Liqvd Digital plans Rs 10.59 crore hubs and 44 hires

Liqvd Digital India Limited plans to spend Rs 10.59 crore of net issue proceeds on full-scale video-content production hubs in Mumbai and Gurgaon. The plan assigns Rs 3.89 crore to 44 hires, which would raise permanent employee count from 53 on July 31, 2026 to 97, while the company had not signed leases or placed equipment orders as of the prospectus date.

Why is Liqvd Digital building two video-production hubs?

Liqvd Digital is building the two video-production hubs to shift larger content-production assignments from external partners to in-house teams. Its current Mumbai studio is described as a compact green-screen setup used for internal interviews, founder videos and explainers, whereas the proposed facilities would have larger spaces, updated equipment and dedicated creative teams.

The Rs 10.59 crore allocation was approved by the board on August 17, 2026 and covers capital expenditure, operating expenditure and other costs. Capital expenditure, or CapEx, includes fit-outs and equipment, while operating expenditure, or OpEx, includes employee costs, rentals and recurring operating needs. The proposed hubs would offer television and digital commercials, corporate films, animation, artificial-intelligence content, editing, subtitling, multilingual translation, podcast recording and studio rental.

Liqvd Digital says in-house end-to-end production could produce savings of 15% to 20% per project by reducing outsourcing. That is a company estimate, not a reported result, and depends on the hubs being completed, staffed and supplied with enough client work. The proposed commercial model also includes studio rentals, content retainers and agency partnerships, which the company identifies as potential revenue-generating services.

The company links the expansion to estimated growth in Indian short-form video consumption from around 200 million viewers in 2020 to 600 million to 650 million daily consumers by the end of 2025. Short-form video is defined in the disclosure as mobile-oriented vertical clips generally lasting five to 90 seconds, although some definitions extend to 10 minutes. The cited daily users were estimated to spend roughly 55 to 60 minutes on such content.

How will Liqvd Digital allocate the Rs 10.59 crore budget?

Liqvd Digital will allocate its largest video-hub budget component, Rs 3.89 crore, to 12 months of human-resource costs, followed by Rs 2.67 crore for deposits and 12 months of lease rentals. These two components total Rs 6.56 crore, or about 62% of the Rs 10.59 crore plan, making staff recruitment and premises selection the largest execution requirements.

Liqvd Digital expects to deploy Rs 7.75 crore in Fiscal 2027 and Rs 2.84 crore in Fiscal 2028. The equipment allocation includes Rs 1.32 crore for devices and Rs 24.77 lakh for studio production equipment, although the category total in the company’s cost table is Rs 1.56 crore. The company says any costs not specified in the prospectus, including increases in estimates, would be funded through internal accruals.

The cost estimates are based on quotations from a real-estate broker, architect, equipment suppliers and a recruitment agency. The company states that it has not incurred costs for a full-scale video-content production hub in the preceding three fiscals. It also states that goods and services tax on fit-outs will be capitalised in accordance with applicable law.

What will Liqvd Digital's Mumbai and Gurgaon hubs contain?

Liqvd Digital plans approximately 3,500 square feet of carpet area at each hub, for about 7,000 square feet across Mumbai and Gurgaon. Fit-outs are budgeted at Rs 1.23 crore per hub, including taxes, duties and local levies, and include soundproofing, acoustic cladding, partitions, flooring, workstations, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, and electrical work.

Mumbai’s Rs 1.56 crore lease allocation comprises a Rs 52.06 lakh deposit, calculated for six months, and Rs 1.04 crore of rent for 12 months. Gurgaon’s Rs 1.11 crore allocation comprises a Rs 36.96 lakh deposit and Rs 73.92 lakh of leasing cost. Mumbai estimates are based on super area, while Gurgaon estimates use carpet area and include common-area-maintenance charges in addition to rent.

The proposed device list includes eight Mac Studio units, 12 MacBook Pro units, 26 MacBook Air units, storage servers, external storage drives, monitors and audio accessories. Production equipment includes four Sony Alpha A7 IV camera bodies, lenses, gimbals, lights, microphones and a recorder. Liqvd Digital says it intends to buy new equipment in ready-to-use condition and does not intend to purchase second-hand equipment.

