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Kuku FM reports Rs 88 Cr revenue in FY24; spends Rs 100 Cr on marketing

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
Kuku FM reports Rs 88 Cr revenue in FY24; spends Rs 100 Cr on marketing
Medial

Audio content platform Kuku FM has grown at an impressive pace over the last two fiscal years. After achieving approximately 12-fold growth in FY23, the Mumbai-based firm has more than doubled its revenue in the fiscal year ending March 2024, while also reducing its losses. Kuku FM’s revenue from operations surged 2.1x year-on-year to Rs 88 crore in FY24, up from Rs 41 crore in FY23, according to its annual financial statements accessed from the Registrar of Companies. Kuku FM offers a diverse range of audio content across genres such as business, self-help, personal finance, history, religion, entertainment, and fitness. Revenue from paywalled subscription sales served as the sole source of income for Kuku FM. The Fundamental-backed company also made Rs 16 crore, primarily from interest on deposits and the sale of current investments, bringing total revenue to Rs 104 crore in FY24, up from Rs 49 crore in FY23. To expand its audio content reach, Kuku FM allocated over 50% of its total cash burn to advertising and marketing, which stood at Rs 102 crore in FY24—an 8.5% increase from FY23. Interestingly, spending on audio content creation was comparatively lower, at Rs 16 crore. According to financial statements, employee benefits for the Mumbai-based company grew by 37% in FY23. Meanwhile, information technology, legal, rent, payment gateway charges, and other overheads pushed total expenditure up by 21.2% to Rs 200 crore in FY24. FY23-FY24 FY23 FY24 EBITDA Margin -234.69% -89.42% Expense/₹ of Op Revenue ₹4.02 ₹2.27 ROCE -91.41% -46.38% The two-fold increase in scale and controlled expenditure helped Kuku FM reduce its losses by 18% to Rs 96 crore in FY24, down from Rs 117 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at -46.38% and -89.42%, respectively. Per unit, it spent Rs 2.27 to earn a rupee in FY24. Note: Kuku FM’s total outstanding losses stood at Rs 289 crore at the end of the previous fiscal year (FY24). Kuku FM has raised $71 million to date, including a $25 million Series C round led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum Partnership in October 2023. The company was last valued at around $185 million. Kuku FM is clearly a case of proving a widely held perception wrong (getting Indians to pay for audio content), and getting rewarded handsomely with funding for the same. For, even while it deserves credit for proving that a market exists, it faces the obvious challenge of finding each of those paying customers at a very high cost. And in the cut throat world of streaming platforms, the cost of keeping its flock together somehow. Multiple well established players means a genre that takes off is likely to be picked up elsewhere as well, and very soon at that. International billings for sticky content is one way out of course. What is interesting is the low investments into audio content creation, indicating a low belief in trying to own exclusive content. A firm to watch, both with some hope and trepidation.

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Pocket FM seeks Rs 85.7 Cr in damages from KuKu FM; rival calls charges motivated

EntrackrEntrackr · 7d ago
Pocket FM seeks Rs 85.7 Cr in damages from KuKu FM; rival calls charges motivated
Medial

The ongoing legal dispute between audio platforms Pocket FM and Kuku FM reached the Delhi High Court on Thursday, with both sides presenting detailed arguments over alleged copyright and trademark violations. Pocket FM has sued Mebigo Labs, which runs Kuku FM, for allegedly copying five of its audio series and is seeking Rs 85.7 crore in damages along with a permanent injunction on the use of its content formats, titles, and artwork. During the virtual hearing, both sides presented their arguments in detail. Pocket FM alleged that Kuku FM has been copying its content for over four years, including shows, thumbnails, episode formats, and overall presentation, to mislead users and draw away its audience. It also pointed to past legal actions that led to content takedowns or temporary relief. In response, Kuku FM denied the broad allegations and told the court that the five disputed series involve significant research and analysis. The company asked for at least two weeks to file a detailed reply. Kuku FM also alleged that Pocket FM’s repeated legal actions are motivated and are timed to disrupt investor and public confidence, especially as the company is preparing for a potential IPO. The court took this into account but focused on the current copyright claims. Acknowledging the complexity of the dispute, the court directed Kuku FM to submit its written response within two weeks. The court also asked the company to provide a Chartered Accountant (CA) certificate detailing the revenue earned from the five allegedly infringing series since their prospective launch dates. Until further notice, Kuku FM has also been restrained from releasing any new episodes of the said shows. The next hearing is scheduled for August 29. The court said that both parties had presented a “balanced approach” in their arguments and decided not to issue any immediate directions on takedowns or relief, allowing the legal process to progress further. This isn’t the first legal clash between the two companies. Since 2022, they’ve filed multiple cases against each other. One was settled in December 2022, after Pocket FM accused KuKu FM of publishing audio summaries of books it held exclusive rights to. More recently, on May 30 this year, the Delhi High Court issued an injunction against KuKu FM in another case filed by Pocket FM, which alleged that KuKu FM had copied its original content, including a voiceover urging listeners to “aage ki kahani ke liye, log in kariye Pocket FM par,” directly mimicking Pocket FM’s format.

