News Broadcasting
Broadcast India 2002 scheduled for end October
MUMBAI: The Broadcast India Exhibition & Symposium will take place from 29 October to 2 November in Mumbai.
The symposium will be held on 29 and 30 October at the YB Chavan Centre in south Mumbai. The second Seagate Technical Awards for Excellence in Digital Technology in the Cinema and Television will take place on 30 October. The exhibition will follow at the World Trade Centre.
According to an official release, 80 per cent of the stand space has been booked by labels in the broadcast, film and multimedia trade like JVC, Sony, Panasonic, Matrox, RCS and Canon. A highlight this year will be the Spanish Pavillion which will be spread across one entire hall in the WTC.
The release states that the event has grown from 34 exhibitors and 3000 trade visitors in 1991 to 350 exhibitors and over 22,000 visitors. Last year saw over 30 countries participating. The report of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and their American survey agency states that the entertainment industry of India is poised for a boom. It is expected to grow from Rs 130 billion in 2001 to Rs 165 billion in 2002 to Rs 196 billion next year. It is expected to reach Rs 293 billion by 2006, the release says.
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.
