# PVR INOX

PVR INOX Limited is an Indian multiplex chain. It was formed in 2023 as a result of the merger between PVR Cinemas and INOX Leisure Limited. PVR pioneered the multiplex revolution in India by establishing the first multiplex cinema in 1997 at Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. In 2022, PVR Cinemas achieved the milestone of completing 25 years in the business. As of December 2024, PVR INOX operates 1,749 screens across 355 properties in 111 cities, including locations in India and Sri Lanka. In February 2025, PVR INOX achieved its best quarterly performance in the past five quarters, recording its highest advertising revenue to date.

## History

The current company name reflects the 2023 merger between PVR Cinemas and INOX Leisure.
In February 2024, the company launched India's first-ever standalone IMAX theatre with 4K projection with laser, EROS INOX IMAX Cinema with 305 seating capacity by refurbishing the 1200 seater, 86-year-old heritage Eros Cinema in Churchgate, Mumbai.
In April 2024, the company launched its first megaplex in South India at Bangalore's Phoenix Mall of Asia with a seating capacity of 1997 people. Out of the 14 screens in the megaplex, one is in multi-sensory MX4D format, one is in large-screen format ScreenX, three are in luxury format, and nine premiere auditoriums have last-row celebrity plush recliners. While MX4D offers an immersive 4D film experience, ScreenX offers 270-degree cinema viewing.

### PVR Cinemas

PVR Cinemas has its origin as Priya Cinema in Vasant Vihar, Delhi; the cinema was named after Priya Jaisinghani and was bought by Ajay Bijli's father in 1978, who also owned a trucking business, Amritsar Transport Co. In 1988, Bijli took over the running of the cinema hall, which was revamped in 1990, and its success led to the founding of PVR Cinemas.
The company started as a joint venture agreement between Priya Exhibitors Private Limited and Village Roadshow of Australia in 1995 with a 60:40 ratio. It began its commercial operations in June 1997 as Priya Village Roadshow. The company was founded by Ajay Bijli, who is the chairman and managing director of PVR Cinemas. Ajay Bijli's brother Sanjeev Kumar Bijli is the Joint Managing Director of PVR Ltd. The company also operates a pro-active CSR wing under PVR. In 2003, ICICI Ventures invested ₹40 crore in PVR when Village Roadshow decided to pull out of the partnership. The first PVR Gold Screen was introduced in Forum Mall, Bengaluru.
In 2006, the shares of the Company were listed on the. National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay. Stock Exchange (BSE).
In 2007, PVR Cinemas ventured into film production with PVR Pictures producing films like 'Taare Zameen Par' and 'Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na' in its initial years.
In 2012, PVR Cinemas partnered with entertainment technology pioneer IMAX to introduce the first-ever IMAX experience in Bengaluru. Following this, they went on to establish 21 IMAX screens across India.

### INOX Leisure

INOX Leisure or INOX Movies was an Indian multiplex chain based in Mumbai. The company was incorporated as a public limited company in November 1999. It is a subsidiary of INOX Group (Industrial Oxygen) of companies. In 2002, the company commenced its operation by opening its first four-screen multiplex at Pune and another four-screen multiplex at Vadodara. In 2004, multiplexes were added in Kolkata, Goa, and Mumbai.
In 2006, the company went public by issuing 1,65,00,000 equity shares of ₹10 each with pricing of ₹120 per share consisting of a fresh issue of 1,20,00,000 equity shares of ₹10 each and an offer for sale of 45,00,000 equity shares of ₹10 each by Gujarat Fluorochemicals.
Over the years, more screens were added in cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Darjeeling, Kota, Rajasthan, Lucknow, Madurai and Coimbatore.
In 2006, INOX acquired 89 Cinemas, owned by Calcutta Cinema Private Ltd (CCPL), in a share swap deal, giving INOX ownership of nine multiplexes in West Bengal and Assam.
INOX acquired Satyam Cineplexes Limited by way of acquisition of 100% of the equity share capital from its existing shareholders which is valued at ₹182 crores giving them ownership of multiplexes in NCR, Mysuru and other regions.
According to INOX’s Director Siddharth Jain, in 2018, the Metro INOX multiplex at Mumbai became India's first cinema to be powered by solar power. In 2021, the company installed electric vehicle charging station at its multiplex in Pune and Vadodara.
As of December 2022, INOX had 170 multiplexes and 722 screens in 74 cities of the country. INOX Leisure Limited was the entertainment venture of the INOX Group.

