News Broadcasting
ABP Ananda successfully concludes 9th edition of its marquee food festival ‘Khaibaar Paas’
Mumbai: ABP Ananda, Bengal’s leading news channel, has successfully concluded the ninth edition of its four-day annual food festival ‘Khaibaar Paas.’ The event was organised from 26 to 29 January, at EEDF Ground, Kolkata. A confluence of food and culture, this event holds immense significance in Kolkata and is highly anticipated by the locals. Like every year, it grabbed the attention of thousands of enthusiastic and excited Bengali food lovers who gathered in huge numbers to share their love for food.
In ABP Ananda’s ‘Khaibaar Paas,’ the foodies were tucked into a range of different cuisines including Mughlai, Chinese, Bengali, exotic seafood, sweets, street food, continental, Lebanese, and other varieties of snacks. More than 50 restaurants participated in the event who set up their food stalls to display their exquisite recipes and impeccable taste. The influencers and foodies cherished the festival and relished tasting culinary dishes along with creating brand visibility and promoting these renowned restaurants and food outlets in Bengal. Furthermore, to make ‘Khaibaar Paas’ a one-of-a-kind food event many fun and engaging activities were carried out by influencers, bloggers, and participating restaurants.
Due to the great relevance of the event amongst Bengal’s foodies and food business owners, hundreds of business enterprises shared rich traditional, and contemporary takes on Bengali cuisine. The event also provided a great platform for sponsors and partners to display their offerings to larger audiences.
ABP Ananda’s ‘Khaibaar Paas 2023’ was presented by eminent sponsors which included Wild Stone, Dear Govt. Lotteries, Jaya Biscuits, Suman Kacchi Ghani Mustard Oil & Catch Masala. The event was powered by – Proreal Entertainment, partnered with Pran Toast, Wagh Bakri Chai, Mukhorochak, Saha Textile, Alliance Broadband and Mysore Sandal Soap, while its digital partner was ABP Live.
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.
