News Broadcasting
Bloomberg UTV invites budding entrepreneurs to ‘Pitch’
MUMBAI: Bloomberg UTV, the English business news channel which recently adopted the new ‘blunt and sharp’ look, has unveiled its first business reality show, The Pitch.
The channel has partnered with angel investor firm Mumbai Angels, which will be providing seed capital of up to Rs 50 million to the winner.
The Pitch will identify, evaluate and encourage potential entrepreneurs who have business ideas, and also possess the skills required to execute those ideas successfully.
Theatre and film actor Boman Irani will host the show.
The channel has called for nationwide entries, which will be shortlisted by a jury comprising Indiagames founder Vishal Gondal, Games2Win’s Alok Kejriwal and Career Launcher’s Satya Narayanan. They will shortlist the top 30 business plans and their creators, who could make it to the show.
Mumbai Angels co-founder Sasha Mirchandani will closely evaluate these 30 aspirants and identify the final 10 aspirants who will appear on the show.
The announcement was made at a press conference here by UTV Group chairman and CEO Ronnie Screwvala.
The 10-episode series, which will launch in October, will see one business leader in every episode, testing the mettle of the aspirants. Bloomberg UTV has already lined up Rahul Bajaj, Kishore Biyani, Naina Lal Kidwai, Karan Johar and N Damodaran to appear on the show.
Each week on a fresh episode, a business leader will design and assign business tasks to the participants. The tasks will be designed to challenge the aspirants on the most critical skills required to be a successful entrepreneur and by eliminating the weakest performer, narrow down to the most competent and deserving aspirant who goes on to receive the funding for their business.
Bloomberg UTV business head Deepak Lamba said, “Through this show, Bloomberg UTV continues to strengthen its commitment to make a difference to viewers’ lives. We encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country. There is no dearth of ideas but the buck always stops at the funds and through this show we will provide not only the funds but also a direction to the winner and his idea.”
Irani added, “I am excited to be a part of this show as I am truly convinced with the philosophy of promoting entrepreneurship. The Pitch will not only identify the next big idea in India but will also help the winner see the light of day by offering them the funding to make the idea come alive.”
Mirchandani said, “There are many efforts to identify great business ideas. The critical element of this show is its focus on the acumen and ability of the aspirant. Most great ideas perish for the want of the right execution. The aspirant who makes it to the end is a definite winner.”
Bloomberg UTV has roped in M3M India as the presenting sponsor of The Pitch.
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.
