PVR Inox’s Sanjeev Kumar Bijli On India’s Box Office Recovery, Cinema Expansion & Cannes Acquisitions Haul
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- India's box office hit a record $1.48BN in 2025, outstripping pre-pandemic revenues despite streaming growth, per PVR Inox executive Sanjeev Kumar Bijli.
- PVR Inox posted annual revenue of $700M (INR67.43BN) and profit of $40M for the fiscal year ending March 2026, reducing debt from its 2023 PVR-Inox merger.
- Admissions still trail pre-pandemic levels — 832 million in 2025, down ~19% from 1.03 billion in 2019 — with revenue gains instead driven by higher average ticket prices and premium formats like Luxe Insignia, Imax, 4DX and Screen X.
- The chain operates 1,798 screens across 359 sites in 110-plus cities and plans capital-light expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets by co-investing with mall developers, framing theaters as "someone who irrigates the mall."
- At Cannes, PVR Inox Pictures acquired Fernando Meirelles' "Art" and Doug Liman's "Bitcoin" from Patrick Wachsberger's 193, three Neon horror titles, and five FilmNation packages including "I Play Rocky"; the circuit also distributes Japanese anime after sensing demand for Shinkai's "Suzume."
- More than 120 Indian filmmakers launched the Independent Filmmakers Association of India (IFAI) at Cannes to lobby for better theatrical and streaming access for indie films, prompted by Kanu Behl's "Agra" struggling to secure prime showtimes after its 2023 Directors Fortnight premiere.
Why it matters: PVR Inox's premium-format push and Tier 2/Tier 3 expansion — backed by a $40M profit and $700M in revenue — suggest India's cinema operators are betting that higher ticket prices and upgraded auditoria can offset a stubborn 19% admissions gap, even as local filmmakers organize for better indie screen access.
