Zee Entertainment up 8% on report that it will pay $10 mn to IndusInd Bank

The settling of dues of about Rs 83.7 crore to the lender could happen as early as Friday, and IndusInd Bank could withdraw its insolvency proceedings against the media company

Zee
(Photo: Bloomberg)
SI Reporter Mumbai
2 min read Last Updated : Mar 16 2023 | 2:39 PM IST
Shares of Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) moved higher by 8 per cent to Rs 204.25 on the BSE in Thursday's intra-day trade on report that the company has agreed to pay dues to IndusInd Bank. Besides, the lender has likelya greed to withdraw the insolvency case.

"ZEEL has agreed to repay dues owed to IndusInd Bank as the company seeks to resolve insolvency proceedings initiated against it, and inch closer to completing a merger with a Sony Group unit to create a $10 billion media giant," a Bloomberg report said.

The settling of dues of about Rs 83.7 crore ($10 million) to the lender could happen as early as Friday, and the Mumbai-based bank has agreed to withdraw its insolvency proceedings against the media company once the repayment is made, the news agency reported. CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT

Last month, on February 24, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decided to put a stay on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) order admitting insolvency proceeding against ZEEL. The case will be heard on March 29.

Siti Networks (sister concern of ZEEL) had taken a loan from IndusInd bank wherein ZEEL stood as a guarantor. Since Siti Networks was unable to pay, IndusInd bank invoked the guarantee and made ZEEL a party to it. Amount under consideration is Rs 83.1 crore.

ZEEL is one of the largest listed media companies in India, which owns and operates a bouquet of 49 TV channels across 11 languages and also an OTT app Zee5.

In the past three months, ZEEL has underperformed the market by falling 19 per cent as concerns of the ongoing arbitration issue delaying the merger timeline with Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPNI), weighing on the sentiment. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 6 per cent during the period. The underperformance of the stock was also owing to promoter debt issue and business challenges.

"Key triggers for future price performance are turnaround in some key regional markets like Tamil/Marathi as well as Hindi GEC, where it has lost viewership market share. This would also drive a recovery in margin performance and cash flow generation," analysts at ICICI Securities had said in a December quarter result update.

One subscription. Two world-class reads.

Already subscribed? Log in

Subscribe to read the full story →
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

Topics :Buzzing stocksZee EntertainmentMarkets

Next Story