In an era where OTT platforms are winning living rooms, PVR Inox is making a bold move—it’s going back to the heart of cinema: the South.
The company is investing ₹150 crore to build 100 new screens in FY26. And guess what? Nearly half of them are coming to South India.
Why? Because while North India is still shaking off post-Covid blues, the South is roaring back with footfalls and film fever. People here didn’t just come back to the theatres—they ran.
South India: The New Cinema Capital
“South India never stopped loving the big screen,” says Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director at PVR Inox. In places like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Hubli, and Kumbakonam, new cinemas with 6-9 screens and premium formats like P[XL] and Luxe are being built.
In Telangana, PVR Inox is launching its first massive P[XL] screen—50% bigger than regular ones—and three Luxe cinemas. That’s not just screens. That’s cinema with style.
Tier II Cities, Big Dreams
While the metros are nearly full, the next chapter lies in the heartland. From Agra to Bhubaneswar, from Gangtok to Jabalpur, the multiplex story is expanding into places that were once ignored. Even Leh, Ladakh is getting its first-ever cinema with two screens. But due to harsh winters, they’ll only run eight months a year.
“This isn’t just about metros anymore,” says Bijli. “We’re not just a luxury brand. We’re going local.”
The Underscreened India Problem
India has less than 10,000 screens. For a country of over 1.4 billion people, that’s shocking. Compare that to the US or China, and we’re clearly behind. Only 6% of Indians visit a cinema in a year. The rest stay glued to cheaper options—OTT and TV.
Bijli believes tax relief—like temporary GST cuts—can help. “If we can bring costs down for a few years, we can double India’s screens in the next decade,” he says.
The real question is: Why fight for cinema halls when streaming is so easy?
Because, as Bijli sees it, the big screen isn’t just about watching movies. It’s about watching together. Shared laughter. Group gasps. The feeling of being part of something big. That’s not something you get from a phone screen.
PVR Inox knows this. And with every new screen in the South and beyond, they’re not just selling popcorn—they’re rebuilding culture.
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