News Broadcasting
India TV’s Wellness Weekend busts health myths and bad habits with doctor-powered sessions
MUMBAI: No gym selfies, no diet fads—just science-backed advice straight from the pros. India TV Speed News turned up the wellness volume with its recent ‘Wellness Weekend’, bringing together some of the country’s most respected medical voices. Held in New Delhi on 1 April, the event tackled everything from snoring and stress to stents and sugar levels.
The opening act featured Dheeraj Dubey, Prashant Kumar Patra, and Sameer Bhati, who collectively made a strong case for the holy trinity of health: sleep, diet, and movement. Bhati called out the growing sleep deficit among young Indians, blaming it for more than just dark circles.
Cardiologist Ashok Seth followed with a sobering stat—heart attacks in India have surged 50 per cent in 15 years, especially among those under 50. Blame lifestyle drift: bad diets, chain-smoking, too much stress, and too little exercise.
Seth’s prescription? At least 200 minutes of brisk walking per week to cut risk by 25 per cent.
“Well-being is the cornerstone of a fulfilling life, and with ‘Wellness Weekend,’ we aim to empower our audiences with expert insights on physical and mental health… Through engaging discussions and interactive sessions, we hope to make wellness more achievable,” said India TV MD & CEO Ritu Dhawan.
Balbir Singh cleared the air around cardiac procedures, debunking myths around angioplasty, bypasses, and stents. He pointed to major leaps in stent tech and post-op care as game changers.
Ambrish Mithal brought the sugar crash. He urged people to start blood sugar checks by age 25. Diabetes, he warned, isn’t just genetic—it feeds on extra kilos and fried snacks.
Next came gut feelings. Amarender Singh Puri explained that a healthy gut relies on good bacteria, which tends to decline with age.
Sanjeev Saxena zoomed in on kidneys, warning that signs like fatigue and swollen feet shouldn’t be ignored. He prescribed no more than five grams of salt daily for healthy folks—half that if you’ve got hypertension—and 2.5 to 3 litres of water a day to keep the filters clean.
The final blow was delivered by Gopichand Khilnani on lung health. He linked India’s poor air quality, especially in cities like Delhi and Kolkata, to a rise in chronic lung conditions. Post-Covid steroid use, he said, hasn’t helped, fuelling spikes in asthma and fibrosis.
India TV’s health-first programming didn’t just preach—it informed. If health is wealth, this weekend was pure capital.
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.
