In Thursday’s trading session, the shares of a company that owns the brand India’s leading payments and financial services distribution company ‘Paytm’ surged 5.5 percent to Rs. 604.45 on BSE, after the company agreed to sell its Entertainment Ticketing business to Zomato for Rs. 2,048 crore cash.
With a market capitalisation of Rs. 36,595.3 crores, at 11:15 a.m., the shares of One 97 Communications Limited were trading in the green at Rs. 579.35, up by 1.1 percent, as against its previous closing price of Rs. 573.1.
What’s the News:
One 97 Communications Limited (OCL) announced entering into definitive agreements to sell its entertainment ticketing business, which covers movies, sports, and events (live performances) ticketing, to Zomato Limited.
Valued at Rs. 2,048 crores on a cash-free, debt-free basis, this move highlights OCL’s strategic shift towards a stronger focus on payments and financial services distribution.
This transaction involves two main steps: first, OCL will transfer its entertainment ticketing business to its 100 percent subsidiaries, Orbgen Technologies Pvt Ltd (OTPL) and Wasteland Entertainment Pvt Ltd (WEPL). OTPL runs the TicketNew platform, while WEPL manages the Insider platform. Second, OCL will sell its entire stake in these subsidiaries to Zomato.
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Benefits for Paytm following the sale of Ticketing Business:
By divesting its entertainment ticketing segment, Paytm can sharpen its focus on its primary business areas: payments and financial services distribution.
This strategic move allows the company to allocate resources and management attention to its core offerings, which include payments, insurance, equity broking, and wealth distribution.
The transaction also provides Paytm with a substantial cash influx, which is critical for strengthening its balance sheet. The influx can be utilised to strengthen its core financial services, particularly in enhancing its rewards and cash-back programs, which have been under pressure following regulatory actions by the RBI.
This cash can be reinvested into high-growth areas within its core business, helping to improve operational efficiency and potentially recover from recent financial setbacks, including increased losses and regulatory challenges.
With the sale, Paytm can streamline its operations and reduce overhead costs associated with managing a non-core business. This includes the transfer of ~280 existing employees from the entertainment ticketing business to Zomato, which can alleviate some of the salary burdens on Paytm.
More about Paytm’s ticketing business:
The combined entertainment ticketing business achieved Rs. 297 crore in revenue and Rs. 29 crore in Adjusted EBITDA in FY24.
Paytm built its movie ticketing business from the ground up and acquired Insider and TicketNew for Rs. 268 crore between 2017 and 2018.
During a transition period (up to 12 months), the company’s entertainment ticketing business, including movies, sports, and events will remain available on the Paytm app, as well as on the TicketNew and Insider platforms.
Financials:
The company has reported a decline in revenue from operations, with a 36 percent YoY fall from Rs. 2,342 crores in Q1FY24 to Rs. 1,502 crores in Q1FY25.
Similarly, the net loss increased by 134.6 percent YoY from a loss of Rs. 358 crores to a loss of Rs. 840 crores, during the same period.
In recent quarters, OCL has broadened its portfolio to include insurance, equity broking, and wealth distribution, positioning itself as a key player in financial services with significant opportunities for cross-selling and market expansion.
In the future, the company expect revenue and profitability to improve, driven by growth in operating parameters such as GMV, an expanding merchant base, recovery in loan distribution business and continued focus on cost optimization.
Stock Performance:
The shares of One 97 Communications delivered negative returns of nearly 34 percent in one year as well as around 12.5 percent of negative returns year-to-date.
About the company:
Incorporated in 2000, One 97 Communications (Paytm) Limited is one of India’s leading payment solutions providers in India with a digital ecosystem offering consumers and merchants a wide range of services including comprehensive payment solutions, payment facilitator services, facilitation of consumer and merchant lending, wealth management, insurance broking services, and more.
Written by Shivani Singh
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