News Broadcasting
Adani Group acquires IANS after NDTV, BQ Prime
Mumbai: Adani Group acquired the IANS wired news service agency as reported by PTI. Adani subsidiary AMG Media Network has taken control by purchasing a 50.5 per cent stake in IANS. Infrastructure conglomerate Adani Group now shifted its focus on Adani’s venture into the media business strategically. AMG Media Network subsidiary of Adani Group garnered a new feather in its cap after acquiring NDTV, a Quintillion Business news network (BQ Prime).
As per regulatory filings, the Adani group acquired a stake of equity shares with an agreement with IANS and its shareholder Sandeep Bamzai. IANS (Indo-Asian News Service) is a network-wired news agency in India, South Asia, Africa, and North America. In the last decade, IANS shifted focus to the Indian news verticals.
As filing mentioned , AMG media shareholders had signed an agreement with Sandeep Bamzai and IANS. In the financial year 2023, IANS had a turnover of around 11.86 crores. Despite the loss of 100 billion dollars due to short selling, the Hindenburg report stated irregularities in Adani’s financial irregularities.
According to filings company management and control will be managed by AMG. Along with the right to appoint a board of directors. Allegedly IANS faced financial difficulty for day-to-day functioning. IANS media agency has more than 200 employees headquartered in New Delhi.
Over the years Adani Group has diversified its portfolio into producing coal, energy distribution, mining, ports infrastructure, data centers, and more recently into cement and copper and now into media. The acquisition amount of IANS is not disclosed.
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.
