News Broadcasting
Essel Group’s E-City plans to invest Rs 2.5 billion
NEW DELHI: E-City Ventures, part of the $5 billion Essel Group, which is promoted by Subhash Chandra, today announced a Rs 2.5 billion expansion of business across India.
The group had earmarked over Rs 5 billion for investment by 2008, of which Rs 2.5 billion has already been invested.
E-City Ventures will be the corporate brand used to identify the following lines of business of the Essel Group in out-of-home realty development (E-City Entertainment (I) Pvt. Limited), mall-based property management (E-City Property Management Services Pvt. Ltd.), digital cinema solutions
(E-City Digital Cinemas Pvt. Ltd.), film distribution (E-City Films Pvt. Ltd.) and movie exhibition (Fun Multiplex Pvt. Ltd.).
“We are essentially in the cinema business, but have learnt to do the cinema business in a better way by entering related and allied industries, thereby, maximizing value and yet reducing the level of risks”, E-City Entertainment (I) Pvt Ltd CEO Atul Goel told journalists here today.
According to Goel, the above-mentioned businesses of E-City Ventures mesh very well with the idea of an “integrated approach to the business of entertainment.”
E-City Entertainment aims to be the best out-of-home entertainment and leisure destination provider through its Family Entertainment Centres (FECs).
The company proposes to develop and operate 20,00,000 sq. ft. of commercial realty across six FECs (under the brand – Fun Republic) by December 2007. The offerings include a wide variety of leisure, entertainment, recreation and shopping options under one roof.
Fun Multiplex Pvt. Ltd harbours the aim to the finest entertainment experience provider, enabling superior cinema viewing and real time leisure experiences to its patrons by combining the best in technology, comfort, leisure and hospitality. The complete outlay by second quarter 2008 would have 140 screens operational in 35 locations.
E-City Films Pvt. Ltd recently distributed Alexander (December 2004), One Dollar Curry (February 2005), Million Dollar Baby (March 2005) and Sahara (July 2005).
It aims to nationally distribute around 15-20 movies a year, being a strategic link between independent studio productions and Indian theatre audiences, Goel said.
The company looks forward to banking on its existing synergies in entertainment and retail operations and offering mall management services, project development assistance, retail leasing and brokerage services and related advisory and research support.
The Essel Group has four core business interests— media, entertainment, industry and real estate. One of the recent projects of the group has been the launch of a daily English newspaper, DNA, for the Mumbai market.
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.
