Century Business Media’s Bihar Share Fell as Sales Diversified

Century Business Media Limited reduced Bihar’s share of geographical sales to 35.56% in FY 2025-26 from 53.53% in FY 2023-24, as total sales increased to Rs 46.43 crore from Rs 32.03 crore. Jharkhand and Delhi accounted for much of the changed mix, while Bihar remained the largest individual geography.

How far did Century Business Media’s Bihar sales share fall?

Century Business Media’s Bihar sales share fell by 17.97 percentage points between FY 2023-24 and FY 2025-26. Bihar contributed Rs 16.51 crore, or 35.56% of FY 2025-26 standalone sales, compared with Rs 17.15 crore, or 53.53% of FY 2023-24 consolidated sales. The lower percentage therefore reflects growth in other locations as well as a Rs 0.64 crore decline in Bihar sales across the two reported periods.

The comparison carries a reporting distinction. FY 2025-26 and FY 2024-25 geographical sales are standalone figures, whereas FY 2023-24 sales are consolidated figures. Bihar’s share had already declined to 44.77% in standalone FY 2024-25, when Bihar sales were Rs 16.41 crore and total sales were Rs 36.65 crore; in FY 2025-26, Bihar sales increased by Rs 0.10 crore while total sales increased by Rs 9.78 crore.

Bihar nevertheless remained Century Business Media’s largest geography in FY 2025-26, ahead of Jharkhand at 21.19% and Delhi at 15.43%. These three geographies made up 72.18% of FY 2025-26 sales, showing that the business had become less dependent on Bihar but still derived more than seven-tenths of sales from three markets.

Which geographies changed Century Business Media’s sales mix?

Jharkhand and Delhi recorded the largest expansion in Century Business Media’s reported sales mix. Jharkhand sales increased to Rs 9.84 crore in FY 2025-26 from Rs 2.86 crore in FY 2023-24, raising its share to 21.19% from 8.94%. Delhi sales rose to Rs 7.16 crore from Rs 3.07 crore, lifting its share to 15.43% from 9.57%.

The one-year standalone comparison shows that growth in both markets continued through FY 2025-26. Jharkhand sales rose by Rs 3.72 crore from Rs 6.12 crore in FY 2024-25, while Delhi sales rose by Rs 4.79 crore from Rs 2.37 crore. Delhi produced the largest absolute increase among the reported geographies between FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26.

West Bengal generated Rs 4.25 crore, or 9.16% of FY 2025-26 sales, compared with Rs 2.43 crore, or 7.59%, in FY 2023-24. The category labelled Others increased to Rs 2.40 crore, or 5.16%, from Rs 0.63 crore, or 1.96%; Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Assam together accounted for Rs 5.17 crore in FY 2025-26.

What operating footprint supports Century Business Media outside Bihar?

Century Business Media supports sales across locations through airport, railway, metro and city out-of-home advertising. Out-of-home, or OOH, advertising is media displayed outside the home, such as billboards, airport displays and railway assets. The company has an operational presence in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and north-eastern states, while serving other areas through direct rights, exchange arrangements and third-party media assets.

Century Business Media holds exclusive advertising rights at five airports: Patna, Ranchi, Deoghar, Darbhanga and Jorhat. It also holds non-exclusive rights at Dimapur and Lilabari, marketing rights at Gaya, Agartala and Silchar, and exclusive rights outside station campuses across 714 stations in the East Central Railway zone’s Danapur, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Samastipur and Sonepur divisions.

The company began metro media operations in 2024 and holds Platform Screen Door advertising rights at Howrah and Esplanade metro stations. Platform Screen Doors are automated doors on metro platforms that align with train doors; Century Business Media uses their surfaces for static advertising. For client campaigns where it lacks direct rights, the company may procure temporary media space from third-party hoarding owners, making campaign demand and asset availability relevant to sales outside its core operating areas.

How does Century Business Media’s service mix relate to sales diversification?

Airport Out-of-Home advertising was Century Business Media’s largest service category in FY 2025-26, contributing Rs 28.57 crore, or 61.52%, of revenue from operations. Its share increased from 49.62% on Rs 18.19 crore in FY 2024-25, while Railway Out-of-Home advertising contributed Rs 11.52 crore, or 24.82%, compared with Rs 10.53 crore, or 28.73%, a year earlier.

Metro Out-of-Home advertising generated Rs 1.17 crore, or 2.52%, in FY 2025-26, compared with Rs 0.69 crore, or 1.89%, in FY 2024-25. City Out-of-Home advertising, flex and mounting generated Rs 5.11 crore, or 11.01%, in FY 2025-26. These categories are service classifications rather than geographic disclosures, so the reported figures do not assign airport, railway or metro revenue to individual states.

Revenue from operations increased to Rs 46.43 crore in FY 2025-26 from Rs 36.65 crore in FY 2024-25 and Rs 32.03 crore in consolidated FY 2023-24. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, or EBITDA, increased to Rs 8.58 crore from Rs 7.18 crore year on year, although EBITDA margin declined to 18.47% from 19.58%.

What must happen for the broader sales mix to continue?

Century Business Media’s broader mix will depend on sales outside Bihar continuing to grow faster than Bihar sales and on the availability of advertising rights and third-party inventory. The company states that campaign demand, operational feasibility, necessary approvals and prevailing market conditions affect its plans to expand formats and coverage.

Century Business Media has secured sole advertising rights for the new terminal at Patna Airport and intends, through the objectives of the issue, to purchase static media at railway stations in Bihar and Jharkhand. The company may also introduce Digital Out-of-Home advertising in city-based OOH operations, expand hoarding coverage and install digital assets, subject to business viability and the conditions it identifies in its risk factors.

The company also plans to enter relatively untapped parts of the north-eastern states and may selectively acquire assets from smaller asset holders. Those plans could broaden its operating coverage, but the disclosed strategy does not specify revenue targets, a timeline for sales by geography, or the eventual share expected from Bihar, Jharkhand or Delhi.

Conclusion

Century Business Media’s FY 2025-26 sales profile was less concentrated in Bihar because total sales grew by Rs 14.40 crore from FY 2023-24 while Bihar sales were lower by Rs 0.64 crore. Jharkhand and Delhi together increased their combined share to 36.62% from 18.51%, while airport advertising increased its share of revenue from operations to 61.52%.

The next developments to watch are the use of sole rights at Patna Airport’s new terminal, the planned purchase of railway media in Bihar and Jharkhand, and any progress on Digital Out-of-Home and north-eastern expansion. Those disclosed initiatives remain subject to approvals, demand, viability and operating conditions, and the company has not set a geographic sales target for them.