News Broadcasting
Smriti Iraani enters politics
MUMBAI: Smriti Z Iraani Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’s self-righteous bahu Tulsi, has a new role to play now. Smriti has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a party worker.
Confirming the news to indiantelevision.com, Smriti says, “Yes I have joined politics. But I cannot comment on whether I’ll be standing for the elections or not. For that, you will have to check with the BJP office.”
BJP member of Parliament Kirit Somaya endorses the news and says, “It’s still early days for us to take a call on whether Smriti will be a contestant for the elections or not. The Assembly elections are scheduled in October 2004. However, hard-working and sincere people like her are always welcome in our party.”
Smriti, who was the anchor of Kuch Diiil Se , a woman-centric interactive talk show on Sab TV till recently, says that social concerns were always of prime importance to her. “For long, I have had this urge to do something for the welfare of our society, rather than being a mute spectator. While doing Kuch Diiil Se, I realised that our society is plagued by much more problems than I had imagined. I decided to be a part of the system and attempt to change certain practices.”
This was when BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan asked Smriti if she would like to do some real work for BJP. Smriti says, “Later on, BJP state president Gopinath Munde also spoke to me. And instead of asking myself ‘Why?’, I asked, ‘Why not?” Smriti says, what drew her towards BJP was its policy. “The BJP believes primarily in suraksha (security), surajya(good governance) and vikaas (development).”
So, the coming months are certainly going to be busy for Smriti, what with her having to juggle her television shoots, politics and family, especially with two kids. However, Smriti puts a rather confident front and says, “But I am sure that everything will fall in place. The producers of the shows I am doing and the party heads of the BJP have been kind enough to mutually agree that my work schedules in either case will not be hampered.”
It is a common belief that political parties rope in film and TV stars for extra news coverage, however, Smriti is not game for any such gimmick. “I am not going to be a figure-head,” she announces firmly, “else I would have never taken this step.” Smriti promises that her aim would solely be to do everything possible to make our environment a better place to live in.
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.
