News Broadcasting
BBC World to launch ‘Back To The Floor’
MUMBAI: The focus is on the basics of business at BBC World.
Starting Sunday, 4 January, the channel will air a seven-part series Back To The Floor, as part of it’s India Business Report strand, at 11am.
The series will have some of the top management from India’s largest business houses return to shop level to gain a real understanding of working life in their companies, interacting with their employees and facing the same challenges and problems as them.
The first series features Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani, who takes on the role of an ordinary shop floor worker for a day, says a company release.
Responsible for leading the $17 billion group into the 21st century, the 46-year-old Stanford graduate will work like one of the 2,000 employees based in India’s biggest refinery in Jamnagar. He will be collecting oil samples and noting temperature readings and handling crises as a radio officer at the Port Operations Control room. In short, he will gains a real insight into life at the sharp end of his business.
Amongst the interesting moments of the programme include him queuing up for meals and getting into crowded buses and then returning to the boardroom for a meeting with his divisional heads to seek solutions for the issues brought to light during his time on the floor.
In yet another episode, Infosys’ Nandan Nilekani takes on the responsibilities as a project manager for three days, he comes in terms with the pressure faced by his staff.
Amongst another series of Back To The Floor is one where the founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, Dr Pratap Reddy takes on a stint as an intern doctor and take an inside look at emergencies and complicated operations. The experience offered him the opportunity to listen to the day-to-day problems of his employees at various levels.
According to BBC World, commissioning editor, Narendhra Morar, “This is a unique series that will be absolutely fascinating for our viewers in India. The business leaders featured in these seven programmes learn many tough lessons about the reality of life on the shop floor, with cameras capturing every moment of the trials and tribulations they encounter while going Back To The Floor.”
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.
