News Broadcasting
ABP News unveils new season of ‘Pradhanmantri’
MUMBAI: India’s leading Hindi news channel, ABP News, has unveiled the second season of its highly-acclaimed show, Pradhanmantri. A show that promises to delve into the stories and intricacies of contemporary India is slated to premiere on 25 January, 2020.
With the fresh season, Pradhanmantri is all set to create television history with never-told-before reality-based stories in the news genre. Pradhanmantri Season II will be hosted by the internationally acclaimed director, producer, and actor, Mr. Shekhar Kapur. Mr. Kapur is
a visionary who works at the intersection of art, myth, and activism and will effectively bring in the same qualities to the new season of Pradhanmantri.
Talking about this new offering, ABP News Network CEO Avinash Pandey said, “We are extremely excited to present this show to the audience owing to its highly unique concept. Pradhanmantri Season II is sure to transcend all expectations of the viewers through comprehensive and compelling storytelling, backed by long, painstaking research. We at ABP want to go beyond the common perception of TV news as a speed news churner and create content that connects to the audience on a much more deeper and profound level. Pradhanmantri Season II is the epitome of such viewer-driven content.”
The show host Shekhar Kapur, said, “Ever since its inception, Pradhanmantri has held a special place in the heart of the viewers. The new season has been brought to the fore after identifying the pulse of the audience, with newer concepts and intriguing topics. Through the fresh season, we want to take the viewer through an entrancing journey of the Indian history and share with them– the old, the new and the
unexplored.”
The first season of Pradhanmantri, in 2013, was praised by the former Deputy Prime Minister of India, L.K. Advani. Mr. Advani mentioned the show in one of his speeches saying, it made him happy to see that the show delved into those ‘unexplored aspects of history that the common people were oblivious about.’
Furthermore, the show was also recommended by the leading online learning platform, Byju’s as a ‘tremendous source of knowledge.’ The show also amassed tremendous traction on YouTube with more than 32 million views.
The first season of Pradhanmantri depicted some of the most important incidents and developments that have shaped the destiny of independent India. The second season, on the other hand, will discuss the ideas which will give India its due place in the comity of great nations.
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.
