Ajay Bijli aims to reposition India’s leading multiplex chain as a comprehensive out-of-home entertainment hub, leveraging new formats and markets to drive growth beyond traditional movie screenings.
Ajay Bijli wants PVR INOX to be more than a place to watch films. The managing director of India’s biggest multiplex chain says the company’s ambition is to become the country’s leading out-of-home entertainment destination, a shift that accelerated after the pandemic forced a rethink of how cinemas attract audiences.
That strategy is already showing up in the numbers. PVR INOX reported a consolidated net profit of ₹56.5 crore for the quarter ended June 2026, reversing a loss of ₹54.5 crore a year earlier, while revenue rose 11.9% year-on-year to ₹1,622.2 crore. The improvement was driven by stronger ticket sales and higher spending on food and beverages, and market reaction was positive, with the stock rising after the results.
Bijli says the company is no longer relying only on new film releases to bring in patrons. Alongside the latest movies, PVR INOX is screening sports, re-releases, alternative content and even private events. The chain now operates 1,780 screens across 355 cinemas in 113 cities, and it is looking at more uses for its real estate, including expanded food and beverage offerings, gaming and other entertainment formats.
The turnaround in business has also reinforced a broader change in strategy. Bijli says the company has learned not only to maximise its assets, but also to monetise its brand more aggressively. That has led PVR INOX to push a more capital-efficient franchise-owned, company-operated model in selected markets, helping it move to a net cash position in the June quarter, according to the company’s reporting.
Growth is still central to the plan. Bijli says PVR INOX aims to add 1,000 screens over the next five years, with much of the opportunity seen in tier-two and tier-three markets where cinema penetration remains low. The first of its SMART cinema formats opened in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, and the company has identified about 300 growth towns for further expansion, while still being willing to invest more heavily in the south of India, where movie-going remains especially strong.
The family business that became PVR INOX has also evolved with the next generation. Bijli’s children are now involved in projects ranging from cinema design to expansion into new locations, including one in Gurgaon tied to IKEA. At the same time, he is broadening the experience inside the theatres themselves, from luxury lounges to sushi on the menu, part of a food and beverage push that Bijli says now contributes 31% of annual turnover of ₹6,700 crore.
Away from cinemas, Bijli is reviving another long-running passion: music. He has formed a classic rock band, Random Order, and is preparing to release an independent EP, On Another Note…, in collaboration with composer Amit Trivedi and lyricist Shellee. For now, though, his main pitch remains unchanged: cinemas can still be central to Indian entertainment, so long as they give people enough reason to walk through the doors.
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