DB Corp reports 2% revenue growth in H1 FY25, digital user base soars to 19.5 million

DB Corp Limited's total revenue grew by 2 percent to Rs 1,198 crore in the first half of FY2025 as against Rs 1,175 crore in the same period of FY24.

The company's ad revenue grew by 1 percent to Rs 829 crore in 1H FY25 while the circulating revenue stood at Rs 236 crore.

Additionally, DB Corp Limited posted advertisement revenue CAGR growth of 20 percent since FY2021. The revenue increased from Rs 1,008 crore in fiscal year 2021 to Rs 1,752 crore in FY24. However, extended monsoon till August and September 2023 in markets like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat slowed down the economic activities and consumer spending, impacting overall ad spending in the second quarter of FY25.

The company's Profit after tax (PAT) witnessed a 44 percent CAGR growth in the last years to Rs 425 crore in FY24.

The media company said its radio business-led industry grew with an 11% YoY rise in advertising revenue to Rs 801 million.

According to the company, the newsprint prices remained soft in H1 of FY 2025.

DB Corp said that the average cost for newsprint reduced to Rs 47,450 PMT in 1h FY2025 from Rs 54,050 PMT last year resulting in a newsprint cost reduction of 18 percent YoY.

The company said it would continue to focus on the digital business. DB Corp registered tremendous growth, rising from 2 million users in January 2020 to 19.5 million (approx.) in August 2024.

"For our digital mobile app visibility and spread, we are now focusing on 14 states including Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand for our mobile visibility and presence," the company said.

"In Q2 FY25, we did not meet our revenue growth targets, primarily due to the extended monsoon season, which slowed market activity and consumer spending, and a high base effect - Q2FY24 was an exceptionally strong quarter bolstered by significant advertising driven by state elections filled environment. We believe will continue our growth trajectory in the coming quarters to meet our long-term growth strategy as we are actively adapting to current market conditions. Our Digital Business is thriving, with continued growth in MAUs to almost 20 million as of August 2024, despite monetizing on a pilot basis," Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Corp Ltd said.