News Broadcasting
Cinevistaas goes solo into feature film venture
MUMBAI: TV software company Cinevistaas, which burnt its fingers with Yeh Mohabbat Hai, a joint venture with film producer Umesh Mehra, is going solo for its next feature film.
Cinevistaas’ maiden independent feature film will star Salman Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Arbaaz Khan.The story is pro-cop and is set in Mumbai. It also represents actor Punit Issar’s first directorial effort. The film will be ready for release in March 2003.
Cinevistaas’ co founder Prem Kishen’s daughter Akanksha, who starred in Yeh Mohabbat Hai and will be cast in a ‘pivotal and emotional role’ in the as yet untitled new venture. Yeh Mohabbat Hai, a low budget film released in February 2002, did not set the registers ringing.
Speaking on the venture MD Cinevistaas Sunil Mehta said, ” It has been 20 years since Cinevistaas first made its foray into the ever growing world of advertsing, entertainment and television. Our foray into features is not only well time but also a natural progression for a company which wishes to turn itself into an entertainment conglomerate. ” Anu Malik has scored the music.
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.