## Corporate affairs

The head office is in Andheri, Mumbai.

## Mergers and acquisitions
### CineMAX

Cinemax India Ltd was an Indian cinema chain which owned 138 screens across 39 properties in India, including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Kanpur, Bhopal and Nashik. It was previously owned by the Kanakia group but later bought by Cine Hospitality Private Ltd, a subsidiary of PVR Cinemas. The acquired properties were renamed as PVR Cinemas in a phased manner over the years.

### DT Cinemas

In May 2016, DLF group owned DT Cinemas was bought by PVR Cinemas for ₹500 crore (US$58 million). The properties were later rebranded as PVR.

### SPI Cinemas

SPI Cinemas, a multiplex chain based in Chennai, had its origins in the Royal Theatre, built in 1974 and acquired by the Kiran Reddy family in the 1980s. Royal Theatre later evolved into Sathyam Cinemas. In August 2018, PVR Cinemas acquired SPI Cinemas for ₹850 crore and rebranded the properties as PVR.

### INOX Leisure Limited

On 27 March 2022, INOX announced it would be merging with PVR Cinemas, the largest cinema chain in India.
On 12 January 2023, the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the merger of PVR and INOX.
In February 2023, PVR merged with its rival INOX Leisure to create the largest multiplex chain in India. All the new properties opened after the merger with Inox will be branded as 'PVR Inox'. The existing properties owned by PVR and Inox prior to merger will continue to carry 'PVR' and 'Inox' branding respectively. Post-Merger PVR was renamed PVR INOX Ltd., and it is fifth largest listed multiplex chain globally by screen count.
The merged entity plans to open 150 screens in FY24 with an investment of around ₹500 crore, aiming to expand into Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities in India. This initiative seeks to deliver an ultimate movie-viewing experience, which is currently largely restricted to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
In FY25, PVR INOX plans to add 120 new screens while closing approximately 60–70 non-performing ones. Around 40% of the new screen additions will be in South India, specifically in under-penetrated regions. According to the Q3 FY24-25 financial results, PVR INOX added 77 new screens.
As of December 2024, PVR INOX operates 1,749 screens across 355 properties in 111 cities, including locations in India and Sri Lanka.

### Luxe Cinemas

Luxe, a premium multiplex with 11 screens operating at Phoenix MarketCity Mall, Chennai owned by Jazz Cinemas was acquired by INOX in October 2022 which in turn merged with PVR in 2023.

## PVR Inox Pictures

PVR INOX Pictures is the film distribution arm of PVR Inox Ltd. It was earlier named PVR Pictures but post the merger with INOX leisure; it was rebranded as PVR INOX Pictures.

## Collaborations
### 2021

In October 2021, PVR announced their collaboration with the film RRR as part of the film's promotion. Accordingly, PVR would rebrand itself as PVRRR across the multiplex chain's 170+ properties in over 70 cities for a few months following the film's release on 25 March 2022. As part of the promotions, they also launched an exclusive NFT (non-fungible token) collection for the film. About 300 digital collectables, including posters signed by director S. S. Rajamouli and the lead cast, including Ram Charan, N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Alia Bhatt and props used in the film were made available to fans as memorabilia. Kotak Mahindra Bank and PVR Cinemas partnered to introduce India's first co-branded movie debit card in November 2021.