Liqvd Digital’s current equipment count was 47 laptops and four desktops on July 31, 2026. After the hub setup, the company projects 92 laptops and 12 desktops, an increase of 45 laptops and eight desktops. This equipment deployment is intended to support editing, graphic design, production, client servicing, sales and artificial-intelligence content work at the two facilities.

How much will Liqvd Digital's workforce increase?

Liqvd Digital plans to hire 44 people, or 22 for each hub, increasing permanent headcount by about 83% from 53 employees on July 31, 2026 to 97 after setup. The company expects to build a core team of about 44 professionals across the two hubs and says hiring will be phased and concluded before September 30, 2027.

The planned annual cost to company, or CTC, for the 44 hires is Rs 3.59 crore, with hiring fees of Rs 29.92 lakh. CTC includes fixed salary, statutory contributions and human-resources overheads. The 44 roles include motion-graphics designers, video editors, artificial-intelligence creators, producers, script writers, graphic designers, client-servicing staff, business-development and strategy personnel, sales executives, sales interns and production leads.

Each 22-person hub is budgeted at Rs 1.54 crore of annual compensation and Rs 14.96 lakh of hiring fees. The highest listed annual CTC is Rs 20 lakh for a senior business-development and strategy role, while the listed sales-intern CTC is Rs 2.40 lakh per employee. The staffing budget assumes that personnel can be hired at compensation derived from a recruitment-agency quotation dated August 26, 2026.

The planned recruitment follows a rise in employee-benefit expenses relative to revenue, though the disclosed financial bases differ. Employee-benefit expenses were Rs 23.24 crore, or 38.58% of revenue from operations, in consolidated Fiscal 2026, compared with Rs 4.50 crore, or 18.09%, in standalone Fiscal 2025. Revenue from operations was Rs 60.24 crore in Fiscal 2026 and Rs 24.87 crore in Fiscal 2025.

What could affect the video-hub timetable?

Liqvd Digital’s stated implementation schedule is to begin design, interiors and fit-outs in October 2026, complete the studios in March 2027 and begin operations in April 2027. The schedule relies on selecting premises, completing fit-outs, procuring equipment and hiring personnel within the estimates and deployment periods approved by the board on August 17, 2026.

The disclosure also lists expected possession in October 2027 for both Mumbai and Gurgaon premises, creating a timing difference from the March 2027 completion and April 2027 operating schedule. Liqvd Digital has not explained how the possession dates align with the earlier setup timetable. The company says it may consider other locations, another city or a different office size based on business requirements and market conditions.

As of the prospectus date, Liqvd Digital had not entered into definitive agreements for office leases, infrastructure, contractors or equipment, and had deployed no funds toward equipment purchases. Equipment quotations have limited validity, including 90 days for one supplier quote, and the company states that actual costs may change if quotes expire or suppliers differ. Additional costs are proposed to be met from internal accruals.

Liqvd Digital says no material approvals were required for the offices as of the prospectus date. At the time of setup, it expects to obtain applicable registrations and licences under shops-and-establishments legislation, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, and fire-safety no-objection certificate requirements. These operational steps, along with lease execution and supplier engagement, remain necessary for the planned hubs to begin operating.

Conclusion

Liqvd Digital’s Rs 10.59 crore video-hub plan is primarily a capacity and staffing expansion, with Rs 6.56 crore directed to leased premises and personnel and Rs 4.02 crore directed to fit-outs, devices and equipment. The proposed 44 hires would take permanent headcount to 97, while the two hubs are intended to replace dependence on external partners for larger production assignments.

The next disclosed milestones are the October 2026 start of design and fit-outs, March 2027 completion and April 2027 commencement of operations. Execution should be assessed against the separate disclosure of October 2027 expected possession for both sites, as well as whether Liqvd Digital executes leases, supplier contracts and recruitment before quotations expire or costs require internal-accrual funding.