.6 per cent of TIO) in Q4-2014 and 18.8 per cent more than the Rs 140.7 crore (74.6 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2014.

A major component of the total expenditure is raw materials (RM) consumed. HMVL’s RM in Q1-2015 at Rs 86.80 crore (51.9 per cent of TE) was 7.5 per cent more than the Rs 80.76 crore (51.9 per cent of TE) in Q4-2014 and 26.7 per cent more than the Rs 68.5 crore (48.7 per cent of TE) in Q1-2014.

 Y-o-Y the company attributes its growth to 17 per cent increase in advertising revenues to Rs 155.50 crore from Rs 132.60 crore primarily due to increase in advertising yields and a 17 per cent increase in circulation revenues to Rs  49.3 crore from Rs 42.1 crore primarily due to higher circulation and realisation per copy. 

HMVL chairperson Shobna Bhartia said, “We have started the new financial year well and the first quarter saw a healthy growth in both revenue and profit. This was the result of growth in advertising, driven by our strong performance in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and supported by our continuing dominance in Bihar and Jharkhand. With a strong brand, growing readership, and a healthy balance sheet we are confident of continuing to deliver value to our shareholders.”