News Broadcasting
Chandra top media baron among 5 on ‘BS’ billionaire list
MUMBAI: Five media barons who have been raking ip the billions in the year gone by have made it to The Billionaire Club – pink paper Business Standards’ annual rich list.
So what is different this year? Well, what’s striking is that the heads of the media companies who have regularly featured in The Billionaire Club have moved down in rankings terms from the positions they held in 2003.
Media baron Subhash Chandra of Zee Telefilms, worth Rs 28.49 billion, who classically tops the list amongst the media barons, is ninth in the overall rankings for 2004. However, he has slipped down a place from eight, which is the position he held last year.
Nonetheless, and rather remarkably, the pioneer of the Indian television media space ranks third amongst the Power Billionaires’ list of five (after Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal). The criteria of selection delved upon the notion as to which business magnate can influence policy decisions the most.
The Power Billionaires list also highlights the point that Chandra offered only one media interview throughout 2004.
As for the other notables on the list, TV Today promoter Aroon Purie, worth Rs 3500 million, slipped to 82 from 64. Subrato Roy, the czar of Sahara Media, is pegged at 86, down from 61 in 2003.
NTDV promoter Prannoy Roy, worth Rs 2330 million, is at 97 today, down from 86 last year while Balaji Telefilms’ Jeetandra Kapoor, worth Rs 1980 million, also slipped form 95 to 127.
The listing also accentuates the pay packages of the best paid executives in the Top Earners. Crest Communications (rechristened as Crest Animination) CEO AK Madhavan earned Rs 13.1 crore while TV Today CEO G Krishnan received Rs 12.7 crore.
Balaji Telefilms’ managing director and CEO Shobha Kapoor and creative director Ekta Kapoor took home Rs 11.3 million each.
As the ranking list scrolls down, the only new entrant from the media frat is Adlabs Films’ Manmohan Shetty and Vasanji A Mamania, worth Rs 1060 million.
According to the methodology adopted by The Billionaire Club, media promoters are all listed companies, and the wealth has been estimated on the basis of the market value of their direct holding companies. The survey has eliminated cross-holdings in their stakes.
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.
