News Broadcasting
Internet company UCWeb launches UC News, aimed at India
NEW DELHI: Leading mobile internet company UCWeb Inc.has launched UC News App and an upgraded UC Browser. The UC News is an app launched by the company meant exclusively for India.
Part of Alibaba Mobile Business Group, UC Web nnounced its strategy for 2016 in which UC News is powered by big data technology and is a one-stop source of trending and curated news content covering all popular categories that Indian users can consume on the go.
It also announced that UC Browser India’s monthly active user base has reached 80 million and continues to grow rapidly. UC Browser is now revamped as a content aggregator and, according to StatCounter, the most used mobile browser in India with over 58% market share as of May 2016.
UC Browser’s usage data shows 73% of its 80 million MAU are tagged as “News Feeds Consumers”. On an average, each UC Browser’s Indian user consumes 6 pieces of news/feeds per day.
Kenny Ye, who is General Manager of UCWeb in the Alibaba Mobile Business Group said, “Digital content consumption is on the rise and the challenge is how we can customize, curate and present diverse content to users. Content providers face difficulties in distributing content of different formats, while consumers are swamped by an information overload. Our answer to these challenges is to position ourselves as a content aggregator. The newly launched UC News and upgraded UC Browser for India are two contemporary products embedded with the aim of content aggregation.” The revamped UC Browser also features UC Cricket, an in-app, all–in-one cricket content hub.
UC News offers a platform that brings together both traditional and new media content creators in a single place, and introduces them to millions of Indian users who already enjoy a faster browsing experience on UC Bowser. UC News is an easy to use app, and features a unique and highly user-friendly interface. It is a one-stop source of trending and curated news content covering all the popular categories of news with 20+ featured channels including news, cricket, technology, entertainment, movies, lifestyle, health, humour, etc.
UC News tracks and matches the trending keywords on Facebook and Twitter, and decides on the trending topics before recommending them to the user. UC News also allows users to customize content subscription, as they can choose any kind of content they wish to consume.
To help make valuable opinions heard, UC News is planning to partner with self-publishers and key opinion leaders in the future for original content.
UCWeb in India has grown on the strength of its technology and innovation. The data compression algorithms of UC Browser have helped millions of Indians gain access to the internet at faster speeds without premium pricing, thereby making UC Browser a window to the world for many first time mobile phone users. The latest round of service offerings is set to consolidate UCWeb’s leadership in India’s mobile internet market while helping drive internet accessibility and powering a connected and digital India.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
