News Broadcasting
Cellcast sets shop in India; appoints Thakar as CEO
MUMBAI: In order to expand its international reach, global interactive digital broadcaster – Cellcast plc – has set shop in Mumbai. The new subsidiary company will be called Cellcast Interactive India Pvt Ltd.
The Indian subsidiary will be headed by Pankaj Thakar, who has over 20 years experience in the computer, telecom and wireless sectors.
Thakar said, “Indias consumers are primed for the kind of innovative participation-TV programming, which Cellcast has developed so successfully in the UK and other markets. With 85 million TV households, over 65 million mobile phone subscribers growing by 2.5 million new users every month, and a sustained rise in consumer spending power, India promises to become a leading world market for convergent entertainment services in a very short time.”
The newly established subsidiary will help Cellcast address the rising demand for interactive entertainment in India. The companys programmes and technology platform will enable broadcast partners to capture new revenue streams that are independent of subscription income and advertising, and build new audiences among the highly sought-after youth demographic.
In March this year, Cellcast launched a 24 hour interactive channel called Play TV on the Zee Network in partnership with the Essel Group. Since Play TVs launch, premium rate SMS traffic has doubled month on month and the channel now broadcasts over 10 hours of live interactive programmes daily.
Commenting on the launch of Cellcast Interactive India, Cellcast plc CEO Andrew Wilson said, “We recognise the huge potential in India, and Cellcast is excited to participate in the growth of this market. The success of Play TV has shown the high demand for our interactive services, and we look forward to launching new programmes and applications to build on this success.”
“Cellcast is one of the few companies with an end-to-end interactive television solution, combining state of the art technology with compelling programming within a proven business model. With experience drawn from several continents, our expertise, programme portfolio, applications and technology platform deliver a distinct advantage to our broadcast and telecom partners in this rapidly expanding sector,” he added.
Cellcast Interactive India will also shortly open a Development and Technical Support Centre in Mumbai. Initially, the production and development facility will support programmes and applications distributed in the India market. Over time, the Centre is expected to play an increasing role in international product development.
Cellcasts proven business model is highly scalable, from small satellite channels to major terrestrial broadcasters, and is generating significant revenues for existing broadcast partners in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
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.
