To the Members of Quint Digital Limited (formerly known as
Quint Digital Media Limited)
Report on the Audit of the Standalone Financial StatementsOpinion
1. We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of Quint Digital Limited (formerly known as Quint Digital Media Limited) (‘the Company'), which comprise the Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2024 the Statement of Profit and Loss (including Other Comprehensive Income), the Statement of Cash Flow and the Statement of Changes in Equity for the year then ended, and notes to the standalone financial statements, including material accounting policy information and other explanatory information.
2. In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the aforesaid standalone financial statements give the information required by the Companies Act, 2013 (‘the Act') in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the Indian Accounting Standards (‘Ind AS') specified under section 133 of the Act read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015 and other accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of the Company as at 31 March 2024, and its profit (including other comprehensive income), its cash flows and the changes in equity for the year ended on that date.
Basis for Opinion
3. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing specified under section 143(10) of the Act. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the Code of Ethics issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (‘ICAI') together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements under the provisions of the Act and the rules thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Key Audit Matter
4. Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.
5. We have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matter to be communicated in our report.
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Key audit matter
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How our audit procedures addressed the key audit matter
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A. Capitalization and amortization of content development cost
(Refer note 2.2(b) for the accounting policies and note 44 for the disclosures made in the accompanying standalone financial statements)
The Company provides digital media services to its customers by developing diverse digital content such as videos, articles and documentaries, which is monetised by the Company over various digital platforms. The Company has assessed that such digital media content meets the recognition criteria as per Ind AS 38, Intangible Assets.
The cost incurred in content development includes scripting, editing, visual effects and quality check and the process to record such costs requires various estimates to be made by the management which involves significant
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Our audit procedures relating to capitalization and amortization of content development cost included, but were not limited to the following:
a) Evaluated the appropriateness of accounting policy for capitalization and amortization of such cost in terms of accounting principles enunciated under Ind AS 38.
b) Obtained an understanding from the management, evaluated the design and implementation of Company's key internal controls in respect of capitalization and amortization of such cost and tested the operating effectiveness of such controls throughout the year.
c) Reviewed the capitalization workings such as direct costs allocated to long-term projects and performed re-computation of amortization workings as per the accounting policy.
d) Tested historical viewing patterns used in determining amortization policy and evaluated the appropriateness of the same.
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Key audit matter
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How our audit procedures addressed the key audit matter
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judgement to be exercised and is dependent on various internal and external factors such as establishing basis for shooting and editing costs, determining direct and indirect costs and further allocating the direct expenses to short term or long-term projects, based on actual number of employee hours incurred on the projects.
The aforesaid, cost capitalized as content development is amortized based on historical and estimated viewing patterns which involves inherent estimation uncertainty.
Considering the materiality of the amounts involved, and high degree of subjectivity relating to management judgement and estimates that required significant auditor attention, we have identified this as a key audit matter in the current year audit.
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e) Performed substantive analytical procedures which included quarter on quarter trend analysis considering both qualitative and quantitative factors to identify any unusual trends or any unusual items.
f) Performed sensitivity analysis of certain key assumptions such as hourly rates and language conversion costs pertaining to time cost of employees capitalized to determine the impact of estimation uncertainty.
g) Performed substantive testing of cost capitalized by reviewing the underlying supporting documents such as shooting, editing and travel invoices to confirm the accuracy of amount capitalized; and
h) Evaluated the appropriateness of disclosures made in the standalone financial statements in accordance with the applicable accounting standards.
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Information other than the Financial Statements and Auditor’s
Report thereon
6. The Company's Board of Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Management Discussion and Analysis, Report on Corporate Governance and Directors' Report but does not include the standalone financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The Annual Report is expected to be made available to us after the date of this auditor's report.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the standalone financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information identified above when it becomes available and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the standalone financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
When we read the Annual Report, if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance.
Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with
Governance for the Standalone Financial Statements
7. The accompanying standalone financial statements have been approved by the Company's Board ofDirectors. The Company's
Board of Directors are responsible for the matters stated in section 134(5) of the Act with respect to the preparation and presentation ofthese standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position, financial performance including other comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the Ind AS specified under section 133 of the Act and other accounting principles generally accepted in India. This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
8. In preparing the financial statements, the Board of Directors is responsible for assessing the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Board of Directors either intends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
9. The Board of Directors is also responsible for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.
Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the StandaloneFinancial Statements
10. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with Standards on Auditing will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
11. As part of an audit in accordance with Standards on Auditing, specified under section 143(10) of the Act we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control;
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. Under section 143(3)(i) of the Act we are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether the Company has adequate internal financial controls with reference to financial statements in place and the operating effectiveness of such controls;
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management;
• Conclude on the appropriateness of Board of Directors' use ofthe going concern basis ofaccounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.
