News Broadcasting
Broadcast Initiatives fixes IPO price band at Rs 100-120, issue opens on 9 February
MUMBAI: Broadcast Initiatives Limited, which holds Hindi news and views channel Janmat, has set the price band of its initial public offering (IPO) between Rs 100 and Rs 120 per share. to raise funds in the range of Rs 855 to Rs 1,026 million for expansion.
The company will be raising Rs 1.02 billion at the top end of the price band. The proceeds of the issue will be used for the purchase of land and construction of studio, purchase of production, post production and broadcasting equipments and prepayment of loans.
The issue will open on 9 February and close on 14 February. The company is offering 8.55 million equity shares of Rs 10 each which includes employee reservation of 1,00,000 equity shares at a premium.
The net issue to the public will constitute 44.27 per cent of the fully diluted post issue paid-up capital of the Company. The promoters will continue to own 55.73 per cent of the equity shares on a fully diluted basis.
Allianz Securities Ltd. is the book running lead manager (BRLM). Allianz Securities Limited, Enam Securities Private Limited and Almondz Capital Markets Private Limited are the syndicate members to the issue. The shares are proposed to be listed on BSE and the NSE.
Janmat was commercially launched on 30 April 2006. A wholly owned subsidiary of Broadcast Initiatives Ltd., Sri Adhikari Brothers Media Limited (SABML) is in the process of launching a Marathi language channel, Mi Marathi. SABML has entered into an exclusive ad sales representation agreement with NDTV Media Limited for the sale of airtime on Mi Marathi channel.
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.