Snapdeal records Rs 384 Cr revenue in FY24, adjusted EBITDA loss drops by 88%

EntrackrEntrackr · 6m ago
Snapdeal records Rs 384 Cr revenue in FY24, adjusted EBITDA loss drops by 88%
Medial

Snapdeal records Rs 384 Cr revenue in FY24, adjusted EBITDA loss drops by 88% E-commerce marketplace Snapdeal delivered steady financial results in FY24 as its revenue from operations increased by 2.1%, rising to Rs 379.76 crore in FY24. The company’s cost-reduction measures led to its adjusted EBITDA loss dropping by 88% from Rs 144 crore in FY23 to Rs 16 crore in FY24. It also improved its operating cash flows during the last fiscal year. Snapdeal’s revenue from operations increased by 2.1%, rising to Rs 379.76 crore in FY24 from Rs 371.96 crore in FY23, according to its consolidated financial statements filed with the RoC. Snapdeal’s primary revenue streams include marketing services, e-commerce enablement, and other ancillary sources. Marketing services continued to be the largest contributor, generating Rs 252.55 crore, though it witnessed a dip of 9.6% compared to FY23. Its enablement revenue increased by 14.8% to Rs 103.36 crore, reflecting the platform’s growing traction among value-focused sellers. Additionally, revenue from other sources surged over 8X to Rs 23.85 crore in FY24. Snapdeal’s strategic focus on targeted cost-reduction initiatives led to significant expense savings across multiple categories. The company’s spending on employee benefits reduced by 48.5% to Rs 158.4 crore in FY24 from Rs 307.53 crore in FY23. Promotional costs were also reduced by 23.5% to Rs 70.37 crore during the same period. Overall, the Gurugram-based firm’s total expenditure dropped by 21.4% to Rs 540.76 crore in FY24 from Rs 687.93 crore in FY23. The company’s improved performance was visible in the 43.2% reduction of loss to Rs 160.38 crore in FY24. Further, most of this loss seems to be on account of non-cash heads, including the revaluation of a put option held by Unicommerce investors to the tune of Rs 110 crore, leading to an adjusted EBITDA loss of Rs 16 crore, which shows that the company is nearing its target of reaching profitability. As per the filings, Snapdeal reduced its stake in Unicommerce, generating Rs 33 crore from a secondary sale of 3.4% stakes in May/June 2024 prior to the IPO and an offer for sale of 9.2% stake for Rs 81 crore in the IPO completed in August 2024.

McCain India crosses Rs 1,200 Cr revenue in FY24; profit shrinks 29%

EntrackrEntrackr · 3m ago
McCain India crosses Rs 1,200 Cr revenue in FY24; profit shrinks 29%
Medial

McCain India’s revenue from operations increased by a modest 3% YoY growth to Rs 1,214 crore in FY24, as per its standalone financial statements sourced from the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Among fried snack brands in India, McCain is a major player. The brand has expanded its portfolio to include a range of options, with revenues surpassing Rs 1,200 crore in FY24. Revenue from operations was Rs 1,172 crore in FY23. Income from the sale of its fried products was the sole revenue for McCain. It sells its products through retail, foodservice partnerships, and digital channels such as BlinkIt, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto. The company also added Rs 31 crore, mainly from interest on deposits, resulting in an overall revenue of Rs 1245 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 1189 crore in FY23. Material procurement remained the largest cost driver, accounting for 43.8% of total expenses, rising to Rs 493 crore in FY24. Employee benefit expenses grew by 19%, reaching Rs 100 crore in FY23. Advertising cost surged by 63% to Rs 88 crore in FY24. Total expenditure was Rs 1,125 crore in FY24, up from Rs 1,020 crore in FY23. Net profits reduced by 29.4% to Rs 89 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 126 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margin stood at 15.28% and 4.58% respectively. It spent Rs 0.93 per rupee earned in FY24.