• If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern; and
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
12. We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
13. We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards.
14. From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor's report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication.
Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements
15. As required by section 197(16) of the Act based on our audit, we report that the Company has paid remuneration to its directors during the year in accordance with the provisions of and limits laid down under section 197 read with Schedule V to the Act.
16. As required by the Companies (Auditor's Report) Order, 2020 (‘the Order') issued by the Central Government of India in terms of section 143(11) of the Act we give in
the Annexure I a statement on the matters specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order, to the extent applicable.
17. Further to our comments in Annexure I, as required by section 143(3) of the Act based on our audit, we report, to the extent applicable, that:
a) We have sought and obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purpose of our audit of the accompanying standalone financial statements;
b) In our opinion, proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as it appears from our examination of those books, except for the matters stated in paragraph 17(h)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 (as amended);
c) The standalone financial statements dealt with by this report are in agreement with the books of account;
d) In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financial statements comply with Ind AS specified under section 133 of the Act;
e) On the basis of the written representations received from the directors and taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors is disqualified as on 31 March 2024 from being appointed as a director in terms of section 164(2) of the Act;
f) The qualification relating to the maintenance of accounts and other matters connected therewith are as stated in paragraph 17(b) above on reporting under section 143(3)(b) of the Act and paragraph 17(h)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 (as amended);
g) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial controls with reference to financial statements of the Company as on 31 March 2024 and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate report in Annexure II wherein we have expressed an unmodified opinion; and
h) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor's Report in accordance with rule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 (as amended), in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us;
i. The Company, as detailed in note 39(a) to the standalone financial statements, has disclosed the impact of pending litigations on its financial position as at 31 March 2024;
ii. The Company did not have any long-term contracts including derivative contracts for which there were any material foreseeable losses as at 31 March 2024;
iii. There were no amounts which were required to be transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company during the year ended 31 March 2024;
iv. a. The management has represented that, to the
best of its knowledge and belief, as disclosed in note 46(h) to the standalone financial statements, no funds have been advanced or loaned or invested (either from borrowed funds or securities premium or any other sources or kind of funds) by the Company to or in any person(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities (‘the intermediaries'), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the intermediary shall, whether, directly or indirectly lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Company (‘the Ultimate Beneficiaries') or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf the Ultimate Beneficiaries;
b. The management has represented that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, other than as disclosed in note 47 to the standalone financial statements, no funds have been received by the Company from any person(s) or entity(ies), including foreign entities (‘the Funding Parties'), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Company shall, whether directly or indirectly, lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Funding Party (‘Ultimate Beneficiaries') or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries; and
c. Based on such audit procedures performed as considered reasonable and appropriate
in the circumstances, nothing has come to our notice that has caused us to believe that the management representations under subclauses (a) and (b) above contain any material misstatement.
v. The Company has not declared or paid any dividend during the year ended 31 March 2024.
vi. As stated in note 48 to the standalone financial statements and based on our examination which included test checks, except for instances
mentioned below, the Company, in respect of financial year commencing on 01 April 2023, has used accounting software for maintaining its books of account which have a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility and the same have been operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in the software. Further, during the course of our audit we did not come across any instance of audit trail feature being tampered with, other than the consequential impact of the exception given below:
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Nature of exception noted
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Details of Exceptions
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Instances of accounting software for maintaining books of account for which the feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility was not operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in the software.
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(i) The audit trail feature in the accounting software used for maintenance of all accounting records of the Company was not enabled from 01 April 2023 to 04 April 2023.
(ii) The accounting software used for maintenance and preparation of payroll records of the Company did not capture the details of who made the changes i.e., User Id and when changes were made i.e., timestamp at the application level.
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For Walker Chandiok & Co LLP
Chartered Accountants
Firm's Registration No.: 001076N/N500013
Jyoti Vaish
Partner
Membership No.: 096521 UDIN: 24096521BKEFRJ4478
Place: Noida Date: 30 May 2024
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