Cinema exhibition major PVR INOX plans to add approximately 200 new screens across India over the next two years, with a total investment of Rs 350–400 crore, Executive Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said in an interview with PTI on Wednesday.
The expansion will focus primarily on South India, with additional growth planned in major metropolitan areas and tier-2 and tier-3 cities. According to Bijli, the company is targeting the addition of 100 screens in the current financial year (2025–26), with around 20 screens already operational in the first quarter.
“We are on track to open about 100 screens this year,” Bijli said, noting that 40 of these will be located in South Indian cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Hubli. Other locations include metros like Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurugram, as well as smaller cities including Siliguri, Jabalpur, Leh, and Gangtok. Of the 100 screens planned for FY26, 40% will be in South India and around 20% in smaller towns.
Looking ahead to FY27, PVR INOX currently has visibility on another 80 screens, with the potential to increase this number to 100 depending on finalised deals and timelines. Around 40% of these screens are also expected to be in South India.
The average cost of setting up a new screen is approximately Rs 3.5 crore, Bijli said. For the current year, the 100-screen expansion would cost an estimated Rs 350 crore. However, with nearly half of the new screens being developed through franchise-owned company-operated (FOCO) and other asset-light models, the company’s direct investment is expected to be in the range of Rs 175–200 crore. Across the full 200-screen expansion plan, PVR INOX’s direct investment will likely total between Rs 350 and Rs 400 crore.
Following this phase of expansion, the company expects to reach a total of nearly 2,000 screens across the country. As part of its ongoing growth in South India, PVR INOX is set to open a four-screen multiplex in Hyderabad this week. This addition will bring its total screen count in Telangana to 110. A further 26 screens are scheduled for launch in the state during FY26.
“Telangana is a very significant market for us. Telugu films are widely appreciated, and the audience has a strong inclination toward cinema,” Bijli said. He added that despite Hyderabad’s rapid urban development, several areas of the city remain underserved by modern multiplexes, creating further opportunities for expansion.