News Broadcasting
The Indian Express group goes on air; signs pacts with CNBC India and Broadcast Worldwide
The publishing major – The Indian Express Group has made a foray into television businesses. The finance daily, The Financial Express will soon enter into pact with the Raghav Bahl promoted business news channel CNBC India which is a joint venture between CNBC Asia and Raghav Bahl’s TV-18.
They have entered into a content sharing agreement. The Financial Express (FE) will have access to CNBC India’s news while the satellite channel will utilise FE’s journalistic infrastructure facilities for CNBC India’s television channel and its business portal www.rupeemaker.com.
In the meanwhile, the Indian Express Group has entered into an agreement with the Rathikant Basu promoted broadcasting company Broadcast Worldwide. The Indian Express will produce Marathi and Punjabi news and current affairs programmes for the ‘Tara’ group of channels promoted by Broadcast Worldwide. Shekhar Gupta, CEO of The Indian Express Group signed a pact with Kishor Alhuwalia, the CEO Broadcast Worldwide Punjabi channel in Chandigarh.
The Indian Express will use its editorial expertise while Broadcast Worldwide will provide it with its technical and production expertise. A new show ‘The Indian Express on Air’ will also be launched.
The Indian Express Group has entered into the broadcasting world with this pact. But what needs to be seen is will it be able make hold its ground in this media.
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.
