PVR INOX narrows losses on blockbuster Q1; Sanjeev Bijli cites strong content and value deals as key drivers
PVR INOX
on Wednesday announced a significant turnaround in its financial performance, narrowing its consolidated loss after tax to Rs 54.5 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2025. This marks a substantial improvement from the Rs 179 crore loss reported in the corresponding period last fiscal. The company's consolidated revenue from operations surged to Rs 1,469.1 crore, up from Rs 1,190.7 crore in the year-ago period.
According to Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR INOX, the robust performance was the result of a multi-pronged strategy. "You know, I think it's a combination of factors. One of the important drivers is the film pipeline, and this quarter has been very strong for Hindi, English, and regional films," Bijli said in an interview with ETRetail.
The return of major Hollywood tentpoles after a lull was another critical factor. "Hollywood films came back with a bang... we had Mission: Impossible, F1, Superman, and Fantastic Four all getting released in the summer. And generally, summer is a great time for us," he added.
Beyond content, a conscious effort to enhance the physical
movie-going experience
played a key role. "We've been very, very much focusing on getting the physical product right, and along with the softer issues such as training and development, service standards, housekeeping, and security."
This was complemented by aggressive marketing initiatives, most notably the "₹99 Tuesdays" deal. "We're doing about four to five lakh admissions every Tuesday now, as compared to a lakh, lakh and a half," Bijli stated. He also mentioned that affordable food and beverage promotions and premium formats like IMAX and 4DX have been crucial in reviving footfalls.
The company continues to pursue a dual strategy, investing in high-margin premium formats while using value deals to rebuild the cinema habit. PVR INOX plans to add three more IMAX screens and ten more 4DX installations this year. At the same time, the successful Tuesday value offer will be a long-term strategy.
"We will continue it, because the four to five-time increase in admissions more than compensates for the lower ticket price and lower spend per head," Bijli confirmed. He highlighted that the promotion is successfully bringing in new audiences and increasing the frequency of visits. "We've seen a delta of 40% new customers... We are recreating that habit of going to the cinema. It happens to most of us; you'll watch one good film, and it entices you to watch another because you've enjoyed the experience so much."
The success of ten films crossing the ₹100 crore mark in a single quarter has raised hopes that the industry might be entering a more stable and dependable cycle. Bijli believes this trend is here to stay, partly attributing it to a weariness with streaming platforms.
"I think there could be a bit of an OTT fatigue as well. You know, we're all social animals, and we can't be cooped up at home for long," he said. "Cinemas provide that community viewing and an opportunity to get together and meet with friends. That's what has helped us establish the concept of movie-going again and driven the admissions up."
Looking ahead, the company is optimistic about its Q2 performance, banking on a strong upcoming film pipeline. After a July that Bijli described as "overwhelming," all eyes are on the long weekend in August.
"We have all eyes on two films coming out on August 14, which are
War 2
and Coolie. The trailers have been very well accepted. It's a long weekend, so all the ingredients are there for the films to do well. September also looks good with Baaghi, which is a very established franchise, and Jolly LLB, which is also a very established franchise... So based on the movie pipeline, I'm keeping my hopes high and my fingers crossed."
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