News Broadcasting
Essel Shyam wins contracts in Bangladesh, targets Rs 750 million revenue in 2006-07
MUMBAI: Essel Shyam Communication Ltd, a 50:50 joint venture between Essel and Shyam Group, has bagged two turnkey projects for television channels in Bangladesh valued together at $5 million (Rs 225 million).
Bangla Vision, a 24-hour news and entertainment channel, has used Essel Shyam’s services for integrating the complete set up starting from acquisition (studio) to transmission (teleport). Essel Shyam is doing similar work for CSB, a news and entertainment channel which is expected to launch later this month.
The other contracts include putting up VSATs for ONGC in 154 locations across the country at a value of Rs 164 million and for ministry of defence at 97 locations in the Himalayan range for Rs 270 million.
“With this, we are targeting a turnover of Rs 750 million for this fiscal, up from Rs 537.8 milllion a year ago. For CSB, the project includes setting up of a complete satellite channel including newsroom automation,” says Essel Shyam Communication ED and whole time director Lalit Jain.
Essel Shyam is planning to raise Rs 600 million through an initial public offering (IPO) to fund its expansion plan. The company has filed Draft Red Herring Prospectus with SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) and proposes to offer 55,00,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each through the book building process.
Essel Shyam is into the business of providing various services related to satellite communication such as VSAT, teleport, SNG/DSNG and BPO facilities. The company is providing teleport services to channels of Zee Group, Janmat, Zoom (Times Group), IBN 7, Hungama TV. Several regional channels like Shalom TV, MM TV, Sangeet Bangla, Total TV and Sudarshan TV are also using Essel Shyam’s teleport. The company has recently set up a mode
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.
