News Broadcasting
Subhash Chandra fourth in ‘BS’ Billionaire list
MUMBAI: Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra may have seen an erosion in his personal wealth this last year but that hasn’t prevented his climbing a place in the richest Indians’ list.
Business Standard’s fourth annual ranking of the richest Indians belonging to the Billionaire Club features Chandra in fourth place with his total wealth estimated at Rs 23.88 billion. Last year, Chandra was in fifth place with Rs 29.52 billion and the net worth of his unlisted companies is placed at Rs 1.72 billion.
Wipro’s CMD Azim Premji tops the list with an estimated wealth of Rs 322.02 billion. The Ambanis of Reliance are placed second with Rs 188.63 billion. The survey was conducted in association with Amity Business School.
Business Standard’s study also shows that the highest climbers in terms of value is the Hinduja family (ranked No 13) whose net worth has increased by Rs 7.11 billion to Rs 15.22 billion.
The study also showed that the entertainment industry is becoming another major moneyspinner.
Subrata Roy
Five billionaires, of whom three are directly linked to television, have a combined value of Rs 31.72 billion. Chandra towers over this pack and is followed by Subrata Roy of Sahara Media with a net worth of Rs 3.2 billion. Also up there is Jeetendra Kapoor through Balaji Telefilms whose net worth was placed at Rs 2.47 billion.
The top corporate earners from media on the list were also
Jeetendra Kapoor
from Zee. RK Singh and the man who replaced him Sandeep Goyal are nowhere in the Zee picture today but as whole time directors on the company board figure in the list. RK Singh had a gross salary of Rs 18 million whereas Goyal had a gross salary of Rs 17.3 million.
The methodology adopted for estimating wealth was based on market value of their holdings in the listed companies. In line with the international practice, the crossholding structure of their stakes was also considered. The net worth of those own unlisted companies has also been taken into consideration. More than 25,000 unlisted companies spread over 100 sectors were considered. The “earning” billionaires or professional managers were also considered.
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.