### 2022

In June 2022, PVR announced a collaboration with French high-end theatre company Ice Theatres, part of CGR Theatres, to open new premium theatres in India. PVR partnered with Maruti Suzuki to launch an innovative 270-degree in-cinema advertising experience utilizing 3D Projection Mapping on theatre side walls.
PVR also expanded its preferred partnership agreement with laser cinema solutions provider Cinionic to power all of its screens with Barco Series 4 4K laser projection. On completion of this roll-out, PVR would become the first exhibition chain in India to go 100 per cent 4K RGB laser projection.
In 2022, PVR Cinemas entered into an exclusive partnership with Visa, the official payments technology partner of FIFA for organizing ‘FIFA World Cup 2022TM Viewing Parties’ across 11 properties in 8 cities.

### 2023

In 2023, PVR hosted the Oscars Film Festival, where it screened some of the most popular movies nominated for the 94th Academy Awards. PVR INOX also partnered with INGKA Centers, part of IKEA's retail operator INGKA Holding for its upcoming Gurgaon centre to open a nine-screen movie theatre. PVR INOX has partnered with Bollywood actor and climate activist Bhumi Pednekar to spread awareness on Climate change.
In November 2023, PVR INOX Ltd live streamed the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia held at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad in 60 cities across 150 cinemas throughout the country.

### 2024

In January 2024, PVR INOX Ltd collaborated with Aaj Tak to broadcast the live streaming of the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on 22 January in 160+ cinemas in more than 70 cities across India.
In January 2024, PVR INOX Ltd presented the live screening of the traditional Republic Day parade on India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations on 26 January 2024. PVR INOX broadcast this grand event live with AAJ TAK across its 30 cinemas in 16 cities.
In April 2024, PVR INOX partnered with Miraj Entertainment Ltd to expand IMAX to smaller towns in India. Under this agreement, Miraj Cinemas committed to adding three new IMAX systems at key locations across the country. This includes one in Mumbai, which opened in November 2024, and another in Jaipur.
In May 2024, Devyani International, a leading QSR operator, and PVR INOX announced a strategic partnership to operate food courts in shopping malls. This collaboration aims to reach a wider audience and expand their market presence.
In October 2024, PVR INOX partnered with Khushi Advertising to drive cinema advertising in South India, with Khushi Advertising appointed as the exclusive ad-sales affiliate for this region.

## Formats
### PVR Gold Screen

PVR's first "Gold Screen" was launched in Indore in 2007.

### PVR Superplex

In 2014, PVR Cinemas introduced the Superplex format in Noida. The cinema has 15 screens with IMAX, 4DX, Gold Class, a playhouse and mainstream auditoriums. PVR Cinemas has invested ₹48 crores in this new venture. PVR also joined hands with a friend group and a business venture called FRIENDS CINEMA.

### IMAX (with Laser)

IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theatres known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio and steep stadium seating. It produces an image approximately ten times larger than that from standard 35 mm film.

### PVR Playhouse

PVR Playhouse includes a special movie auditorium showcasing children's movies/animated content. Along with a slide to play on, it offers bean bags and rubberised seats for kids and parents. This format is available only in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore and Mumbai.

### PVR 4DX

In 2016, PVR's 4DX became the second movie theater chain in India to introduce 4DX in the country after Cinépolis.

### PVR ICE

In 2022, PVR Cinemas introduced the first ICE Theatres format in Delhi NCR. This was the first ICE in India and Asia Pacific Region.

#### P[XL]

PXL Screen is a theatre design or technology introduced by PVR that aims to transform the movie-going experience. It is watching a movie in PVR with an extra-large [XL] experience in the form of improved seating, audio-visual quality and screen size.

## PVR INOX Passport

Passport: In an effort to attract larger audiences to theatres, PVR INOX launched the PVR INOX Passport in October 2023, a subscription-based model. Priced at ₹699 per month, it allowed subscribers to watch up to 10 movies a month on weekdays.
Passport 2.0: After the successful pilot run of the initial Passport model, PVR INOX introduced Passport 2.0 in March 2024. The new version was priced at ₹349, offering subscribers four weekday cinema visits per month. In April 2024, the company reopened new subscriptions after selling over 50,000 subscriptions within the first two weeks of its launch.

