News Broadcasting
Asianet News Digital launches Marathi platform in Mumbai in the presence of Hon. Dy. CM Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai: Asianetnews.com, the digital platform of Asianet News Media and Entertainment Private Limited (ANMEPL) has launched its eighth language platform in Marathi. The launch happened on 5 December, 2023 at the Press Club in Mumbai.
Hon. Dy. CM of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Other eminent personalities such as Shri Dr. Ramnath Sonawane, Secretary, Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority, Shri Pravin Dabas, Actor and Director and Smt. Preeti Jhangiani, Actor and Producer, were also present for this historic occasion.
Asianetnews.com is already present in Malayalam, Kannada, English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Bangla. With the launch of Marathi, the group’s digital news media has spread its wings to the West as it aims to expand its footprint nationally and globally.
Asianetnews.com’s strong brand credibility and deep regional insights provides the edge to source and deliver content like none other. Asianetnews.com Marathi will target to become the go-to destination for focused news and video content in Maharashtra.
Hon. Dy. CM Shri Devendra Fadnavis stressed about the need for genuine news providers such as Asianet News to clamp down on fake content, especially the threat posed by AI-based platforms such as Deepfake and other similar Indian apps. He highlighted the role that digital media has to play to curb the spread of misinformation and help deliver credible news to the Marathi diaspora and help shape the opinion of the society.
Rajesh Kalra, Executive Chairman Asianet News Group spoke about the thought process behind this development. “With Maharashtra having the third most internet penetration in the country, Marathi is obviously a key language for Bharat. When we were looking at expanding into other languages, Marathi was a unanimous choice. We aim to be the most trusted source of news for Maharashtrians and provide a platform that disseminates high-quality content,” he said.
Neeraj Kohli, Chief Executive Officer, Asianet News Group elaborated, “We are aiming to replicate the success of our other 7 languages to Marathi and justify the faith put in us by the people of Maharashtra. Our focus has always been on providing our audience with the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and honest coverage from the ground.”
Samarth Sharma, the group Chief Operating Officer, “We will be putting all our efforts to deliver ‘Straight, Bold, Relentless,’ news coverage to the Marathi diaspora spread across the world. With a strong team of journalists working round the clock, our news bureau is set to establish Asianet News Marathi as the most trusted source of news,” Samarth Sharma, COO Asianet News Group highlighted the company’s mission and ideology behind the Marathi platform launch.
AsianetNews.com is a leading news platform, which caters to 80 Mn monthly active users across its 7 languages. With Marathi added to its growing portfolio, it is set to expand its footprint across the country as well as the world.
The ANN group (Asianet News Network) has a multi-media presence across the country in multiple languages via its TV Channels (Asianet News and Asianet Suvarna News), Print Publication (Kannada Prabha), Music platform (IndigoMusic.com), and Digital platforms in 8 languages (AsianetNews.com and MyNation.com).
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.
