News Broadcasting
Balaji to foray into other genres; start Sharjah operations
MUMBAI: The country’s most successful soap factory is looking to spread its sphere of activity into new content terrain. In its latest annual report, Balaji Telefilms has announced its intent to expand into animation and mythological programming, among other new initiatives. Further it announced at its annual general meeting (AGM) today that it would be starting a wholly owned subsidiary at Sharjah for production of serials for the Middle East market.
Balaji has a confirmed order for one and negotiations are on for more serials with different channels, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) was informed today. The Sharjah unit is expected to be operational by the first week of November, the posting with the BSE states.
Managing director and CEO Shobha Kapoor, while reviewing the company’s performance, says, “For years, the Balaji brand has been associated with soap content. We expect to evolve this into new business lines like animation, non-fiction content, ad films and mythological programmes. We are optimistic that with India emerging as an attractive outsourcing hub for animation, our established infrastructure and industry position will serve as a relevant foundation for growth in this new area.”
Balaji Telefilms, which had entered the reality show genre with Kosmiic Chat and Kandy Floss, plans to reinforce this with non fiction content programmes like Karmiic Connection and Karbon Copy in 2006-07.
The company produced 2113 hours of live action programming in 2005-2006 generating revenues of Rs 2.69 billion and net profit of Rs 594.2 million. This was buoyed greatly by the company’s realisation per hour of commissioned shows to Rs 2.2 million up from Rs 1.7 million last year. It is reportedly sitting with oodles of cash and looking for new investment avenues.
The company invested Rs 131.7 million in captive equipment, three studios, and editing infrastructure in 2005-2006. The company is also reportedly drawing up plans to start a media educational academy in Pune.
Today’s AGM also aproved the re-appointment of Akshay Chudasama and Pradeep Sarda as directors of the company. The re-appointment of Deloitte Haskins & Sells and Snehal & Associates as joint auditors was also passed during the meeting.
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.
