News Broadcasting
Deutsche Bank and PVR Nest once again bring in the festive cheer to 5000 kids from NGOs across cinemas in five cities
MUMBAI: After the joyful success last year, ‘5000 Popcorns’ returned to kick start the festive cheer in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune and Bengaluru, which witnessed packed cinema auditoriums with 5000 children sitting transfixed to watch the heart-warming ‘Stanley ka Dabba’, an Amole Gupte film.
Amole Gupte himself joined the children at PVR Goregaon, Mumbai and interacted with them amongst cheers and applause.
In its second year ‘5000 Popcorns’, which is a joint initiative of Deutsche Bank in India and PVR Nest, a registered foundation of India’s leading multiplex chain PVR Limited, brought together 5000 children from not for profit and community schools in one of the largest simultaneous movie screenings across cities. The children enjoyed the film that takes you through the wonder years of childhood while skilfully weaving in messages for providing education to all children and opposing child labour.
Speaking on the occasion, Shrinath Bolloju, Chief Operating Officer, for Deutsche Bank in India said “After the stirring and warm response we got from the kids last year, we at Deutsche Bank are pleased to once again bring in the Christmas and New Year’s cheer to the children through the magic of cinema, even while sharing a beautiful and inspiring social message. We are delighted with the enthusiastic response we have received from the children and NGOs.”
Ms. Deepa Menon, Vice President- Corporate Social Responsibility at PVR Limited said “We are extremely happy to partner with Deutsche Bank through ‘5000 Popcorns’ and being able to bring entertainment to such a large number of children. Such platforms enable children to explore their talents on a broader canvas. It is not just about entertainment, PVR Nest, through its creative education programs has aimed at nourishing children’s creativity and building their capacities on film making and publishing of over 1,00,000 children from 100 city schools each year.”
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.