Paytm posts Rs 2,267 Cr revenue in Q4 FY24; remains EBITDA profitable

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Paytm posts Rs 2,267 Cr revenue in Q4 FY24; remains EBITDA profitable
Medial

One97 Communication Private Limited, the parent company of Paytm, on Thursday released its financial results for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending March 2024 (Q4 FY24). Despite the termination of PPBL services, the fintech firm managed to arrest any significant decline in its revenue during the Q4 FY24. Paytm’s revenue from operations decreased a mere 3% to Rs 2,267 crore in Q4 FY24 from Rs 2,334 crore in Q4 FY23, as per the firm’s earning release published on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). In January, ​​RBI had imposed restrictions on Paytm due to concerns regarding compliance with regulatory norms. However, RBI later granted brief relaxation to the company which also received permission from NPCI to participate in UPI through the third-party application provider (TPAP) under the multibank model. On a year-on-year basis, the company’s overall operating revenue in FY24 grew 25% to Rs 9,978 crore from Rs 7,990 crore in FY23. Income from payment services grew 7% YoY to Rs 1,568 crore in Q4 FY24 from Rs 1,467 crore in Q4 FY23 but it was down by 9% QoQ due to a disruption in PPBL services, as per the release. Revenue from merchant subscriptions, financial services, and marketing were other revenue drivers for Paytm. Paytm’s contribution margin stood at 57% including UPI incentives in the fourth quarter of FY24 while the EBITDA before ESOP was recorded at Rs 103 crore during the same period. The slight decrease in revenue, loss in impairment of associates (share loss of Rs 227 crore on PPBL), and non-cash cost of Rs 326 attributed to ESOPs led Paytm to a 2.24X increase in its net losses to Rs 550 crore in Q4 FY24. With the order of not permitted or top-ups in customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, and FASTags from January this year, the firm anticipated a loss of Rs 1,500 crore in revenue and Rs 500 crore in the bottom line in the ongoing fiscal year (FY25). Due to the temporary disruptions in operating metrics (MTU, merchant base, payment GMV) during February and March, the firm expects to have an incremental EBITDA impact of Rs 100- Rs 150 crore in Q1 FY25. As per the company, it should start recovering from Q2 as it is seeing stabilization or growth in consumer and merchant base metrics from April/May. Meanwhile, Paytm is in discussions with NPCI for confirmation of signing up new UPI consumers for its TPAP App. In Q4 FY24, Paytm had lowered marketing spends as it paused most of the user growth spends in the months of February and March. The Noida-based company also added that it expects to reinvest in these areas in the coming financial year. Paytm claimed to optimize its cost structure by leveraging AI capabilities and reducing employee and marketing costs which will help to save around Rs 400-500 crore annually for the company. On the merchant side, its device merchant base has increased marginally but the active device base has declined by ~10 lakh due to higher attrition in February and March. Its subscription revenue was also impacted due to lower new merchant addition, lower active device merchants and temporary rental waiver for ring fencing certain cohorts of merchants.

Ranveer Allahbadia’s Monk-E nears Rs 100 Cr revenue in FY24, profit jumps 59%

EntrackrEntrackr · 5m ago
Ranveer Allahbadia’s Monk-E nears Rs 100 Cr revenue in FY24, profit jumps 59%
Medial

Ranveer Allahbadia’s Monk-E nears Rs 100 Cr revenue in FY24, profit jumps 59% Monk Entertainment, co-founded by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) and Viraj Seth, has capitalized on this trend, generating Rs 100 crore in revenue in the last fiscal year. Monk Entertainment’s revenue from operations recorded a modest 2.2% growth to Rs 97.8 crore in FY24 from Rs 95.8 crore in FY23, its annual financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) show. Monk-E, a full-stack creative digital media agency, specializes in talent management, video production, social media management, and influencer marketing. In FY24, the company generated 86.6% of its revenue from India, with the rest coming from international markets. On the cost side, influencer marketing charges made up 84% of the total expenses, though the cost dipped 2% year-on-year to Rs 77.4 crore in FY24 from Rs 79 crore in FY23. Meanwhile, employee benefit expenses grew 38% to Rs 7.7 crore during the same period. Out of the total influencer marketing charges, Allahbadia and his venture BeerBiceps Media received Rs 7.77 crore for providing technical services to Monk-E. Commission, legal fees, rent, advertising, and other overheads pushed Monk-E's total costs to Rs 92 crore in FY24. Monk-E recorded a 58.9% year-on-year profit increase, with profits rising to Rs 7.23 crore in FY24 from Rs 4.55 crore in FY23. Its ROCE stood at 35.4%, while the EBITDA margin reached 7.86%. On a unit level, the company spent Re 0.94 to earn a rupee. By the end of FY24, Monk-E's total current assets were reported at Rs 28.46 crore, including Rs 5.5 crore in cash and bank balances. While it's probably too early to speculate about the impact on the firm from Allahbadia’s recent controversy, the scale of Monk-E shows how much is at stake. It is crucial for viewers to apply better discretion before believing everything they see and hear from these new-age channels.

