News Broadcasting
Alice Manuel quits Escotoonz, to join Malaysian studio
NEW DELHI: Faridabad-based Escotoonz Animation Studios head of production, Alice Manuel has decided to leave the Indian animation industry.
Manuel, who has been involved with the operations of Escotoonz since its launch in 2001, will join Cyberjaya-located 3D animation studio Persistence of Vision, as general manager operations and international marketing.
In all, Manuel worked in India for five years. She had first joined UTV Toons in 1998.
On her stint in India, Manuel says, I am so glad I got an opportunity to work here. The animation industry had just started when I came here and it has grown rapidly. The international companies now definitely consider India as an option for outsourcing and co-production work.
She feels that Indian studios need to train more artists. Apart from training, the other critical issue is under cutting of rates by other competitors in India. Studios here will still depend on international clients. It is still early for Indian content to breakthrough in the international market and it may only happen after two to three more years, says Manuel.
Manuel, the only foreigner in Escotoonz, was instrumental in getting the studio is first international project ‘King’, a co-production with Canadas Funbag Animation Studios and Decode Entertainment, which was aired on Family Channel in August this year.
In fact, Manuels decision to leave Escotoonz follows the series of new projects, which studio is currently working on. Escotoonz has been allotted the animation production for the continuation of Kings first series, which will be a 26-episode, 23-minute series (first one was 13-episode 22-minute series). The work is expected to get over by expect to finish it by July, 2004.
The second project, under production, is a 36-episode series called ‘Cyber Dodo’, being done in partnership with UKs Sparkus Animations. The two studios are co-producers of this series with CyberDodo Productions.
In her new role, Manuel will oversee the entire operations, including production, training and marketing. POV, which is a division of Asias leading independent distributor Vision New Media (operating as a joint venture with the Multimedia University in Malaysias Multimedia Super Corridor), offers services in high-end post-production, visual effects production and motion capture.
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.
