News Broadcasting
ET Now elevates Sridharan to executive editor
MUMBAI: ET Now, the English business news channel from Times Group, has promoted its senior editor – news and trends as executive editor with immediate effect.
Sridharan fills in the position which was left vacant by Andy Mukherjee who moved to Singapore in September.
Sridharan joined ET Now in September 2008 and has been instrumental in driving the content of the channel‘s evening band.
Sridharan will report to Rahul Joshi who looks after the editorial content of both Economic Times and ET Now.
Times Television Network MD and CEO Sunil Lulla said, “We are delighted to appoint R Sridharan as executive editor of ET Now. With clear visibility as the fastest growing No 2 channel – we now embark on the larger canvas to grow ET Now’s franchise to the next level. I am confident that Sri with his passion, energetic drive and vast experience in the world of business journalism will drive his team and the channel content to ensure viewers make money every day.”
Sridharan began his career in mainstream media with The Economic Times on its op-ed feature pages. After a three year stint, he joined Business Today in New Delhi as feature writer and worked his way up to become the managing editor of the magazine.
During his time with Business today, he also held the post of editor of Harvard Business Review South Asia, a facsimile copy of its American edition. He has also worked with The Washington Post in Washington, D.C. as an Alfred Friendly Fellow of 1999.
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.