## Awards
### For PVR INOX

* 2023 - Afaqs Brand Storyz for 'Best Campaign of the Year (Multimedia)'
* 2023 - PVR INOX was honoured with India’s Top Multiplex Chain of the Year (By Screen Count) and Best Technology Adopter of the Year award in Big Cine Expo Awards

### INOX Leisure

* 2005 - 'ICICI Entertainment Retailer of the Year' Award.
* 2006 - TAAL Multiplexer Award.
* 2007 - Emerging Superbrand of the year.
* 2016 - Big Cine Expo Awards' Best Technology Adopter of the Year
* 2017 - India Retail Forum's Entertainment Retailer of the Year

### For PVR Cinemas

* 2016 - Images Retail ‘Most Admired Retailer of the Year’.
* 2017 - ‘International Exhibitor of the Year’ at CineAsia 2017.
* 2017 - Big Cine Expo India’s Top Multiplex Chain of the Year (By Screen Count).
* 2017 - ‘Dream Company to work for – Entertainment’ at Dream Companies to work for (Asia Edition).
* 2018 - ‘Rank 28’ at Dream Companies to Work for (7th Edition).
* 2018 - ‘Best Tech Award supporting Energy Efficiency’ at Future of Energy Management Summit & Awards 2018.
* 2019 - ‘Most Outstanding Company in India’ in the media sector at Asiamoney Asia’s Outstanding Companies Poll 2019.
* 2020 - ‘Most Outstanding Company in India’ in the media sector at Asiamoney Asia’s Outstanding Companies Poll 2020.
* 2021 - PVR Nest awarded Indian Achiever’s Forum’s Brand Impact Awards 2021-22.
* 2021 - Most Outstanding Company in India in Media Sector at Asiamoney Asia’s Outstanding Companies Poll 2021.
* 2021 - IMAGES Most Admired Retailer- Entertainment at Images Retail Awards 2021.
* 2022 - IMAGES Most Admired Multiplex Operator of the Year at Images Retail Awards 2022.
* 2022 - India’s Top Multiplex Chain of the Year in Big Cine Awards 2022.
* 2022 - CSR Journal Excellence Awards in the Health and Sanitation Category organized at National Stock Exchange (NSE), Mumbai.
* 2022 - PVR NEST in Sabera 2022 Awards in the category ‘Innovative Development Sector Project.
* 2023 - Rising Star Awards in Fortune India's annual list of top 500 emerging companies.

## Gallery

* PVR Saket, New Delhi (December 2005)
* PVR Vikas Puri, New Delhi (November 2007)
* PVR Phoenix Marketcity, Mumbai (October 2010)
* PVR Acropolis, Ahmedabad (January 2012)
* PVR Latur (October 2009)
* PVR Vega City Mall, Bengaluru (July 2018)
* PVR Nucleus Mall, Ranchi (May 2022)
* PVR Sattva Divinity Global Mall, Bengaluru (June 2023)
* PVR Forum Falcon City, Bengaluru(July 2023)
* 36th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2005) at INOX Panaji (November 2005)
* 37th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2005) at INOX Panaji (November 2006)
* 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2014) at INOX Panaji (November 2012)
* INOX Multiplex, Pune (October 2012)
* INOX Multiplex Srinagar. (September 2022)
* 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2014) at INOX Panaji (November 2014)
* INOX Margao, Goa (April 2015)
* City Mall at Yamuna Nagar
* PVR Aero Hub in Chennai
* PVR Bhartiya Mall in Bengaluru
* PVR Elan Town Centre in Gurugram
* PVR Hinjewadi in Pune
* PVR INOX Pacific Mall in Jasola
* PVR INOX Superplex Mall of India in Noida
* PVR Lulu in Lucknow
* PVR Lulu in Thiruvananthapuram
* PVR LUXE in Chennai
* PVR Mall of Jaipur
* PVR REX Director's Cut in Bengaluru
* EY Entrepreneur of the year Award for Business Transformation in 2013