News Broadcasting
Creative Eye patents technology to bring 3D software to TV
MUMBAI: Creative Eye and the FX Factory have together created a technology that promises to bring the 3D experience into analog TV homes.
The 3D Plus technology, which will first be put to use in Creative Eye’s first feature film production Aabra Ka Daabra, eliminates the need to modify cinema screens and put additional lenses in front of projectors. The same technology, translated into television, will mean that the production house will be able to create TV software that can be viewed in 3D on simple analog sets with only the aid of the special goggles, says Creative Eye chairman and managing director Dheeraj Kumar. With nearly 98 per cent television sets in the country in analog mode, the market for such software is tremendous, avers Kumar.
Creative Eye chairman Dheeraj Kumar
The production house has patented the 3D Plus technology as well as the different camera mounts (jigs) used for filming, and Kumar feels the scope for exploiting the potential of the technology is tremendous. The glasses, which use analglyphic gels currently imported from the UK, cost between Rs 3 to Rs 5 per piece, says FX Factory’s Ramesh Meer who is the co-producer and technical director of Aabra Ka Daabra. Kumar says even assuming a Doordarshan viewership of 220 million, it would not be a problem supplying the special glasses to viewers through tie up with corporates and sponsorships.
Aabra Ka Daabra, a film with universal appeal, is to be shot at a five month stretch that will culminate on 30 September. This will be followed by nearly six months of post production work and the film will be ready to be launched by April 2004. Set to a budget of nearly Rs 90 million, the special effects will eat into nearly Rs 25 to Rs 30 million, say the producers.
The film will be shot on JVC digital technology. The Victor Company of Japan has specially manufactured exclusive Cineline high resolution digital cameras for this project in which special Nikkon and Fujinon lenses will be used, says Kumar.
The success of Aabra Ka Daabra will propel Creative Eye’s designs into the making of 3D Plus software for television, believes Kumar. The company has till date had successful runs of mythologicals like Shree Ganesh, Om Namah Shivay and Om Namo Naarayan and socials like Ghar Sansar on Doordarshan.
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.