MamEarth-parent Honasa posts Rs 1,920 Cr revenue, Rs 110 Cr PAT in FY24

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
MamEarth-parent Honasa posts Rs 1,920 Cr revenue, Rs 110 Cr PAT in FY24
Medial

Honasa Consumer Ltd, the parent firm of the D2C brand MamaEarth, showcased a 28.7% year-on-year growth to near Rs 2,000 crore revenue threshold in FY24. The Gurugram-based firm also posted Rs 110 crore PAT in the same period marking a big turnaround as compared to over Rs 100 crore loss in FY23. Honasa’s revenue from operations grew to Rs 1,920 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,492 crore in FY23, its consolidated financial statements sourced from Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) show. On a sequential basis, the firm saw a modest 3.7% decrease in revenue to Rs 471 crore in Q4 FY24 from Rs 488 crore in Q3 FY24. The sale of beauty, personal care, and related products across skin, hair, and baby care was the sole source of revenue for Honasa. It also made Rs 48 crore from the interest and gain of financial assets, tallying the total revenue to Rs 1,970 crore in FY24. For the D2C brand, its marketing cum advertisement cost is likely to be the largest cost center but the company didn’t disclose the complete expense breakdown while the cost of procurement of materials formed 31.8% of the overall expenditure. Its employee benefits, finance, depreciation, legal, conveyance, and other overheads took the overall expenditure to Rs 1,822 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,501 crore in FY23. The decent scale and controlled costs helped Honasa post a Rs 110 crore profit in FY24 from a loss of Rs 151 crore in FY23. Its ROCE and EBITDA margins improved to 13% and 9.5%, respectively. On a unit level, it spent Rs 0.95 to earn a rupee in FY24. Note 1: The significant loss of Rs 151 crore in FY23 was attributed to the write-off of its Rs 154 crore investment in Just4kids (Momspresso) which was acquired to expand content and influencer management capabilities. Note 2: Honasa has also encountered a legal suit in the UAE in relation to some distribution agreements with RSM General Trading LLC. The company claimed Rs 100 crore of damages from Honasa Ltd. Further, the court in the UAE also ordered Honsa to pay Rs 57.6 crore plus interest. The company, however, is in the process of making an appeal.

Drishti IAS posts Rs 405 Cr revenue and Rs 90 Cr PAT in FY24

EntrackrEntrackr · 6m ago
Drishti IAS posts Rs 405 Cr revenue and Rs 90 Cr PAT in FY24
Medial

Drishti IAS posts Rs 405 Cr revenue and Rs 90 Cr PAT in FY24 Offline coaching firm Drishti IAS Institute crossed Rs 400 crore of revenue during the previous fiscal year ended in March 2024. The profits for the Vikas Divyakirti-led firm touched Rs 90 crore in the same period. Drishti IAS’s revenue from operations increased by 30.6% year-on-year to Rs 405 crore in FY24 from Rs 310 crore in FY23. The Delhi-based company's revenue rose from Rs 40 crore in FY21 to Rs 119 crore in FY22, and further to Rs 310 crore in FY23. The 26-year-old educational platform mainly provides offline coaching for Civil Services Examination (CSE). Income from coaching services accounted for 94.8% of the total operating revenue, which increased by 37.6% to Rs 384 crore in FY24 from Rs 279 crore in FY23. The remaining income is generated from the sale of study materials, including pen drives, books, test papers, and other resources. Drishti IAS operates seven institutes, including two in Delhi, three in Uttar Pradesh, and one each in Jaipur and Indore. Its Mukherjee Nagar Institute is the largest revenue contributor, accounting for 58% of the total coaching income. Employee benefits and faculty charges constituted 40% of its overall cost, increasing by 41% to Rs 117 crore in FY24 from Rs 83 crore in FY23. Drishti IAS's advertising spending also jumped 3.4X to Rs 51 crore in FY24. Drishti IAS's overall expenditure increased to Rs 289 crore in FY24 from Rs 197 crore in FY23. Higher spending on employee benefits and advertising resulted in a modest 3.4% increase in net profits, which rose to Rs 90 crore in FY24 from Rs 87 crore in FY23. The company's ROCE and EBITDA margin were recorded at 55.7% and 33.73%, respectively, while the expense-to-revenue ratio stood at Re 0.71. As of March 2024, the company's total current assets were valued at Rs 88 crore, with cash and bank balances of Rs 54 crore.

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